Now cosplaying your favorite animated character is nothing new in these nerdy times we live in today, but these guys are taking it to a whole new level. Donned in full costume each of the four members represents one of the Dreadnoks, kind of a bayou biker gang that escaped from Mad Max right into the swamps.

Moreover, these aren’t just a few adult kids into collecting vintage toys. All four are in fact respected musicians from the metal scene, playing also in bands like Exhumed, Gruesome, Repulse, Malevolent Creation or KMFDM and Genitorturers to name but a few.

After a short introduction by Cobra Commander himself about his intentions for the band, we get to revisit the title song that started it all. The original version from that one episode sounded very glam like, straight out of Jem and the Holograms, that other Hasbro license, at which time you start getting a idea how I spend  where I my time when not listening to music and writing reviews.

As said they metalized this version significantly and made them a bit more nineties than eighties and that’s basically the template for the rest of the record.

If you’re a Joe fan you simply can’t pass up this band with every song based on some part of the lore or reference to one or the other episode with small soundbites sprinkled generously across the ten songs. But even if you’re not familiar with Zartan and his fellow Cobra cronies you can enjoy these songs as very American sounding metal from the nineties.

‘Thunder machine’ has the right kind of southern swagger you need to go on a rolling rampaging cruise with a big ass armoured truck . For that one and also  ‘Zartan’s Revenge’ they even released a full blown animated video made by none other than Costin Chioreanu. ‘Snakes on the Bayou’ has an almost Alice in Chains like vibe, especially in the vocals and I dare you not to sing along to the chorus of ‘Master of Disguise’ .Furthermore, If you’re going to spoof nineties music you just need to have a ballad and that is exactly what ‘The Ballad of Buzzer’ is. As if Nickelback would have written it themselves.

With the final track the band goes out on a high. Not only does it recall one of the most absurd episodes in an already whacky animated show, it’s also so catchy you can’t help but be tempted by these fatal fluffies.

Hasbro, the company who owns the franchise, has gone full out with bringing the imaginary band to life. They’ve even made a playset that has the whole band decked out on stage. Just check out the Hasbro Pulse page here. Not sure if we’re ever going to get to see Cold Slither really live on the stage again. Most likely their live career will be limited to that one unique show they played in July at San Diego Comic Con, but you never know. Cobraaaaaaa!

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