King Kobra

King Kobra is a significant fixture of the 1980s American hard rock and glam metal scene, founded in 1984 by legendary drummer Carmine Appice. Following his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Appice assembled a 'supergroup' of sorts, initially featuring the extraordinary vocal talents of Marcie Free (then Mark Free).

The band's sound is a bridge between the technical proficiency of traditional heavy metal and the commercial polish of AOR. Their debut, 'Ready to Strike,' is often cited by collectors as a high-water mark for the genre due to its combination of Appice's thunderous double-bass drumming and Free's four-octave vocal range. The band underwent numerous lineup changes, serving as a launchpad for members who would later form BulletBoys. Despite a late-80s dissolution, the band's 2010s revival with Paul Shortino and later Carlos Cavazo has maintained their reputation for high-caliber musicianship. Critically, they are respected more for their technical execution than their chart success, occupying a space as a 'cult favorite' among guitar and drum enthusiasts who value the substance behind the 80s spectacle.