Kev Rowland It's been three years since Kobra And The Lotus' last studio album ‘High Priestess’ was released back in 2014. Since then the Canadians have completed multiple tours worldwide (with the likes of Kamelot, Sonata Arctica and Demon Hunter to name a few), and are now back with their fourth release. Only singer Kobra Paige is still there from the 2009 debut ‘Out of the Pit’, and I am amazed that I haven’t heard her prior to this album, as here is a singer with plenty of power and passion, very much in the style of Doro. Musically this is a mix of traditional heavy metal with some power metal, while also at times slightly moving into symphonic, but they don’t stay on the last for too long.

This is all about punch guitars, great melodies and hooks, with some sublime singing over the top. Produced by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Epica etc) and mastered by Grammy award winning Ted Jensen, the sound is as strong as one would expect, and I actually found this to be a refreshing approach to the genre as here Kobra is very much part of the band, and not someone pushing herself to the forefront at the risk of taking away from the impact of the songs overall. ‘Prevail I’ is full of blistering guitars, pounding rhythms and haunting vocal melodies, and will be appreciated both by those who enjoy the more melodic side of metal and those who like the (much) heavier side of AOR. Apparently ‘Prevail II’ is going to be released in the near future, and I for one look forward to that with great anticipation as if it is as good as this it will be one to grab.

adg211288 I have to be honest, when I first heard Canadian metal act Kobra and the Lotus I wasn't all that impressed. This would have been sometime after the release of their debut album Out of the Pit (2009) of course, a record that's since become quite obscure and from which only vocalist Kobra Paige herself still remains with the band today. This first impression was quickly forgotten with the band's second album, the self-titled Kobra and the Lotus (2012), where the band really upped their game, also adopting more of a power metal sound. With their third album High Priestess (2014), the band only continued to grow in my estimations, now also leaning in towards thrash metal in addition to their traditional and power metal elements of albums past. Back after three years with their fourth full-length album Prevail I (2017), the first of a pair with Prevail II slated to follow in the very near future, and I've little reason to doubt going in that more great things should be expected.

Maybe it's simply a case of expecting too much, but Prevail I isn't exactly everything I'd hoped it would be. On one hand if you want a modern sounding heavy metal album with great female vocals then check, you've got it here, with a couple of power metal moments on the side. But it's really not much more than that. Don't get me wrong, it's a good album for its style, but when an artist sets the bar high with their previous work, as Kobra and the Lotus did on their last two albums, then it also seems somewhat lacklustre. The thrash metal elements from High Priestess seem to have completely evaporated rather than developed further, and as hinted above the power metal elements have been considerably cut down too. I'd have called the last two albums power metal albums before heavy metal albums, so Prevail I really marks a shift back towards the band's original sound, although it's still much stronger than Out of the Pit of course. There are some new developments such as such neoclassical inspired lead guitar on the instrumental Check the Phyrg, but what has been gained doesn't balance out what their sound has lost on this album.

Now, there's nothing wrong with traditional heavy metal of course, and I've often wondered if Kobra and the Lotus's power and thrash metal elements were something of a fluke due to their self-branding as a hard rock/metal band, but the trouble is those elements were the instrumental strength of the self-titled and High Priestess. They worked well with Kobra Paige's strong vocals. It was a combination that produced some melodic, yet hard hitting metal music that was a joy to listen to and regularly revisit. I can't be the only one who had hopes for more of that. Prevail I, by comparison, actually seems to be a bit generic and forgettable. I'm left with a single hope that Prevail II, whenever it drops (it should at least be before Wintersun releases Time II), contains material more like High Priestess and isn't just more of the same as this first part, because that really would be a let down.

I will reiterate before I close this review; the songs on Prevail I aren't bad, but they aren't particularly special either. Some nice tracks here and there including Specimen X (The Mortal Chamber) and Check the Phyrg and definitely exceptional vocals from Kobra herself across the whole album, but it just doesn't manage to grab hold of me in the same way.

Unitron Kobra and the Lotus-High Priestess

'High Priestess' is the follow up to Kobra and the Lotus's amazing self-titled album, and their overall third studio album.

'High Priestess' expands on everything that was set in place on the previous album, adding in thrash elements while maintaining the traditional/power style of the previous album. It begins with the fast and powerful 'Warhorse' which sets the mood of the album very well. The song 'I am, I am' is fully-blown thrash metal, which sounds very Helstar-like with the music combined with Kobra Paige's powerful vocals. My personal favorite song is 'Battle of Wrath', which can sound very menacing at times. 'Soldier' is another favorite, having great lyrics and melody and a great music video.

Unlike the previous album, there is much more of a balance between fast and angry tracks and more flowing tracks. Songs like 'Heartbeat', 'Hold On', and the finale 'Lost in the Shadows' have a softer and more flowing aspect to them.

Overall, all I can really say is that it's everything the previous album was and more. I recommend it to any fan of power metal or traditional metal, and definitely anyone who enjoyed the previous album.

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Unitron Kobra and the Lotus-Kobra and the Lotus

Kobra and the Lotus is a fairly new band, with this being their first album with their more Power metal-oriented sound as opposed to their first album which followed a more traditional sound.

The music is full of heavy speed metal riffs and amazing double bass work. This isn't just power metal though, there are also elements of traditional heavy metal and symphonic metal. The symphonic influence is most heard in the closing song 'Aria of Karmika'. The song 'Forever One' is another stand-out track, having plenty of crunching guitar riffs and really putting the 'power' in power metal. There are softer moments at times though, with the beautiful piano intro of 'Sanctuary' before the heavy guitar comes in. My personal favorite would probably be 'Nayana (Eyes)', I love the chorus in that song. 'Welcome to My Funeral' is another standout song and favorite, with the amazing cymbal work at the beginning.

Kobra Paige's vocals are among the most amazing I've heard in metal. Her vocals really have a traditional metal feel, reminding me of what a female Rob Halford or James Rivera would sound like. Paige's vocals are at one of the strongest moments on 'No Rest for the Wicked' with her lower vocals perfectly complimenting the shredding guitar at the start. The lyrics are strong as well, being about dark fantasy themes.

Overall, this album is definitely one of my favorite power metal albums of all time. I highly recommend this album for any fans of power metal, and I think it's a true metal masterpiece.

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adg211288 High Priestess (2014) is the third full-length album by Canadian heavy/power metal act Kobra and the Lotus. The band's line-up apart from vocalist Kobra Paige has hardly been a stable one and High Priestess again brings some changes to it, with the band mostly recording the album as a three piece. Though Brad Kennedy is mentioned in the album liner notes, the bass on the album was played by guitarist Jasio Kulakowski. Additional lead guitars are played by Charlie Parra del Riego.

Though Kobra and the Lotus tends to call themselves and be called a traditional heavy metal band the music on their self-titled album was actually a mix of that and power metal. On High Priestess they sound has stretched even further into power metal territory. That's the heavier hitting USPM type for the most part to my ears and I would call High Priestess a power metal album over a heavy metal album any day. A couple of the songs also feature a thrash metal edge most notably I Am, I Am which is more of a thrash metal song than anything. The band blends all three styles pretty well though and once again have produced a record that has classic metal written all over it. Cheesy power metal this certainly isn't.

While I still haven't heard their debut album Out of the Pit (2009) in full, the self-titled album immediately struck me as a band who'd improved by leaps and bounds based on the few songs I had heard from the debut. That growth can also be observed on High Priestess though as the self-titled was also a high quality album the results aren't as dramatically jaw-dropping this time, but by focussing even more on power metal Kobra and the Lotus have done exactly what I'd hoped they'd do. They're good at traditional metal but great at power metal, and the thrash elements are a nice addition to the album making I Am, I Am one of the best songs on offer along with Warhorse, Soldier, Battle of Wrath and Willow. While the guitar playing is great and really gets across the classic metal vibe of Kobra and the Lotus' music, once again it's the powerful singing of Kobra Paige herself that steals the show here.

With High Priestess Kobra and the Lotus have continued what they began on their self-titled and in my opinion outdone themselves. They've really played to the strengths made apparent on their last album while also covering some new ground. 4.5 Stars.

92/100

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven: http://metaltube.freeforums.org/kobra-and-the-lotus-high-priestess-t3635.html)