The second release from this Canadian quintet brings nothing new to the hardcore genre, but is fairly enjoyable, nonetheless.

The occasional moody guitar passages on songs like the album opener "Ruptured" give some distinction between tracks, but overall, "Barricades" is nothing but blast-beats, brutality, and a bunch of screamin' and hollerin'. With song titles like "Mind Destroying," and "Come Crashing," the band's modus operendi is clear. The somewhat tasteful and airy production belies the unrelenting destructive nature of the band. The performances are tight, and the mix is dense, but there is an atmosphere here that is missing from a lot of releases of bands of this type, which gives the album an element of freshness.

If you're a fan of this style of music, or if you're in the mood to break some shit and have your significant other leave you, look no further than COBRA NOIR!

- Broadbent

OFFICIAL SITE: www.cobranoir.org

RELATED ITEMS: No related articles at this time.