KING KOBRA – Ready to Strike

KING KOBRA – Ready to Strike (1985, Capitol Records)

Track Listing:
1. “Ready to Strike” (5:20)
2. “Hunger” (3:26)
3. “Shadow Rider” (4:04)
4. “Shake Up” (3:29)
5. “Attention” (3:43)
6. “Breakin’ Out” (3:59)
7. “Tough Guys” (4:21)
8. “Dancing With Desire” (5:36)
9. “Second Thoughts” (3:47)
10. “Piece of the Rock” (3:33)

Band:
Mark Free – Vocals
David Micheal Philips – Guitar, synthesizers and background vocals
Mick Sweda – Guitar, synthesizers and background vocals
Johnny Rod – Bass and background vocals
Carmine Appice – Drums, percussion and background vocals

Producer:
Spencer Proffer

How’s this for the first album post? FREAKIN’ KING KOBRA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA!!!! Y’know, I’ve heard of the band, and even downloaded few songs here and there, but I had never listened to an entire album until just last week when I got my hands on Ready to Strike. This was a really great band that deserved platinum status back in the day and I’m sorry that it took me so long to get turned on to them. It’s amazing that the industry & music lovers were asleep while these guys came out (don’t blame me, I had just turned 4!). Of course, Mark Free is now Marcie Free, sex change and all. I recently read an interview that (s)he did a few years ago for a website where (s)he said (s)he shudders when (s)he thinks of his/her King Kobra days because (s)he was so young and inexperienced. Personally, I think Mark nailed in this album really driving home the pain & emotion of these songs especially on a song like Hunger where you really feel like he needs something to eat.

Highlights: Ready to Strike, Hunger, Shake Up, Breakin’ Out, Dancing with Desire, Second Thoughts.

Lowlights: Tough Guys (“I’m a tough guy on the outside, And I’m cryin’ on the inside, Hear me cry… “). Pretty cringe-worthy lyrics on that song.

Final Thoughts: From top to bottom, this is a great melodic hard rock album from the 80s. It’s definitely a product of the times, but as Diamond Dallas Page would say, “That’s not a bad thing… THAT’S a good thing”. This would be the band’s creative peak, in my opinion, as their next album swayed even more into the poppy side of metal.

9 out 10