COBRA THE IMPALER + HIPPOTRAKTOR + VILLENOIRE

8th February 2025 • Reflektor

  • COBRA THE IMPALER
  • HIPPOTRAKTOR

TICKETS DISPONIBLES

COBRA THE IMPALER

COBRA THE IMPALER continue their masterclass in contemporary heavy metal with Karma Collision: an action-packed collection of heavy anthems that juxtapose deceptive complexity and technical prowess with soaring hooks and stirring choruses!
Born from a deep wish to combine savage metal with gripping visuals, COBRA THE IMPALER came on the scene with their 2021 debut album Colossal Gods setting the exploits of monstrous heroes and sly gods to soaring hooks and melodies. On Karma Collision the colours deepen and the plot thickens as the band turn to a more complex and layered approach to their song writing. Hearkening to an era in which comic books and video games became darker and more violent, these songs forcefully drag you along on a grim journey into the belly of the beast.
With infinitely memorable choruses and particularly pungent bridge sections, Karma Collision takes you on a technicolour trip through a universe of troubled heroes and awe- inspiring monsters. Shifting gears effortlessly from breakneck-speed bridges through dazzling pre-choruses to earworm inducing refrains, the songs on Karma Collision undeniably possess that magical fist-pumping quality that characterises the great metal anthems of old.
These songs appear deceptively simple in their complexity, yet Cobra the Impaler only use their technical prowess to greater emphasise their even more impressive use of melody. Every track will have you reaching for that volume knob multiple times, cranking it up with each new turn on this winding odyssey!
From the menacingly chugging guitars of «The Fountain» to the infinitely huge chorus of «My Inferno», and from the relentlessly pounding double kick-drumming of «Magnetic Hex» to the tasty vocal harmonies of the title track, Karma Collision remains gripping till the end and will have you singing along the heroes’ chant until the world goes down into flames!
KARMA COLLISION (Listenable Recordings) street date May 31st 2024. Available on Coloured Gatefold 2LP, CD and digital.
Singles «The Message» and «Season of the Savage» out now.

HIPPOTRAKTOR

Balanced precisely between the sublime majesty of nature’s grandeur and the tumultuous chaos that is our own existence, Hippotraktor return with ‘Stasis’, the formidable sequel to their breathtaking 2021 debut full-length, ‘Meridian’.
Refining their distinctive grasp of groove, progressive and post-metal further still, these progenies of the Belgian heavy music scene have crafted another set of soaring, searing anthems that dig ever deeper into their fascination with humanity and philosophy.
Kaleidoscopic and grand, ‘Stasis’ documents the turmoil of human nature through explosive riffs and treacherous grooves from a band of tight-knit musicians and close friends, confident in their collective abilities to push their

golden combination on ‘Meridian’, which masterfully transformed the band’s disparate instrumental compositions into a singular, driving work of captivating sonic fiction.
‘Stasis’ consists of seven compositions that were written with the full palette of five powerful musicians in mind. The result of this is a lavish, rich sound with dynamic complexities and a multilayered structure that is much greater than the sum of its parts. Operating at the intersection of Meshuggah’s relentless, polyrhythmic pounding and Gojira’s colossal atmospheric weight, Hippotraktor expand upon their already distinctive sound by introducing De Graef’s vocals and harmonies that bring with them an intriguing new dedication to musical storytelling.
“Stasis tells a story of human nature,” explains lead vocalist Stefan De Graef about the album’s narrative, which continues where ‘Meridian’ left us. “As the main character enters a new world in which he is confronted with other humans for the first time, he acquaints himself with their customs and ethics, discovering generosity and empathy, but also greed, jealousy and hatred.” Rather than chronologically, the story unfolds in retrospection as our protagonist looks back upon his life among his kin, his struggle with good and evil, and his fight against the stasis of living a selfish, amoral life.
‘Stasis’ sits at the forefront of an alluring new movement in progressive metal, one that focuses on storytelling as part of the song writing process. These seven songs take listeners on a turbulent journey of unbridled emotion; a wild succession of sentiment and sensation that will blindside you with every listen. From the glorious and propulsive opening of ‘Echoes’ to the sparkling, melodic density of ‘Silver Tongue’, ‘Stasis’ is a terrifying tale built on syncopated rhythms and raw vocal energy. Elsewhere, soothing passages like the bridge of ‘Renegade’ or the intro to ‘The Indifferent Human Eye’ offer a rare opportunity to rest, before the beautiful barrage continues, undeterred.
Taken from the Greek for ‘stoppage’, ‘Stasis’ sees Hippotraktor doing anything but stagnating. These five firm friends weave intricate melodies and sprawling riffs as a map to chart how humanity has come of age in a chaotic world of our own making. Deftly unveiling tender truths whilst tenderly shrouding the violent majesty at its core, ‘Stasis’ is a fitting soundtrack to life in a world that’s hurtling towards a stand still.