Cobalt (band)

Cobalt began as a solo project of Phil McSorley, under the name Grimness Enshroud, who released one demo. Childhood friend Erik Wunder then joined the band and the name was changed to Cobalt in 2002.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} The name Cobalt was chosen because, in the words of Wunder, "we wanted a name that didn't entail anything. Something basic. Something elemental. The name 'Cobalt' leaves room for any variety of directions".{{cite web |author=Nelson |first=Mike |date=January 20, 2012 |title=Interview: Erik Wunder of Cobalt and Man's Gin |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/interview-erik-wunder-of-cobalt-mans-gin/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123035627/http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2012/01/interview-erik-wunder-of-cobalt-mans-gin/ |archive-date=January 23, 2012 |accessdate=December 16, 2012 |website=Invisible Oranges}} Wunder drums and performs all of the guitars and bass on the studio albums, and performs the drums live. McSorley provided vocals until 2015, when he split with the band due to personal differences. Mcsorley was replaced by Chicago's Charlie Fell, who is the current front man and vocalist for Cobalt. Wunder and Fell met during the Jarboe/Nachtmystium European tour in 2010. Fell formerly played bass and vocals in black sludge metal band Lord Mantis. Aside from being in Cobalt, Phil McSorley has served tours of duty with the U.S. army in Iraq and South Korea,{{cite web|author=Metal Sucks |url= http://www.metalsucks.net/2010/01/08/the-first-thing-worth-watching-on-fox-news-since-oderus-cobalts-phil-mcsorley-on-red-eye |title=Phil McSorley on Red Eye |date= 8 January 2010 |publisher=Metal Sucks|accessdate=December 16, 2012}} while Wunder fronts folk band Man's Gin and plays in experimental singer Jarboe's band.

The first album, War Metal, was mostly raw and primitive black metal, with the occasional hint of what Cobalt was to become. The following album, Eater of Birds, has been cited as "a great step in the bands evolution".{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} Aside from being inspired by early 1990s black metal, the album embraced such influences as Neurosis and Swans, with Jarboe (of Swans) making guest appearances on Cobalt's last two albums.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} Eater of Birds has been described as featuring "70 minute monolith of blasting war metal, massive thrash riffs, drawn-out crescendoes and ritualistic interludes".{{cite web|author=Chronicles of Chaos |url=http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-5014_cobalt_eater_of_birds.aspx |title=Cobalt |publisher=Chronicles of Chaos |accessdate=December 16, 2012}} Both albums were out of print for years and commanded high prices on webstores such as eBay, but in April 2013 Eater of Birds was reissued by Profound Lore.

The follow-up to Eater of Birds, Gin, further cemented the duo as one of the very best forward thinking, envelope shredding purveyors of black metal that the US has to offer.{{cite web|author=Teeth of the Divine |url=http://www.teethofthedivine.com/site/reviews/cobalt-gin/ |title=Cobalt - Gin |publisher=Teeth of the Divine |accessdate=December 16, 2012}} It was released in 2009 to critical acclaim, being described as "an album that truly, viscerally expanded the possibilities of black metal, both musically and thematically". Among other accolades it was voted as the second best album of 2009 by Terrorizer.{{cite web|author=New Music Excess |url=http://newmusicexcess.wordpress.com/music-lists/terrorizer-top-40-albums-of-the-year-2009/ |title=Terrorizer Top 40 Albums Of The Year 2009 |date=27 January 2010 |publisher=New Music Excess |accessdate=December 16, 2012}} The album was largely inspired by two literary figures, Ernest Hemingway and Hunter Thompson. The front cover features a young Hemingway in army uniform, whereas the back cover has a bloated and aged Hemingway brandishing the same shotgun that he took his life with. A picture of Thompson shooting his typewriter is in the center of the inlay.

McSorley has stated that the band plan on recording a new album following their East Coast tour in May 2013,{{cite web|author=Decibel Magazine |url=http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/cobalt-rising/ |title=Cobalt Rising |publisher=Decibel Magazine |accessdate=March 26, 2013}} and that it will be entitled Slow Forever.{{cite web |author=Scrapyard Magazine |url=http://scrapyardmagazine.blogspot.cz/2012/02/erik-wunder-of-mans-gin-and-cobalt-its.html |title=Erik Wunder of Man's Gin and Cobalt: It's nice and wholesome and violent at the same time |publisher=Scrapyard Magazine |accessdate=March 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630180554/http://scrapyardmagazine.blogspot.cz/2012/02/erik-wunder-of-mans-gin-and-cobalt-its.html |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |url-status=dead }}

On March 17, 2014, McSorley announced via the band's Facebook page that he was quitting Cobalt. He gave Wunder his blessings to continue with the project, if Wunder so chooses. A month later McSorley announced that he and Wunder would indeed be recording Slow Forever together and that their differences had been settled.{{cite web|url=http://www.metalstorm.net/events/news_comments.php?news_id=23002|title=Cobalt - Phil McSorley Quits The Band|date=March 18, 2014|accessdate=March 18, 2014|publisher=Metal Storm}}

On December 16, 2014, Wunder announced via Cobalt's Facebook page that, once again, McSorley was out of the project due to certain personal differences and viewpoints expressed that aren't agreeable to the band.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

On June 23, 2015, Cobalt revealed that Wunder was officially in the studio and actively recording Slow Forever, with a tentative release date of early 2016. Two days later, Cobalt also revealed on their Facebook page the identity of its new vocalist. Charlie Fell (ex-Lord Mantis) will be contributing to the new album.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} It was confirmed on 26 January 2016, that the new album will be released on 25 March 2016, via Profound Lore Records, and will be a double album.{{cite web|url=https://www.profoundlorerecords.com/cobalt-complete-work-on-slow-forever/ |title=COBALT Complete Work On "Slow Forever", Album Trailer Posted |date=January 26, 2016 |website=www.profoundlorerecords.com |access-date=2019-09-11}}

• Hammerfight demo (2003)
• War Metal (2005, From Beyond Productions)
• Eater of Birds (2007, Profound Lore)
• Landfill Breastmilk Beast EP (2008, Profound Lore)
• Gin (2009, Profound Lore)
• Slow Forever (2016, Profound Lore)

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Category:American black metal musical groups

Category:Heavy metal duos

Category:Profound Lore Records artists