Cobra 1981 has released their debut album “VOL. 1”! Today is also the release date for thousands of other albums by other artists and bands. So what makes this one special? Maybe the fact that the Cobra 1981 band members have been waiting for this event since 1981 – more than forty years!
The band was formed at the dawn of the eighties when the members were still young men. The world was very different then, but heavy rock had already taken a firm place in the cassette players and record shelves of young people. The compositions and stories that the guys wrote then, following their British role models, are so timeless that they still work in 2024. Their musical style in is influenced by NWOBHM, with guitar harmonies, fast tempos and story-like lyrics. Of course sung strongly across the full range of the singer’s vocal range. However, the album also features ballads and heavy riffing to spice up the decades-old brew.
The band members have long careers behind them, and some are already grandfathers. All have celebrated their fifties or more. Playing while working is a way to relax and get away from it all. It’s also a way to maintain friendships and build social capital. Playing together and performing at local summer festivals was reason enough to keep the band alive, but after an insider music producer heard the high standard of the songs and their performances, it was decided to see if they would lend themselves to a record.
The album was recorded as a studio live in a former barn building, which was converted into a rehearsal and recording studio. In addition to experience and confidence, the playing and singing is still tinged with the enthusiasm of youth – a journey back to the room in singer Asko’s home where his playing once began. After finding suitable partners, the songs were ready to be published and they have found their way onto the playlists of major streaming services. To band members’ surprise, radio play has been received from all over the globe. In 1981, none of the band members would have guessed that their latest work, chopped up in the rehearsal room, would end up on the radio in Mexico or Australia in 2024.
Now the time is right for the release of a full length album, solemnly entitled “Vol.1”. The band still has unfulfilled ambitions, and with the enthusiastic and positive feedback from the singles, the next steps are already being planned. In forty years, more than one album has been added to the desk and Cobra1981’s touring form is stronger than ever!
Fulfilling their dreams and rocking – hard – doesn’t matter the age, time or place. When the fire is there, things are worth doing. The Vol.1 album and this five-piece are a rock hard example of that.
Listen to the album on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer etc.): https://push.fm/fl/cobra1981-vol1
Cobra 1981:
Asko Ylinen – vocals
Juha Sippola – guitar & backing vocals
Jukka Laitila – guitar
Reijo Hakola – bass & backing vocals
Seppo Patteri – drums
Photographer: Juha Aho-Pynttäri (picture taken 1981)
