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Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews

Dos Cobros

Synesthesia

Review by Gary Hill

I've landed this under metal, but that is only so accurate. I could just as easily have put this under non-prog. That's because a lot of the music here merges the territory between heavy metal and hardcore punk. At times it leans in one direction more than the other, but that combination is present pretty much throughout this fairly short set. There are other things here, too, including space rock and proggy elements along with some shoegaze. Whatever you call this, it's imaginative, raw and really rocking.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021  Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.

Track by Track Review
Space Wolf
Pounding in super-heavy and fuzz-laden, there is a bit of a punk edge as this comes out of the gate. The track gets more aligned with a thrashy sort of pure metal sound as it continues, though. It even has some hints of shoegaze at times. This instrumental is a strong opener.
The Russian Sleep Experiment (Orange Soda)
This powers in with an early thrash meets NWOBHM sound. The vocals come in with a slightly distorted, but old school metal sound. I can almost make out hints of space rock on this dramatic and powerful tune. As strong as the opener was, this takes it to  a new level. Around the two-minute mark it shifts to an almost punk meets thrash approach. This is crazed and tastefully unsettling. The lyrics get a parental advisory. The tune gets crazed and works through a number of changes. There is a full hardcore punk section at later. 
Kiss the Knife
Pounding out with a fierce and raw thrash jam, this is on fire. It's another with definite hardcore punk edges to it. This works through some different movements, again having sections that are closer to hardcore.
Domestic Punk
This cut is s fierce stomper that has both metal and hardcore in the mix. In fact, this one probably lands closer to the hardcore end of the spectrum. Then again, with that title would you expect anything else?
You're so Cool
Another that lands in the hardcore end of the pool, this is short and ferocious.
Pretty Kitty
Fierce and frantic, metal and punk are merged pretty well here. This is another that's brief.
Danger Wank
Punk and metal are the driving forces on this short screamer, too.
(To)night Beat
Noisy and rather experimental, this is another that has the combination of metal and punk built into it, but there are other things here, too. Some of the changes are almost prog-like. The cut has a psychedelic edge in some parts, too. This runs almost six-and-a-half minutes, and they make good use of all that space. After the four-minute mark they take it to a weird bit of ambience and then come back in with a dark metal meets space movement. It drifts to trippy space from there to take the set out.
  
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