Cobalt is a seminal American black metal project, primarily consisting of multi-instrumentalist Erik Wunder and a rotating vocal chair, most notably Phil McSorley and later Charlie Fell. Emerging from Colorado, the band redefined the 'USBM' label by incorporating elements of sludge, post-metal, and folk, moving away from Scandinavian tropes toward a distinctly American aesthetic of rugged individualism and existential decay.
Their 2007 album 'Eater of Birds' was a turning point, introducing influences from Swans and Neurosis, while 2009's 'Gin' cemented their status as critical darlings, drawing inspiration from literary figures like Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson. Following a long hiatus and a lineup change, 2016's 'Slow Forever' proved their enduring relevance, leaning harder into a 'blackened Tool' sound characterized by Wunder's virtuosic, percussion-forward composition. They are widely cited as a bridge between the underground black metal scene and the broader world of experimental extreme music.
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Shares sludge metal, post-metal, desert, thunderstorm (signature)
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Shares sludge metal, post-metal, black metal, thunderstorm (signature)
Shares post-metal, sludge metal, progressive metal, thunderstorm (subgenre)
Shares avant-garde jazz, post-metal, black metal, progressive metal (subgenre)
Shares post-metal, sludge metal, black metal, thunderstorm (subgenre)
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