By the time San Francisco-by-way-of-Florida metal duo Black Cobra took to the stage late Thursday night, roughly a dozen air drummers and air guitarists clamored for space in the front two rows where on cue, they unselfconsciously began to play along with the band with the fervor as appropriate for a tent revival as a rock’n’roll show. While I couldn’t bring myself to share in the miming, I could appreciate the sentiment. Live, drummer Rafael Martinez (who also plays bass guitar for Acid King) guitarist Jason Landrian’s expertly played mixture of doom and punk comes to life, a different beast than the muddier version that rears its head on the group’s recordings such as Feather and Stone (At A Loss).
North Carolina Southern metal legends and evening’s headliners, Weedeater is responsible for some of the darkest, evilest sounding sludge rock ever known to man. The three-piece erupted into their groove-laden, raw-as-bleeding-gums metal with Dave “Dixie” Collins’(Buzzov*en, Sourvein, Bongzilla) literally whiskey-soaked voice, and distinctive stomp-dance, leading the way.
Playing a lengthy set that included a number of songs off of 2007’s God Luck and Good Speed (Southern Lord), the band is so heavy and so loud, it seems plausible that people would be able to feel it underfoot blocks away (or at least I’d like to think they can!). After playing together for over a decade, Weedeater is as powerful and as gritty live as ever. A must see for any fan of heavy rock.
– Jamie Ludwig
Black Cobra: www.blackcobra.net
Weedeater: www.weedeatertheband.com
Black Cobra in Gottenberg, Sweden