Review: Iron Kobra “Eternal Dagger”
Release date: 19th June 2026
Label: Dying Victims Productions
5–7 minutes
Gage J. Tolin
DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present IRON KOBRA’s highly anticipated third album, Eternal Dagger, on CD, MC and vinyl LP formats. Additionally their two previous albums will be re-released at the same time.
Formed in 2008, Germany’s IRON KOBRA began with a noble mission: to bring heavy metal back to its unpolished, rough, and weird roots. Influenced by heroes of old like Iron Maiden, Cirith Ungol, Living Death, Manowar, and Tank with a sprinkle of punk, the band brewed up a venomous concoction of catchy-yet-speedy heavy metal with maximum potential for engagement – whether it was singing along to, banging your head, and / or raising your fist! Their first few years were busy, releasing the Cult of the Snake demo in 2009 and the Battlesword EP the year after.
After playing extensively all throughout Europe and earning a reputation for being a force to be reckoned with live, IRON KOBRA teamed up with DYING VICTIMS in 2012 for the release of their momentous debut album, Dungeon Masters, and three years later for their more refined second album, Might & Magic. The years after – especially those around the pandemic – brought the band’s external momentum to a crawl. But behind the scenes, they were still writing and playing select shows, even venturing as far as Japan.
Now, at very long last, IRON KOBRA return to stake their claim as kings of swords & sorcery metal with Eternal Dagger! Granted, the characteristically amazing cover artwork suggests a sci-fi bent, but the timeless HEAVY METAL the Germans unleash here is vintage IRON KOBRA: immediately recognizable as them, but still reflecting on (and refining) their past, incorporating influences from their favorite bands to result in something that will be YOUR favorite soon enough!
Aided by the gleaming & glorious production of Stefan Castevet (Vulture, Luzifer), Eternal Dagger explodes with excitement at every turn, its nine songs ranging speed metal tracks like “Trembling Dungeons” to NWOBHM-fueled rockers like “Shibuya Nights” and epics like “Mountains of Madness.” It goes without saying that IRON KOBRA’s arsenal here offers a wide variety of pure metal gold, evoking the likes of Exciter, Brocas Helm, Diamond Head, and early Running Wild but, of course, with their undeniable personality and panache.
So strap yourselves to your seats, maniacs: the Cult of the Snake is back, bringing you heavy hymns that will pierce your eardrums like a heavy metal drill
Line-up:
Matze – Bass
Björn- Drums
Ela – Guitars, Vocals
Steffen – Guitars
Review
“Trembling Dungeons” was balls to the wall speed metal goodness from the get-go, with a production that amplified every crash of the drums and the sizzling riffing at play. Thanks to the backing vocals for the chorus, this is the kind of song that is perfect for a crowd setting. A quick little thrasher that seems shorter than it actually is and definitely doesn’t overstay its welcome, it’s a recipe for a perfect album opener.
“Forbidden Fruits” had some killer drums to kick it off, and really all throughout the track. Less frenetic and more melodic than the opener, but no less speedy, this one was largely soldiered forward by the incredible drumming (and some really nice basslines beneath it all. I did find the vocal delivery a touch odd, but in ways I’m not quite sure how, but I know something was up with it. Still, this was a more than solid romp.
“Fliehen” had a very bass/drum forward approach to the production, with the vocals taking a slight bit of a backseat. I’m also going to assume that they’re in German, or a mixture of German and English, it’s hard to tell exactly due to how fast Ela is delivering. That said, this is incredibly hectic in all the best ways.
“Shibuya Nights” was much more subdued than the prior track, featuring a more mid-tempo and more melodic vocals. This one reminded me a bit of that brief era of “proto power metal” in the early 80s, talking pre-Walls of Jericho. With all that in mind, this one wasn’t quite connecting with me, despite the admittedly catchy chorus and the solid, if simple, riffing.
“Silver Strings and Iron Wings” opened with a pretty stellar riff, simple but effective. This was a more than solid track for the bulk of its runtime, but around 2/3 of the way through it is when things kicked it up a notch. A killer mosher of a riff, followed by a frankly stunning little solo, and the band eventually adding in some ‘oh-oh-ohs’ and some sizzling basslines for a little something extra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-XtCXpEQk0&pp=ygUKSXJvbiBLb2JyYQ%3D%3D
“Eternal Dagger” opened with a riff that instantly took me to Kill em All-era Metallica, and that’s always a good thing. This one was chock full of some incredible riffing, really stellar, almost soulful drumming, and probably my best vocal performance on the entire album thus far. Seriously, there is a monstrously evil riff at around 1:45 that was near legendary.
“Unchained & Untamed” had some insane drumming to kick things off, Björn was all over his kit. This another on the more frenzied approach to speed metal, like some earlier Exciter and maybe Hellion too. A more contemporary act that this one reminded me was that of Stälker from New Zealand, albeit not quite as balls to the wall. Another great track.
Ooh “Treacherous Tyrant” had a disgusting intro, in a good way. Loved that bend to kick things off, always great stuff. The delivery of the chorus was some seriously tight stuff, with some great riffing to back it up. As is customary for speed metal, the drumming is simply insane and Björn’s calves must be huge. I really enjoyed this one, super catchy and addictive.
“Mountains of Madness” was the longest of the album, at just a shade over 5 minutes, and also opened with possibly the heaviest section of the entire album. Instant headbanging riff right from the get-go! The riffs simply did not stop coming in this one, it was banger after banger. Huge fan of Ela’s vocals on this one as well, and the little bridge section near the 2:30 mark. Great way to close out the record, what an epic closer.
Conclusion
Much has changed in the trad and speed metal scenes, and in the world, since Iron Kobra’s last full-length back in 2015 (I was in high school), but they have showed no signs of rust or weariness. In fact, in their time away from the studio, it seems that the band has only further ironed their brand of speed metal to new heights. While I’m not sure if Eternal Dagger is “better” than their earlier work, as it’s been some time since I revisited those releases, I can say with certainty that it is a damn good speed metal album, and one that is worthy of picking up. It’s also worthy of recognition in my CD archive, and I can’t wait to spin it again.
TheNwothm Score: 8.5/10
Links
Bandcamp: https://ironkobra.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CultOfTheSnake
Label: Dying Victims Productions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=modFaAVuKiQ&pp=ygUKSXJvbiBLb2JyYQ%3D%3D
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