Attempting to mix hardcore, d-beat, and riff heavy rock, Sweet Cobra does each with authority but sound unfocused when fusing them all at once. Credit is due though for attempting to splice genres, making a hybrid of crushing music.
At times Forever sounds like a From Ashes Rises record, worthy of the crust title but still accessible enough to appeal to anyone who wears colors other than black. This is mainly due to the vocals, coarse but still sounding like words instead of indecipherable barks and growls. Imagine Chuck Ragan shouting over Tragedy's second album.
At other moments, the tempo slows to an entrancing pace, too clean to call it sludgy but more distorted than anything Sabbath would try. The melody here is somber, almost apocalyptic. The aim here is clear: attempt heaviness perfected only by Isis and Neurosis. Here the vocals become guttural, coming from the deepest chambers of the stomach, more fitting than the gruff vocal melody heard on the faster songs.
Forever sounds more like a Hydra Head sampler than the concentrated efforts of one group. It would be interesting to see how they perform live as it could earn them more listeners than what they'll get from the record alone.
