KING KOBRA – Sweden Rock Live [Deluxe Edition / The Complete Show] (2021)

Deko Entertainment team up with Carmine Appice to release digital deluxe editions of two KING KOBRA albums, starting today with their electrifying performance at Sweden Rock festival. “Sweden Rock Live (Deluxe Edition)” includes the band’s entire set with 3 never before released tracks, among them the classic ‘Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)’ from the movie of the same title.
This event was very special, with King Kobra reunited again after many years performing the band’s classics here, but also a cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Heaven And Hell’ plus a stunning cover of Deep Purple’s ‘Highway Star’.

Formed in 1985, disbanded in 1988, reformed in 2010 and then put on a self-imposed hiatus in 2013 are probably the rudimentary reasons that King Kobra didn’t make the dizzy heights of Rock superstardom. They’ve certainly had the musicianship and stage persona to harvest huge support, but their erratic existence has arguably suppressed their overall standing in the hallowed pantheon of Rock.

The brainchild of legendary drummer Carmine Appice (Blue Murder, Ozzy Osbourne etc.), and home, albeit temporary, to such luminaries as Mark (Marcie) Free (Unruly Child), Jeff Northrup and Kelly Keeling (Baton Rouge), to name but three, King Kobra have released a creditable eight albums, their most notable being their debut ‘Ready To Strike’ (1985), ‘Thrill Of A Lifetime’ (1986), both with Free on vocals, and most recently ‘King Kobra’ (2011) and ‘King Kobra II’ (2013) with current vocalist Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot) who took over in 2010.

Cover versions aside, all the songs on this live album are taken from those four albums. Joining Appice and Shortino are Jordan Ziff (guitar), David Henzerling (guitar) and mainstay Johnny Rod (bass).
From the opening riff of ‘Ready To Strike’, I’m pleased to say that the recording / production is of a very good quality and captures the band in strong and energetic form.

Included here also are ‘Shadow Rider’ and ‘Hunger’ (from the debut), plus ‘Tear Down The Walls’, ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Turn Up The Good (Times)’ (from ‘King Kobra’), ‘Knock ‘Em Dead’ and ‘Ballad Of Johnny Rod’ (from ‘… II’), and not forgetting ‘Raise Your Hands To Rock’ (from ‘Thrill…); they just about cover their notable periods of existence.

We find as well cool versions of ‘Raise Your Hands To Rock’ and ‘Turn Up The Good (Times)’, and the bonuses never heard until now (the album was released in 2018 but this Deluxe features the complete show); ‘Monsters and Heroes’, ‘Runnin’ Wild’, and the excellent ‘Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)’.
Highly Recommended

01 – Ready to Strike (Live)
02 – Tear Down the Walls (Live)
03 – Knock ’em Dead (Live)
04 – Shadow Rider (Live)
05 – Live Forever (Live)
06 – Ballad of Johnny Rod (Live)
07 – Wild Child (Live)
08 – Hunger (Live)
09 – Highway Star (Live)
10 – Heaven and Hell (Live)
11 – Monsters and Heroes (Live) [Bonus Track]
12 – Iron Eagle (Never Say Die) (Live) [Bonus Track]
13 – Drum Solo (Live)
14 – Raise Your Hands (Live)
15 – Turn Up the Good Time (Live)
16 – Runnin’ Wild (Live) [Bonus Track]

Carmine Appice – drums, backing vocals
Paul Shortino – vocals
Johnny Rod – bass, backing vocals
Dave Henzerling – guitar, backing vocals
Jordan Ziff – guitar

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