Cobalt, meanwhile, a homegrown black metal act that's been criminally overlooked, earned a nice nod in Stereogum's Top 30 Metal Albums of 2009 list. Actually, it's more than a nod. The outfit, led by Erik Wunder and Phil McSorely, a Staff Sergeant in the US Army who just finished a tour in Iraq, garnered the second slot behind Converge, which topped the list with its latest release, Axe to Fall. Coincidently -- or perhaps not, considering he has recorded nearly every noteworthy metal act to come out of Colorado, from Cephalic Carnage to Enemy Reign -- Gin, which was released last year on Profound Lore Records, was also recorded by Otero at Flatline.
MP3: "Dry Body," Cobalt MP3: "Arsonry," Cobalt