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Cobra Spell is essentially the band started by Burning Witches guitarist Sonia Anubis back in 2019 as a traditional metal/hard rock band in the mode of Ignitor or White Skull. In the beginning Sonia was the only female member, but in the voyage to this debut album, the band has become an all-girl affair and leaned even harder into the sleazy '80s-rock vibe. That makes it sound like a bad thing, but while there is just as much Mötley Crüe or Dokken as Dio in this music, Anubis is too good a player to write simplistic music, and the hooks and leads on this are too good to ignore.

It helps that she is backed up by a stellar lineup, from Roxana Herrera's groovy basslines to the rock-solid drumming of Hale Naphtha. Rhythm guitarist Noelle dos Anjos provides a great foundation for Anubis's nimble fretwork, and singer Kris Vega (of prog-metallers Born in Exile) has the perfect amount of grit and attitude for this kind of music.

If you don't like the sounds of sometimes cheesy '80s hard rock, then this probably won't do much for you, but I think I prefer this kind of offbeat, fun stuff to the safe, stale Priest imitation Burning Witches have been selling. This is sometimes a bit silly, but it still fucking rocks.