Track By Tracks: Cobranoid - Cobranoid (2024)

1. Flesh & Bone:

This was written, along with many of the songs, while I (Kyle) was still living in a small town in southern Colorado. The relevance is that there was no absurd light pollution like in Denver. I could see the stars at night extremely well. I was out smoking and had already written the majority of the riffs for the song. That was when I started to wonder what it would be like seeing this without any sort of knowledge of the natural functions of the Earth. Essentially, it is the point of view of the only living being able to watch the evolution of the planet on an expedited timeline.

2. Shimmer:

A rare instance of lyrics really coming together in one fell swoop. Shimmer touches on the deceptive nature of addiction. When you're in the thick of it, your perception is skewed from what is clearly self-destruction yet disguised as simply "having a good time". While under the influence of whatever substance you prefer, caution and self-preservation is thrown to the wind. Compulsion and impulsivity take over. Being a recovering alcoholic, I looked at it from a sort of present-tense retrospective; with a more poetic twinge than addiction usually allows. For me, the idea of the floodgates being open while drinking was, and is, very real. Once you're in the full swing of inebriation, all bets are off. Pursuing pleasures of the flesh, consuming whatever comes within your grasp, disregarding all manner of consequences? All of those things shimmer in the moment.

3. Halfwit:

If you were paying any sort of attention to the world in 2020 then you're aware of how absolutely fucked everything was. Written in reference to the cult-type worship surrounding a narcissistic con man who had somehow become the president of the United States. Watching the evangelical right turn belief into legislation and Christian nationalism being paraded as "patriotism" halfwit was written more in anger and a sort of disbelief of what was happening on a daily basis. Interestingly or repulsively enough, this was not just a trend of the then-current socio-political landscape but a shift in this country as the veneer of tolerance, freedom, and democracy was being torn away. Unfortunately, the potential relevance of the song hasn't changed one fucking bit.

4. N.E.S:

This started as a rehearsal space discussion on the differences between the book "The Never Ending Story" which our drummer, Kevin was currently reading to his daughter and the movie. As a joke, it was said that we should write a song based on The Neverending Story. Not one to miss out on an elaborate inside joke I started compiling the riffs as a skeletal outline. I would watch the movie on mute while I wrote and arranged the rest of the parts using the sequences of the film as a loose structure. Lyrically, the same approach was taken, except I had borrowed the book from Kevin for a more in-depth reference point. It was a fun song to write and arrange but the swamp scene never gets any easier.

5. Doom Shark:

Musically, this song was 90% completed before it had any lyrical concept. With the parts arranged it just needed a "bridge" so to speak. I tend to play & write guitar parts with something muted on the TV in the background if I can. During this attempt, I had put on the Planet Earth documentary for whatever reason. While noodling around with the transitions that would lead into the unwritten bridge I stumbled onto a riff while simultaneously looking up to the TV screen to see a great white shark breach the water to attack a seal & FUCKING BOOM! The riff hit right then and there. Since that was the instance in which the song had its final piece, I decided that it'd only be fitting to write the lyrics about one of the most fascinating creatures on the planet, in my opinion. Lyrically it's more of an homage to the shark, coupled with the fact that this creature has been around longer than the concept of god. On the surface, you can tout your strength, beliefs, achievements, and ego. In the sea, however; you're nothing but helpless, alone, and edible.

6. Hyena:

This song is a tale of vengeance, for a royal bloodlined hyena. After being killed by a globe-traveling poacher she is resurrected by a serpent sorcerer to exact her revenge.