Proving that their debut was no fluke, Cobra Noir's sophomore effort, Barricades, is yet another hammer to the face, this time delivered with even more venom and malice. Just over 24 minutes of brooding hardcore that rages with ferocity, it would give a Norwegian black metal goon a case of fudge-laden Fruit Of The Looms. Barricades channels the ravenous aggression of almost-forgotten Canadian hardcore kings Union Of Uranus and the Black Hand, both bands who clearly had metal in their hardcore before the term "metalcore" held about as much weight as "I promise." Channelling these influences through the confrontational grit and fortitude of Discharge, the result is an endless barrage of bowel-rumbling chords pushed through overdriven amplification, a vocal style reminiscent of a sinner's froth-laden wailing as Satan plucks out his pubic hairs one by one and drums that border on incomprehensible while still providing the thrust necessary to make this behemoth blow the stainless steel out of your lobes. (Keith Carman / Exclaim)

Gnashing of teeth is the end result of this harsh, crusted-over mindfuck of reckless sonority. And that's a compliment. Cobra Noir explores the bitterest angle of hardcore music, torturous and vile. The rumbling sounds of "Walled In" and the spirited venom of "Ruptured" assail the senses with an unforgiving sonic bludgeoning. Fans of Cursed and Mare will revel in the dissonant, saturated sounds of cuts like "Monuments" and "The Arsonist." It's cuts like these that expose the grimy underbelly of hardcore music, one that is far removed from the candy apple claptrap that often passes off as such these days. Production-wise, this record is quite low-fi and it suits the music well. From punked-up, start-stop mayhem to almost-crusty speedpunk, these black cobras strike with the intent to kill. So they do on the reckless, spiraling out of control facebasher "Against Us" and the attitude-laden "Come Crashing." Mind you, some will be put off by the sound of this record, so make sure you enjoy the most underground sounds before following through and picking this one up. But if filth and Drano-throated fury is exactly what gets you off, Barricades is one to seek out.  (The Wizard / Pivotal Alliance)

The second missive from Cobra Noir. Dark, howling and heavy, but there's also an affecting warmth here, an enveloping quality on the slower songs. The lyrics are fragmentary, expressing feelings of helplessness in a decaying world. OK, that sounds kind of pretentious—I suppose it's a different way of saying, holy shit, the world is fucked up and the doominess of the music captures that mood. A reliance on speed on several tracks, although the mid-tempo pound of "Monuments" stands out here. I'm not always into this heavier sound but these guys make it memorable.  (Al / Suburban Voice)

Montreal's heavy hitters Cobra Noir also release their mind-blower Barricades this week, on U.S. label Chainsaw Safety. Lovingly recorded at Hotel 2 Tango by the band and ex-Cursed member Radwan Moumneh, this is a brutal and punishing listen throughout the eight blasters here. Singer Alex Von Viper's caterwaul, recalling John Brannon of Negative Approach, is what really makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand at attention, but it's also the guitars that help steer the pounding past hardcore cliché. Cobra Noir's real reward is that they refuse to cave in under the weight of their own heaviosity, with great dynamic transitions and songwriting prowess in "The Arsonist" and the heavy epic "Mind Destroying." If you like the brutal innovation of early Converge mixed with the pounding of Wolverine Blues-era Entombed, you are going to be digging this. (Johnson Cummins / Montreal Mirror)