Heavy Song of the Week: Fictional G.I. Joe Band Cold Slither Unleash “Thunder Machine”

Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal, punk, and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, No. 1 goes to the latest single from the G.I. Joe metal band Cold Slither.

G.I. Joe has gotten a lot more metal thanks to the realization of the fictional band Cold Slither from the iconic ’80s animated series.

In partnership with Reigning Phoenix Music, Cold Slither has become a real-life metal supergroup constructed from the label’s roster of talent. Each band member also took on their respective character name, with vocalist/guitarist Gus Rios (Gruesome) as frontman Zartan; guitarist Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Gruesome) as Ripper; bassist Ross Sewage (Exhumed, Impaled) as Torch; and drummer Andy Selway (KMFDM) as Buzzer.

Given the parenthesized band names just listed, you might imagine Cold Slither to be some kinda goopy, gorey death metal. But let’s remember, G.I. Joe is a cartoon, and the band members deliver an appropriately kid-friendly sound that’s on the top of its class as far as “children’s music” of the metal variety. The band’s third single “Thunder Machine” — an ode to the Dreadnoks’ infamous war rig — sounds a bit like Garage Days-era Metallica, fast and ripping, so there’s also plenty of appeal for more mature listeners or the heavy metal parents out there rockin’ out with their young headbanger-in-training.

Honorable Mentions:

The Original Alice Cooper Group – “Wild Ones”

Alice Cooper’s larger than life persona long overshadowed his original band and its earliest material. Thankfully, Cooper himself is shining a light on this era, having reunited with his old bandmates for The Revenge of Alice Cooper, the group’s first album in 51 years. Producer Bob Ezrin described a natural chemistry and looseness to these sessions — the band wrote and recorded as if no time had passed — and the second single “Wild Ones” vindicates his assessment, with its flowing jam and stellar lead guitar work.

Firstborne – “Again”

Firstborne could be described as the rare virtuoso supergroup trio, featuring drummer Chris Adler (Lamb of God, Megadeth), guitarist Myrone, known for his “soft-shredding,” and vocalist Girish Pradhan, who just appeared on America’s Got Talent. Their new song “Again” sees the band digging in full-bore with a raucous display of instrumental skill, yet somehow containing the fireworks within the fairly standard structure of a radio-ready hard rock song.

Monolith – “Gooru”

The return of Mike Portnoy to Dream Theater was a cause for celebration, however, let us not forget the contributions of Mike Mangini. His worldclass kit-work lives on in his new band Monolith and is front-and-center on the trio’s latest single “Gooru,” guiding an intricate composition that melds prog with melodic alt-metal.