This relentless German Blackened Speed Metal horde is unleashing upon us their debut beast, a fresh breath of old air exhibiting both the fury of youth and the ageless wisdom of the ancients.
Part of the Leipziger Meuten, along with Dolchstoß and Wrahha, German Thrash/Speed Metal brigade Morbyda was founded in 2022 by vocalist and guitarist Chris (Indian Nightmare) and drummer Joris (Boundless Chaos, Lemongrab) with the intention to shred some skull-crushing Blackened Speed Metal. Now in 2025, after the addition of second guitarist Julez (Sintage) and bassist Antonio (Pursuit) to the band’s lineup, the band is ready to kill armed with their debut full-length offering, titled Under the Spell, a fresh breath of old air, wild yet locked-in, exhibiting both the fury of youth and the ageless wisdom of the ancients, therefore remaining a Heavy Metal album above all, fully embraced by an ass-kicking, classic artwork by Bronze and Bones.
Just like a demented entity arising from the pits of hell, the quartet will spread hatred and sulfur in the frantic Evil, where the guitars by Chris and Julez exhale pure Thrash Metal for our total delight. Then investing in an old school, 80’s-inspired Speed Metal sonority we have Mother Of Decay, with Chris’ deranged vocals being boosted by the classic beats and fills by Joris, whereas blending the fastest sounds from the early days of Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Running Wild and Megadeth we’re treated to Open The Gates Of Fire, spearheaded by the razor-edged riffs by the band’s guitar duo. And a sinister intro evolves into six minutes of scorching metal music entitled Turning The Wheel Of Steel, where their fast and furious riffs will inspire you to bang your heads nonstop as well as the electrifying beats by Joris.
The album continues to move forward at full speed with The Curse, offering an overdose of caustic riffs and solos, rumbling bass sounds and pounding drums, all in the name of our good old Thrash Metal, and their minimalist yet cryptic guitar lines gradually set fire to the atmosphere in Sacrifice, not reaching the same level of insanity of the other songs but still very enjoyable; followed by the scathing Under Her Spell, with Chris and Julez once again making a rabid dual riff attack, melting our faces with their incendiary Thrash and Speed Metal. Lastly, let’s party inside the mosh pit one final time to the sound of Morbid Ways Of Dying, with the striking riffs and solos by Chris and Julez penetrating deep inside our skin, therefore putting a beyond frantic ending to the album.
After all is said and done, it’s guaranteed you’ll fall Under the Spell, where old-days references could include Japan’s Sabbat, millennial Nifelheim, the late and great Eidomantum, early Tribulation, or Hungary’s Tormentor, but all that’s to underline just how advanced Morbyda are at this early stage. Don’t forget to follow those speed thrashers on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, and of course to grab a copy of their caustic and infuriated new album from the Dying Victims Productions’ BandCamp or webstore. Chris, Julez, Antonio and Joris are casting a spell upon us of an undisputed, harsh and scorching blend of Blackened Thrash and Speed Metal, and you better get ready because once that spell hits your damned soul, there’s no way out.
Best moments of the album:Mother Of Decay, Open The Gates Of Fire and Under Her Spell.
Worst moments of the album:Sacrifice.
Released in 2025 Dying Victims Productions
Track listing 1. Evil 3:33
2. Mother Of Decay 5:44
3. Open The Gates Of Fire 4:43
4. Turning The Wheel Of Steel 6:19
5. The Curse 3:48
6. Sacrifice 4:36
7. Under Her Spell 6:18
8. Morbid Ways Of Dying 5:08
Band members Chris – vocals, guitars
Julez – guitars
Antonio – bass
Joris – drums
Get ready to be pulverized by 20 minutes of first-class Grindcore made in Greece not recommended for the lighthearted.
Formed in late 2019 in Athens, Greece, the ruthless Grindcore brigade known as Vile Species has just unleashed upon us all their pulverizing new album, titled Disqualified As A Human, the follow-up to their 2022 opus Against the Values of Civilization. Recorded, mixed and mastered by David Prudent at Made in Hell Studio, and displaying a stylish artwork by Giannis Nakos of Art Remedy Design (Suffocation, Vomitory, and many more), the new beast by Sotiris on vocals, Mat on the guitar, Chris on bass and vocals, and Michalis on drums offers our avid ears 20 minutes of first-class Grindcore not recommended for the lighthearted, in special the ones who should not be qualified as humans as the title of the album already states.
The album begins in full force with the title-track Disqualified As a Human, a lesson in Grindcore led by the brutally furious beats by Michalis, followed by Once a Body, Now a Corpse, another blast of sheer violence where Sotiris barks like a demonic creature for our total delight, whereas Those Who Act Violent is also as putrid and demented as it can be, keeping their animosity flowing strong. In Αγκυλωτός Σκοταδισμός, which means “hooked obscuration” in Greek, the visceral riffs by Mat sound utterly insane; and Mat and Chris show no mercy for their axes in Self Inflicted Mind Imprisonment, proving Greek Grindcore is perfect for some brutal slamming. There’s no sign of those guys slowing down, as it’s absolute madness blasted by the quartet in Preaching Hatred – Side Casualties, and by now I guess you know Injected With Apathy is going to be another round of Grindcore insanity made in Greece, while hammering drums and caustic riffs set the tone in the fulminating Plebs in Despair.
Battering Scum is by far one of the most demented songs of the album, if that’s humanly possible, with Sotiris roaring manically nonstop. Then Michalis sounds like a demolishing machine in Predetermined Decadence Pt.3, whereas in The Sound they let their Brutal Death Metal vein arise to the deep gnarling by Sotiris. The Invisible Ones offers us all a massive wall of insanity, violence and obscurity blasted by the band in the name of our good old Grindcore, followed by The Cradle Has Fallen, again injecting the aggression and heaviness of Death Metal into their sound, with Michalis once again taking the lead behind his drums. And continuing their path of savagery in the form of Grindcore we have A Cross Up the Ass = God As a Weapon, before all comes to an end in Sverkoma, offering a little over a minute of the carnivorous riffs by Mat while Chris pounds his bass ruthlessly until the very end.
This precious gem of the Greek Grindcore scene is available in full on YouTube, but of course you can purchase the album on BandCamp, or grab a vinyl copy of it from countless places as this is a co-release between EveryDayHealth, Gore Kitty Records, Helldog Records, Nihilocus Records, Nothing to Harvest, Nostril Bush and Throne of Lies Records, and there’s also a CD and tape release in the horizon. You can also find the band on Facebook and on Instagram, keeping up to date with all things Vile Species, and keeping more than pumped for some quality time inside the circle pit together with this amazing Greek band armed with their ruthless new album.
Best moments of the album:Disqualified As a Human, Once a Body, Now a Corpse, Battering Scum and The Cradle Has Fallen.
Worst moments of the album:Preaching Hatred and A Cross Up the Ass = God As a Weapon.
Released in 2024 Independent
Track listing 1. Disqualified As a Human 1:47
2. Once a Body, Now a Corpse 1:24
3. Those Who Act Violent 0:54
4. Αγκυλωτός Σκοταδισμός 1:25
5. Self Inflicted Mind Imprisonment 1:12
6. Preaching Hatred – Side Casualties 1:24
7. Injected With Apathy 1:08
8. Plebs in Despair 1:16
9. Battering Scum 1:37
10. Predetermined Decadence Pt.3 1:04
11. The Sound 1:33
12. The Invisible Ones 1:32
13. The Cradle Has Fallen 1:52
14. A Cross Up the Ass = God As a Weapon 1:18
15. Sverkoma 1:16
Band members Sotiris – vocals
Mat – guitar
Chris – bass, vocals
Michalis – drums
Let one of the best Polish metal bands of all time take you on a one-way journey to the end of the universe with their highly anticipated fifth full-length opus, showcasing their unique fusion of heavy music, philosophy and witchcraft.
It might have taken excruciating 11 years for Katowice, Poland-based Symphonic Black/Gothic Metal outfit Darzamat to stun us all once again with their fusion of heavy music, philosophy and witchcraft, but fortunately the wait is finally over with the release of the beautifully titled A Philosopher at the End of the Universe, the fifth full-length album in the career of such distinguished band that has been worshiped by fans from all over the world since their inception in the distant year of 1995. Produced, mixed and mastered at Gorycki & Sznyterman Studio in Krakow, Poland by Jarosław “Jaro” Baran, one of the most successful Polish music producers of all time, together with Grzegorz Sznyterman, A Philosopher at the End of the Universe is a concept album picking up the story right where its predecessor Solfernus’ Path, released in 2009, left off, including a fragment of a story straight from a classic Gothic novel written by the band’s vocalist and mastermind Rafał “Flauros” Góral together with his poet friend, prose writer and linguist Jesion Kowal, all of course spiced up by the darkly enthralling vocals by frontwoman Agnieszka “Nera” Górecka, the guitars by Chris, the bass by Markus and the drums by session musicians Icanraz and Kamil Bagiński.
An atmospheric, cryptic intro title Reminiscence opens our minds to the dark and visceral music blasted by Darzamat in the title-track A Philosopher at the End of the Universe, where the mesmerizing vocals by Nera make a beautiful paradox with the harsh gnarls by Flauros while Chris embellishes the airwaves with his melodious riffs and solos. Then we have Running in the Dark, spearheaded by the thunderous bass by Markus and blending Gothic Rock and Metal with modern-day Rock N’ Roll while acid poetry flows from Flauros’ demonic roars (“I take upon my shoulders the weight of the world / Blood and ugliness, bitterness and pain / Death, mourning, sadness and deep shadow / Still the world is hard to accept”), followed by Thoughts to Weigh on Farewell Day, starting in a truly menacing way thanks to the Stygian guitar lines by Chris and the infernal growling by Flauros and evolving into a Symphonic and Progressive Gothic Metal feast for admirers of the genre. And Nera once again captivates our senses with her unique voice in The Tearful Game, while the music remains as ethereal and enfolding as possible, or in other words, a metal version of a witchcraft ritual, also showcasing intricate and fierce beats from start to finish.
Investing in a more aggressive but still very atmospheric sonority, the band fires a lesson in contemporary Gothic Metal entitled The Sleeping Prophet, where the lyrics are once again stunningly declaimed by Nera (“The icon of Man on the monument of the world I am / Mors rules the land on the other side of darkness / The serpent is arisen in my breast / I curse and feel when God deserts me”), whereas in Clouds Clouds Darkening All the band sounds like a hypnotizing hybrid of Moonspell and Type O Negative, with all scorching riffs and fast-paced beats providing Flauros and Nera all they need to shine with their “darkness and light” vocal duet. Their second to last ode to obscurity, The Great Blaze, begins in a sexy and heavy manner with Nera distilling her Medusa-inspired vocals while Chris slashes his guitar in great fashion, alternating between somber moments and sheer melancholy, before Darzamat puts a climatic ending to the album with The Kaleidoscope of Retreat, highly inspired by the Gothic movement from the 80’s and 90’s, and with a huge focus on Nera’s enfolding vocal lines, therefore leaving us eager for more of the music by this new era of one of the best Polish metal bands of all time.
I truly hope Darzamat do not take another decade to release a new album, but as we never know what musicians like Flauros and Nera have in mind and what direction they want to take in their careers, let’s enjoy the moment and appreciate the first-class fusion of Symphonic Black and Gothic Metal from A Philosopher at the End of the Universe by streaming the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course by purchasing it from Daramat’s own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon. Those Polish metallers are also waiting for you on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube, ready to invite you to their coven and to take you on a melodic and Gothic journey to the end of the universe with their breathtaking new album, consequently (and hopefully) pointing to a busy and prolific period for the band in the coming years.
Best moments of the album: A Philosopher at the End of the Universe, The Sleeping Prophet and Clouds Clouds Darkening All.
Worst moments of the album:Thoughts to Weigh on Farewell Day.
Released in 2020 TuneCore/Szataniec
Track listing 1. Reminiscence 1:41
2. A Philosopher at the End of the Universe 4:28
3. Running in the Dark 4:30
4. Thoughts to Weigh on Farewell Day 4:17
5. The Tearful Game 5:26
6. The Sleeping Prophet 3:54
7. Clouds Clouds Darkening All 4:39
8. The Great Blaze 4:15
9. The Kaleidoscope of Retreat 5:43
Band members Nera – vocals
Flauros – vocals
Chris – guitars
Markus – bass
Jacek Gut – drums (live)
A Death Metal quartet from France arises from their graves once again with more of their demolishing music inspired by old school horror movies.
If you’re a true metalhead and at the same time a fan of old school horror movies from the 70’s to the 90’s, you’ll have an absolute blast with the music found in Chapter Two, the first full-length opus by a French Death Metal unity that goes by the name of Voorhees. Formed in 2017 in Metz, a city in France’s northeastern Grand Est region, the band comprised of Chris on vocals and guitars, Sébastien “Seb” Valbrecq on lead guitars, Fred on bass and Will on drums obviously had their name, logo and everything else inspired by the one and only Jason Voorhees, the main character from the Friday the 13th franchise, with their old school Death Metal being highly recommended for admirers of the sonic devastation blasted by renowned acts such as Death, Cannibal Corpse, Massacre and Obituary. Having released their debut EP entitled Chapter One on Friday the 13th, October 2017, this talented slasher squad once again chose the iconic date to release Chapter Two, on Friday the 13th, March 2020, dedicating pretty much each one of the eight songs of the album to a specific movie. Recorded by the band’s own drummer Will (known for his work as Willy Lang with French Doom/Death Metal one-man act Nosphares), mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound, and featuring a classic and visceral artwork by Fabrice Romo (Kaos Obscure Art), Chapter Two is the perfect soundtrack for your horror flick night.
Inspired by the Wes Craven movies The Hills Have Eyes (one of my favorite slasher flicks of all time), the opening track The Lucky Ones Die First exhales pure, undisputed Death Metal form the very beginning, with Chris and Seb doing a great job with their unstoppable riffage while Will smashes his drums in great fashion, followed by My Horror Event, drawing inspiration from the movie Creepshow, directed by George A. Romero in 1982 and with script by Stephen King. Putting the pedal to the metal, the band adds hints of Thrash Metal to their insane riffs in this wicked tune while Chris keeps barking like a true beast, not to mention Fred’s rumbling bass punches, whereas in Evil To Come, largely inspired by the movie The Day of the Beast (or “El Día de la Bestia” in Spanish), directed by Alex de la Iglesia in 1995, we’re treated to more classic Death Metal the likes of Unleashed and Obituary, resulting in the perfect choice for cracking your skull headbanging or for slamming into the circle pit. And in The Will To Kill, their musical representation of the movie Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer, directed by John McNaughton in 1986, a somber start evolves into a mid-tempo, dark sonority led by Fred and Will with their thunderous weapons, while Chris vociferates the songs words deeply and rabidly.
The cryptic voice by Charles Manson kicks off I’m The Man Who Became God, a gruesome, headbanging Death Metal extravaganza re-recorded from their first EP where Chris and Seb sound truly infernal on the guitars, accompanied by Will’s putrid and classic beast and fills, setting the tone for Voorhees II, obviously inspired by the second chapter of the Friday the 13th franchise, directed by Steve Miner in 1981. It’s time to brutally slam into the pit to the sound of this frantic and berserk composition, may favorite of the album by the way, where Will is at the same time groovy and demented on drums and with the band’s stringed trio slashing our minds and ears with their razor-edged riffs and sick bass lines. Then we have Reanimated, originally supposed to be a song inspired by the movie Re-Animator and finally turned into an almost instrumental “tribute” to the evil characters that are Jason, Leatherface, Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger, who always resurrect at the end. Will and Fred generate a menacing atmosphere perfect for Chris to growl and bark like a horror movie monster, all spiced up by Seb’s classic guitar solos, and closing the album it’s time for more obscurity and aggressiveness in the form of Death Metal with the climatic Into Darkness, a crushing, mid-tempo tune led by Will’s fierce beats while Chris keeps vociferating and roaring nonstop, and after all is said and done you’ll feel absolutely disoriented without a shadow of a doubt.
Voorhees’ horror movie-inspired Old School Death Metal feast can be appreciated in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you want to show your true support to the band (and avoid a visit of Jason Voorhees himself to your home) you should purchase the album from several locations such as the band’s own BandCamp page, the Great Dane Records’ BandCamp page or webstore, Apple Music or Discogs. In addition, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and to subscribe to their YouTube channel, filling your ears with that traditional Death Metal sonority we all love so much with no shenanigans nor any artificial elements added to it. Will they continue their path of violence and bloodshed with several more chapters in the form of metal albums inspired by each one of the Friday the 13th movies? Only time will tell, but based on the high quality of the music found in Chapter Two I’m sure it won’t take long for the quartet to arise from their graves once again to haunt our damned souls.
Best moments of the album: My Horror Event, Voorhees II and Reanimated.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2020 Great Dane Records
Track listing 1. The Lucky Ones Die First 4:34
2. My Horror Event 3:44
3. Evil To Come 5:12
4. The Will To Kill 5:09
5. I’m The Man Who Became God 6:39
6. Voorhees II 3:31
7. Reanimated 5:14
8. Into Darkness 5:11
Band members Chris – vocals, guitars
Sébastien “Seb” Valbrecq – lead guitars
Fred – bass
Will – drums
Under the sign of the ancient Egypt goddess Isis, one of the most important Industrial Metal bands from the underground Austrian scene is reborn with a new lineup and a reinvigorated attitude.
Under the sign of the ancient Egypt goddess Isis, Austrian Gothic/Industrial Metal act Sunterra are celebrating their reunion after a 10-year hiatus from the music scene with their brand new EP titled Reborn, which as you can imagine by its name marks the resurrection of the band, presenting a musical progression without forgetting their own roots. Combining Industrial and Gothic Metal with hints of Electro and Dubstep, Sunterra aim at creating their own, distinctive sound, oferring the listener fresh and thrilling music that will put you on a trance and certainly sharpen your senses while listening to it.
Formed in 1998 in the charming city of Vienna, Austria after the split of a band named Virgin Seed, and having chosen their new name Sunterra as a game of words standing for the gathering of fire and earth, the band led by bassist and lyricist Chris enjoyed almost a decade of considerable success in the independent Austrian scene, releasing the demo In Diebus Illis in 1999 and the full-length albums Lost Time, in 2002, and Graceful Tunes, in 2005, before calling it a day in 2006. In 2015, with a brand new lineup and a reinvigorated attitude, Sunterra were reborn from the ashes like a phoenix and are more than ready to rock again, with their brand new EP being the first and exciting installment in this second incarnation of the band.
Electronic and futuristic elements set the tone in the solid Industrial Metal composition Reign Supreme, with the harsh growls by Carlos and the clean, gentle voice of Slovakian singer Lilly reaching a great balance, complementing each other’s lines effectively. In addition, the song’s chorus is quite catchy and should work really well live. In Shadow in the Dark, the band “abandons” their heavy industrialized musicality a bit, focusing on their Gothic Metal vein, with gentle piano notes and the delicate vocals by Lilly guiding the listener in this eccentric voyage. This is a melancholic, alternative ballad that ends with Carlos and Ivan delivering some heavy gnarls and riffs respectively, generating an interesting contrast with the song’s initial smoothness. Then in Lord of Lies we face some obscure guitar and bass lines by Ivan and Chris, which together with the potent programmed beats will break your neck while Lilly keeps delivering her angelical vocals. Put differently, this is a high-end professional fusion of Industrial and Gothic Metal, with its background effects helping make the overall sonority truly menacing.
This is W.A.R. brings forward an eerie futuristic ambience with elements from electronic music, feeling like a dance hit from the 80’s or 90’s with a metallic approach and gentle breaks being thoroughly inserted amidst the fury emanating from Carlos’ guttural growls; whereas Ministry of Thoughts presents a strong Marilyn Manson-inspired atmosphere, sounding extremely alternative and mechanized. In this song highly recommended for lovers of the darkest side of Industrial Metal, Ivan showcases an excellent performance on both guitar and all programmed elements, turning it into one of the best tracks of the album. And concluding the EP, Shut Up!!! begins in an ominous way with a whimsical dialogue between Carlos and Lilly before becoming a feast of electronic Industrial Metal perfect for hitting the dance floor, a creepy track by Sunterra to end Reborn on a high note.
As one of the most important Industrial Metal bands from the underground Austrian scene is finally back in action, why not feed their newly reborn fire with your passion for heavy music? You can watch a preview of the entire EP on YouTube to get a better sense of what the music by Sunterra is all about, or stream it in its entirety to be enchanted by their modern metal music, as well as follow them on Facebook to know more about the band and their future projects and live concerts. And if you want to show your true support for these Austrian industrialists of darkness, you can get your copy of Reborn at their BandCamp page, on iTunes, on Amazon, at Discogs and several other online retailers.
Best moments of the album: Lord of Lies and Ministry of Thoughts.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2017 NRT-Records
Track listing 1. Reign Supreme 4:28
2. Shadow in the Dark 5:15
3. Lord of Lies 5:05
4. This is W.A.R. 4:49
5. Ministry of Thoughts 4:47
6. Shut Up!!! 3:51
Band members Carlos – male lead vocals
Lilly – female lead vocals
Ivan – lead guitars, programming
Chris – bass
I am, I am all that’s inside you… I am, I am evil burning through!
Have you ever been bitten by a cobra? If not, this is probably the best opportunity you will ever have in your life to finally feel the powerful venom of a spellbinding snake flowing through your veins in the form of old school Heavy Metal, and I’m sure you’ll just love the experience. I’m talking about the stunning Canadian metaller Brittany Paige, better known for her onstage moniker Kobra Paige, the fiery frontwoman of Canadian Heavy Metal band Kobra And The Lotus. Are you ready for a metallic snake bite?
Born and raised in Calgary, Canada, Kobra is a classically trained singer and pianist, having completed Grade 8 in vocals and Grade 6 in piano with The Royal Conservatory of Music, before forming Kobra And The Lotus in 2008 together with guitarist Chris Swenson and drummer Griffin Kissack. She said she was doing classical training from when she was very young until she lost interest in it, getting into Heavy Metal and Rock N’ Roll during her high school years especially because there was something in heavy music with a strong connection to what she loved the most in classical music, allowing her to explore her true voice. “I felt it was an extremely natural progression because metal allows for that chest voice to be used”, she explained. In addition, she mentioned she was going to university without a real intention of doing music seriously, although she truly wanted to start her own metal band anyway. After starting singing and writing music she felt so passionate and alive she decided to go ahead with her music career, which also meant the end of university for her.
Despite not pursuing a career in classical music, the classical training was essential for our blonde bombshell to learn the art of singing and how to properly take good care of her voice. “I’m so scared of that because I can’t just buy a new guitar. I only have this one instrument and you don’t want to blow it, so absolutely the breath exercises and the tools that I learned from it have very much helped, made me more knowledgeable”, she said in one of her interviews. Well, she said she was blown away at a Judas Priest concert after the band played their thunderous classic Painkiller, and she also fell in love for the powerful multi-layered voice by Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, so it makes total sense for her to be so worried about her voice as we all know how demanding singing like Rob Halford and Robert Plant can be to any mortal person, right?
Still under the name Brittany Paige, she released with Kobra And The Lotus their debut album Out of the Pit, in 2009, before adopting the name Kobra Paige and releasing two more albums with the band, the self-titled Kobra and the Lotus in 2012 and their most recent full-length album High Priestess in 2014, as well as an EP with cover versions for renowned Canadian rock bands entitled Words of the Prophets in 2015, and a 7″ vinyl EP named Zombie also in 2015, released as a Halloween treat and containing the songs Zombie and Remember Me. She also took part in the Heavy Metal/Hard Rock project Tony Gabriele’s Orbynot, recording vocals for their 2012 album Try to Stop Me, and is constantly lending her voice to the metal army known as Metal All Stars, sharing the stage with iconic musicians such as Tim “Ripper” Owens, Ross the Boss, Vinny Appice and Paul Di’Anno, and more recently to the cult Melodic Power Metal act Kamelot during their latest world tour. And you better get ready, because Kobra And The Lotus announced back in November 2015 they are gearing up for their fourth full-length album, a double disc entitled Prevail, to be released in a not-so-distant future (you can pre-order it HERE).
There are several videos on YouTube where you can enjoy her electrifying vocals and looks, and more important than that, feel the remarkable shift in her voice through the years. As a “few” suggestions, I believe you can take a listen at the old school thrashy tunes Snake Pit, Ride Like Sugar and Cynical Wasteland, the thunderous Welcome To My Funeral and I Am, I Am, the sexy heavy ballad Black Velvet, the Power Metal epicness of 50 Shades Of Evil and Forever One, the band’s thrilling cover versions for Motörhead’s all-time classic Ace of Spadesand Rush’s groovy anthem The Spirit Of Radio, and their awesome performance at the famous festival Bloodstock Open Air in 2012. When asked about that change, Kobra said it happened mainly from their first to their second album, when she started following a direction where she felt more comfortable with her voice, sounding more organic, honest and authentic, and also evolving with the other band members in terms of skills and songwriting.
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Based on her vocal style and the music played by Kobra and The Lotus, you might think her biggest influences come only from traditional Heavy Metal, like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, who obviously had a huge impact on her life and who she would simply love to tour with. However, our gorgeous Kobra is a fan of all types of music, from old school metal the likes of Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P.) and Iced Earth, to Folk/Viking Metal such as Eluveitie and Amon Amarth, to obviously classical music, in special German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven. As pretty much all successful musicians, she doesn’t stick to only one music genre, which helps her evolve as a singer and songwriter by expanding her horizons and bringing to her mind huge amounts of creativity and passion.
As expected for such a charismatic persona like Kobra, she was invited to take part on an interesting documentary called Soaring Highs and Brutal Lows: The Voices of Women in Metal after her performance at the famous Metal Female Voices Fest in 2013, touring then with other female vocalists in different festivals and telling their own stories in the world of heavy music. Talking about the life on the road, Kobra said once that “any person obviously has to be really into heavy metal, living and breathing for it, in order to be on the road constantly”, and in regards to being a beautiful woman among so many male metalheads, she said that one of the funniest things that ever happened to her on tour was when Kobra and The Lotus were touring around Canada the first time and she got a lot of questions like “are you the merch girl?”, surprising them all the minute she got onstage.
Her hobbies and interests are also very common for most of us, especially if you enjoy more physical stuff such as kickboxing and hiking on a mountain. Moreover, as she’s so focused on her music career and loves all things music so much, she has also nurtured an interest in musical theater, something she used to do at a younger age, looking into some Broadway scoring to improve her skills and capacity for innovation. One curious detail about her is that, even after spending so much time on the road with the band, she’s an avid traveler, always searching for exotic destinations to visit and new cultures to learn about.
Lastly, in case you haven’t noticed yet, our metal viper has the tattoo of a dream catcher on her arm, something very meaningful to her since she was a little girl. Her mom used to take her to sun dances, increasing Native American influences on her while she was growing up. Besides, she used to have constant nightmares until she was 13, when her parents put a dream catcher over her bed as a protective symbol, which ended up working really well for her. I’m pretty sure her nightmares are long gone by now, not due to the dream catcher but mainly because of her badass attitude and inner strength. In other words, I can’t think of any entity brave enough to disturb the peace of our headbanging cobra, and if anyone or anything dares to do so, they will mercilessly have their asses kicked pretty bad.
Part of the Leipziger Meuten, along with Dolchstoß and Wrahha, German Thrash/Speed Metal brigade Morbyda was founded in 2022 by vocalist and guitarist Chris (Indian Nightmare) and drummer Joris (Boundless Chaos, Lemongrab) with the intention to shred some skull-crushing Blackened Speed Metal. Now in 2025, after the addition of second guitarist Julez (Sintage) and bassist Antonio (Pursuit) to the band’s lineup, the band is ready to kill armed with their debut full-length offering, titled Under the Spell, a fresh breath of old air, wild yet locked-in, exhibiting both the fury of youth and the ageless wisdom of the ancients, therefore remaining a Heavy Metal album above all, fully embraced by an ass-kicking, classic artwork by Bronze and Bones.
After all is said and done, it’s guaranteed you’ll fall Under the Spell, where old-days references could include Japan’s Sabbat, millennial Nifelheim, the late and great Eidomantum, early Tribulation, or Hungary’s Tormentor, but all that’s to underline just how advanced Morbyda are at this early stage. Don’t forget to follow those speed thrashers on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, and of course to grab a copy of their caustic and infuriated new album from the Dying Victims Productions’ BandCamp or webstore. Chris, Julez, Antonio and Joris are casting a spell upon us of an undisputed, harsh and scorching blend of Blackened Thrash and Speed Metal, and you better get ready because once that spell hits your damned soul, there’s no way out.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 