KOBRA AND THE LOTUS PREVAIL IN GLASGOW
Kobra And The Lotus, Brutai: Audio, Glasgow


Words: Ian Sutherland, Pictures: Mark Holloway

5th December 2017





Traffic issues on the way to Glasgow meant that I only got to see part of South East Metallers Brutai's support set. They had a dense, powerful sound and they seemed at their best when delving into more progressive Metal territory.

I thought they had more of an intense vibe on stage than one that reached out, but the crowd certainly warmed to the few songs I saw, so as a support band job done.



Life on the road is hard for any musicians trying to make it playing the music they love. Slogging around the world is something Kobra Paige knows all about and for over a decade with her straight ahead Metal outfit Kobra And The Lotus, the Canadian native has played there, then come back and played it again.

On top of all the other hardships that have to be endured is the threat of catching some kind of cold or flu bug, a nightmare especially for singers. Unfortunately, our UK germs have done their worst and tonight the powerhouse vocals that are the main trademark of the KATL sound are delivered under some duress.

The Lotus part of the equation are of course tight and hard hitting and firing out the riffs and rhythms in fine style, but during the first couple of songs, if you've seen Ms Paige in action before you can tell she's working through problems to give the best vocal possible.

The Calgary rocker is always honest and principled and tells the crowd openly about her issues and says 'I hope you don't feel ripped off'. The response is heartfelt and immediate, the crowd are with her and happy to roar her on.

Indeed many shout that she still sounds amazing. Obviously moved by the response she continues and by the time the martial Metal power of 'Soldier' is in full flow the vocal issues seem to have eased and there is a typically full-on Metal assault delighting an audience who are loving every second of it.



I'm no fan of the drum solo but at least Marcus Lee makes it a bit interesting by including snippets of the intros to 'Run To The Hills' and 'Painkiller'.

The segue into a full band version of Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' is unexpected as it's not the sort of song you expect this band to cover. Ms Paige seems to enjoy her little stint at matching Bobby Plant, though I'm not sure why it's stopped halfway and replaced with the all-out power of 'I Am, I Am'.

Still, both band and frontwoman are in their Metal groove now so everyone just gets their horns out and enjoys the likes of the uplifting 'You Don't Know', the venomous 'Victim' and a never more appropriate rousing rally cry in 'Prevail'.

None of the encore nonsense tonight either, just a closing duo of the epic 'Lost In The Shadows' and traditional show closer '50 Shades Of Evil'.



This was a difficult show for the band with their charismatic leader struggling through an illness. However the way that she rose to the occasion and took the crowd with her was both impressive and inspiring.

Let's be clear, when Kobra Paige wrote these lyrics to 'Prevail', she meant them, no question. 'We will prevail, and we're never backing down. With the flame of courage in our eyes. Magnificence! We will prevail'.

I have never been more convinced that she's right.





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