COBRA CULT is a four-piece band from Stockholm, Sweden, originally formed in 2015. Since the formation, they have gone through some lineup changes on guitar, released a four song EP in 2017 and their eponymous debut album in 2018. The band formed as the result of guitarist/vocalist Johanna Lindhult and bassist Thomas Jonsson starting to write songs together in the summer of 2015; with drummer Carl Johan Sillen joining them in the fall. There was an instant chemistry between the three musicians, and they have been constant throughout the band's existence.

I wasn't very familiar with the band going into this review, so I meandered back to the earlier output, as well as checking out this second album release, "Second Gear". What I have been able to ascertain from the ep "The Sunlight Tapes", and the 2018 debut album, is that COBRA CULT consists of four straight ahead, no frills rock 'n' roll musicians. They have a penchant for seventies and eighties punk inspired, short, punchy songs, with the average length running right around three minutes. Lindhult seems to have been somewhat inspired by Johnette Napolitano of CONCRETE BLOND fame, with a swaggering snarl in her vocal delivery, and the band is very tight, musically. I have also been able to figure out that they are pretty damned good at what they do.

When the drums start pounding to bring forth "Sell Your Soul", the opener of "Second Gear", it becomes pretty obvious that not a lot has changed, stylistically speaking, for the band. The song has a feel like a crisp opening punch in a boxing match. The guitars are on point and Lindhult's vocal still shows that same swaggering, angry sound displayed on the first two releases.

Moving ahead to "The Devil's End", however, it seemed apparent to me that something HAD changed. The delivery here feels more mature by comparison, both musically and lyrically. The angst and fire are still firmly in place on this, and other songs on this album; but they seem to possess a more "controlled chaos" than the earlier recordings. I'm not sure if the inclusion of Anders Martinsgard in the band has made that significant a difference, but the solos he takes on "Run For Your Life" and "Mean Machine" say a lot for him and his musical ability.

Again, the songs are rather quick affairs, with the entire eight-song release checking in at only twenty-four minutes, approximately. The Punk influence seems to remain, although this record has more of a true Metal feeling about. This is the best I have heard from COBRA CULT, and it will be making my constantly rotating playlist. Great stuff, to be certain; and a really nice surprise.