Magic Bullet Records is ecstatic to announce the signing of Chicago-based SWEET COBRA for the release of their anxiously awaited new studio album, Earth, late this Spring. The band’s triumphant new LP was recorded and produced by Matt Talbot of Hum and Kurt Ballou of Converge, and also features guest musical contributions from each artist. Earth is their first full-length recording since their lauded 2010-released Mercy.
Recording was completed in late 2013 with Matt Talbot (Hum) and Kurt Ballou (Converge) at Talbot’s Earth Analog Studios near Champaign, Illinois, mixed by Ballou at his Godcity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts, and with final mastering by Carl Saff. Earth shows the band hungrier than ever, with the trusted and infectious ferocity fans will expect as well as a slick, more accessible approach.
Issued Magic Bullet Records owner Brent Eyestone on getting hooked by the material on Earth, even before its final mastering, “Holy hell… it’s completely badass! Kind of a new sound for the band; catchier, and I can see the appeal of the sound being much broader than their previous output. I get similar feelings from the best Queens of the Stone Age, Quicksand, and Young Widows records… super catchy slabs of heaviness.”
The members of SWEET COBRA collectively offered a humble statement on the signing with Magic Bullet and the upcoming release of Earth: “We are honored to be working with Magic Bullet and have always felt a kinship to the label and artists they release. Earth is a deeply personal album for us, and it was a liberating experience to explore new sounds and dynamics in these songs with Matt and Kurt at the helm capturing it.”
Earth will see release late this Spring on multiple formats; stand by in the coming weeks for an official street date, additional insight and audio samples from the LP. Also watch for SWEET COBRA tour dates throughout the year, including an already sold-out show with Hum in Grand Rapids on April 25th.
SWEET COBRA Tour Dates:
3/27/2015 Drunken Donut – Joliet, IL
3/28/2015 Melody Inn – Indianapolis, IN w/ Kvlthammer
4/04/2015 The Burlington – Chicago, IL w/ Auxes
4/25/2015 Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI w/ Hum, Cloakroom (SOLD OUT)
The dedication of its members and the band’s storied lineage has helped make SWEET COBRA a household name to fans of bold rock and post-hardcore internationally, and a staple within the bustling music scene of their hometown of Chicago. Founded in 2003 by former members of a wide array of notable underground acts and boasting the fury and angular qualities of their hardcore/noise-rock/metal roots with a more straightforward rock rhythm and delivery, the band came into existence and toured alongside the likes of Pelican, Russian Circles, Coliseum, Black Cobra, Doomriders, The Life And Times, Young Widows and many more. SWEET COBRA toured regularly throughout the first decade of the 2000s, and released a crushing load of recorded material, including three LPs — 2004’s Praise through Seventh Rule Recordings, 2007’s Forever through Hawthorne Street Records, and 2010’s Mercy on Blackmarket Activities — as well as split releases with Doomriders, Get Rad, and Young Widows among other releases.
In fall 2009, with Mercy just completed, second guitarist Mat Arluck lost his ongoing fight with cancer. Arluck’s death left a deep scar on the entire Chicago music scene (and beyond). SWEET COBRA committed to soldier on as a three-piece, as they began, resulting in a transformation of the band in the following years. The members have pushed forward — playing shows, constructing new material, and exploring new sounds. These efforts have culminated in the upcoming release of Earth.
SWEET COBRA:
Jason Gagovski – drums and cymbals
Robert Arthur Lanham Jr. – guitar
Botchy Vasquez (aka Tim Remis) – vocals and bass
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