KOBRA & THE LOTUS with ANTI-TRUST, NEBULA X, and MASTIV at THE BUNKHOUSE

I made my way down Fremont Street to the Bunkhouse to catch the Kobra & The Lotus show, that also featured three of our favorite local bands, Anti-Trust, Nebula X and Mastiv.

Mastiv kicked off the show, a hard rocking band sponsored by Liquid Death Water who is a regular on the local club circuit. We have followed Nebula X since we first saw them way back at the old now defunct LVCS, and Nebula X has a unique sound with influences from Prong and Static X, which is why I have always loved seeing this band perform live. Anti-Trust features female vocalist Path Juson, and her unwavering growls and vocal ability makes this a band you will enjoy if you are a fan of hard, thrash metal. To see these three local bands on one stage on the same night was a guarantee that the show will be special, and a great lead in for one of my favorites, Kobra and The Lotus.

Kobra and the Lotus is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in 2009 by lead vocalist and songwriter Kobra Paige, and are touring in support of their new CD Evolution, released on September 20th on Napalm Records, and is the bands 6th release to date. Just as the title says, evolution is exactly what Kobra and The Lotus are doing on this CD, they have evolved with a different sound and direction that is more mainstream than their past efforts. But don’t think this is some soft cookie-cutter collaboration of songs - this is a modern turn on an already successful formula, a hard rocking cd and should please even the most ardent KATL fan.

Kobra & the Lotus had some stiff competition for the night with multiple metal shows in the same area at the same time, which made for some smaller crowds in for some shows that usually pack more bodies, and lead singer Kobra Paige commented that the crowd might be small, but were mighty. Starting with the brief instrumental song "Evodem", the band intensified quickly with "Burn!" the first single off the new CD. "Burn" is straight up rock radio ready, and really showcases what the Evolution is all about. Paige looked better than ever with her long curly blonde hair and tight leather looking outfit and radiant smile, but during the set Paige asked if the lights could be turned up, and commented that she is afraid of tripping over something onstage. This venue was really dark, and I actually saw people walking into other people because they could not see them. With a little more light on the scene, the band launched into my favorite song “My Immortal”, a song that shows the range that this band has, and showcases the talent this group possesses.

Nearing the end of their set Paige commented that she spends a lot of time at home alone, but on the road she is surrounded by her boys in the band - to which bass player Brad Kennedy quickly replied “She meant men, big studly men” - which brought laughter from not only the band but all those in attendance. KATLd played another song off the new CD titled “Get the Fuck Out Of Here”, and Paige commented that this is where the band usually ends their show, but she wondered if the fans would like to have them keep playing.... and the audience let them know with a resounding roar of approval. KATL played three more songs, "Gotham", "Soldier" and "Forever One", before calling it a night.

Once again KATL delivered an amazing show, Kobra Paige is one of the best rock female singers touring today and the band was just kickass as always and never sounded better. I have seen this band every time they have played Vegas in many venues, and they always make for a great night of metal.

Watch the Single "Burn!" from Evolution