Metal Asylum Reviews DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 1 Moat Cobra

DC x PC Live & Dead Vol 1 Presents Moat Cobra

Posted on July 24, 2023

DCxPC is a collaboration that books and releases music from live shows for multiple bands and they have one goal and that is to release music by bands they love. “No contracts, no record deals, just a faith in the punk rock community.” The collaboration has already released fourteen recordings, with many more in the pipeline.

Live & Dead is a new format for DCxPC, with live recordings on one side (of the vinyl) and dead (studio) on the other and this release for Moat Cobra is the first released in this format.

So now we know a bit about the team behind the release, what about the band it is showcasing? Moat Cobra is a sludge metal, hardcore band from Orlando in Fl, consisting of members Brett Beavers on vocals, Dave Moreno on guitar, Al Serrano on drums and Roberto Oppenheimer on bass, and was formed in 2013.

The first half of the album (the live part) is raw and energetic, just like any live show should be. The guitars are heavy, and the drumming is energetic and the vocals, complete with screams and growl, are totally awesome. The energy and passion for the music that the band has is clearly heard in the live part of this album and this would also be heard by the audience at the time of recording.

The “dead” part of the album, the studio recordings, is just as fantastic as the live part, and really shows the talent that these guys have. Not quite as raw as the live t performance, there is still a grittiness about the recordings that really makes them stand out.

The guitars are pounding, riffs really hitting you in the stomach and the drumming is hard and frantic, once again showing how energetic and vigorous the music really is. Meaty basslines show through more on the “dead” part of the recording, adding an extra groove that is perhaps missing from the “live” part, but showing that this band really is a force to be reckoned with.

The lyrics are more audible in the dead parts of the album, although this is to be expected due to the nature of live and recorded performances, but the vocals are just as strong on both the live and dead parts.

Releasing both live and recorded songs on one release is a great way to introduce a band to the listening public and I think it is a system that really works, as the listener has the advantage of hearing the band in both settings.

Another great release by DCxPC and by a band that is now firmly on my radar. Great band, great production, great album! Be sure to check out both Moat Cobra AND DCxPC for other releases and recordings!