Black Cobra

Sludge this, sludge that. Who isn't in a sludge band these days? The word is carelessly thrown around to describe any two-bit act that can fuzz its guitars enough. But it's not just a sound; it's a tone of voice. Sludge is what happens when you take a crop of...

By Tuyet Nguyen

August 31, 2006

Audio By Carbonatix

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Sludge this, sludge that. Who isn't in a sludge band these days? The word is carelessly thrown around to describe any two-bit act that can fuzz its guitars enough. But it's not just a sound; it's a tone of voice. Sludge is what happens when you take a crop of long-haired kids in black shirts, push their faces in the mud and then let them vent their frustrations through 200-watt Sunn amps. This is true sludge, and Black Cobra is as filthy as it gets. The band is made up of two dudes on opposite coasts: guitarist Jason Landrian (ex-Cavity), who lives in New York, and drummer Rafa Martinez (ex-Acid King), who resides in Los Angeles. The pair sent recorded tapes back and forth to each other, and after a few in-person practices, issued their debut full-length, Bestial -- an album with a weighted soul that gives clear meaning to the term "sludge metal."

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