The Cobra Skulls are certainly not new to the punk scene. The band has made a name for themselves in the post Against Me! style of punk rock. While not nearly as folksy as that description would offer there are certain similarities. The politics are there as well as the slightly gruff vocals. Where they differ is where Cobra Skulls will make their name.
More so than most that get that tag The Skulls have a more melodic quality to them that most can't hold up to. While keeping tempos up and catchiness levels high the melodies are actually melodic. The backup harmonies on "Ice In The Night" really help to make the song stick out with an old school rock and roll feel. This is used throughout the EP to make the most of each hook making for a comforting feeling for the listener.
There are a few cool surprises on this release as well. The first is on the opening track "Doomsday Parade", this being a melodic trumpet blast guiding the hook along. This helps to differentiate them from most of their peers as well as add something to the song itself. The second surprise would be a semi clean cover of the Bad Religion classic "Give You Nothing". This cover unlike most involves the band really putting their own stamp on the original without taking anything away from the song. All of these factors help Cobra Skulls come away with one of the best melodic punk EP's of this year so far.
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