Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

There is nothing quite like being disclosed the name of a new band to your mental collection and finding out just how good they sound and wondering just how come you haven’t heard of them before. The world is a huge place, you can never hear everything, the simple act of breathing quietly in a darkened room often gets in the way of that, however when the name conveyed of Kobra and the Lotus and their new album High Priestess appears out in soft spoken but hurriedly excited tones, all you can do is listen and then exclaim unashamedly loud that they join fellow Canadian’s No Sinner as being two of the great bands of the era from that large expansive country.

High Priestess alters the way that many on the side of the Atlantic will think of music from Canada. For many Rush will always be the set of musicians that exemplifies the rich Rock tradition that sits at the heart of the country, even the likes of the very enjoyable Avril Lavigne is a far cry from some of the music foisted upon the ears of those in the U.K. However Kobra and the Lotus is the next generation, the way forward and a lot of this comes down to the distinctive voice that feels as holy as a nun finding the stash of Whisky the Mother Superior has been hiding since Rush released A Farewell To Kings. Like No Sinner, the music is great, the voice though that accompanies it is essential to its success. In Kobra Paige, her style is one that wrestles you to the ground, places you in tight hold and then slowly gives you a reassuring kiss on the forehead; it is the conscientious spiritual offering tied up in Rock overcoat made of Metal and gleams like a drop of water hitting the bus station in Niagara Falls.

Tracks such as I Am. I Am, the brilliant Battle of Faith, the undiluted beautiful pleasure that joins the anguish in Lost in the Shadows and the infectious worship nature in the title track High Priestess all make the album such a fantastic album in which to feel the kick of a well-placed heel is a wonderful musical torment. Torment because you know at the back of your mind you know it might be a while before you hear anything as good in the same way again.

Some albums deserve to elevated, some place their faith in just being heard, for Kobra and the Lotus what you have is a commitment to the Canadian music dream.

Ian D. Hall