II

King Kobra s long-awaited reunion album King Kobra (s/t) released on Frontiers Records in 2011, left no doubt that the band was still a force to be reckoned with. Even though nearly 25 years had passed since the original line-up recorded the landmark Ready To Strike and Thrill Of A Lifetime albums, the energy and immediacy of the bands lightning attack had not diminished one iota and fans responded in kind.

The thick, soulful vocals of Paul Shortino, dual guitarists Mick Sweda and David Michael-Philips, and the thundering bass and drums of Johnny Rod and Carmine Appice delivered an album that, while easily carrying on the tradition of the first two releases, brought a contemporary twist to a signature melodic, hard rock style.

2013 brings the aptly-titled II . Produced by David Henzerling with Carmine Appice and Paul Shortino, the band digs even deeper into its hard rock roots to create an album that has all the swagger and swing of the classic 70 s albums (think Montrose, Bad Company, Deep Purple and even Carmine s own legendary Cactus) with a crystal clear sound that combines the best of both analogue and digital recording techniques. From the tight and punchy Have A Good Time to the 8-minute epic Deep River , II shows a more mature band confident of its songwriting ability performing with a technical prowess garnered over years of experience.