Formed in 2009 by Canadian singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and classically trained singer
Kobra Paige, Calgary-based heavy metal outfit
Kobra and the Lotus specialize in traditional, hard-hitting, New Wave of British Heavy Metal-influenced hard rock. After releasing their first collection of material, Out of the Pit, independently,
Kobra and the Lotus caught the attention of
Kiss'
Gene Simmons, who helped get the fledgling act a record deal with Universal. Their eponymous major-label debut arrived in 2012, followed by a long bout of touring that saw them sharing the stage with some of their heroes, like
Judas Priest and
Slash. The group's third studio album, the
Johnny K-produced
High Priestess, dropped in 2014, followed by a North American tour in support of
Kiss and
Def Leppard. The covers EP
Words of the Prophets arrived in 2015, and in March 2017
Kobra and the Lotus released the first volume of their ambitious, largely crowdfunded double-LP
Prevail, via Napalm Records. The second installment,
Prevail II, followed in May 2018, and was nominated for a Juno Award for Metal/Hard Album of the Year. In The band teamed up with producer
Michael Baskette for their sixth full-length effort, 2019's
Evolution. ~ James Christopher Monger