I don’t know why I got so excited for Cold’s Superfiction as I pretty much wrote the band off after A Different Kind of Pain. 13 Ways… and Year of the Spider were more evolutions than departures from the Cold sound but I always felt they should’ve named their 4th album A Different Kind of Cold because that’s what it was. I did like frontman Scooter Ward’s Killer and The Star release in 2009 and maybe that’s what got me excited again. It was interesting and different but still retained the strong songwriting and narrative that I loved in Cold.
Superfiction starts off like most Cold albums, with a track guaranteed to keep your attention. “Wicked World” stands strongly alongside “Go Away”, “Just Got Wicked”, and “Remedy” (Even ADKOP’s “Back Home”) as not only a strong Cold album opener but as a strong single. It’s catchy, hard-hitting and undeniably Cold. “What Happens Now” kicks in and reminds me immediately that the secret weapon in Cold has always been the rhythm section. Drummer Sam McCandless and bassist Jeremy Marshall have been there since the beginning along with Ward which would explain why they are probably the tightest (And often unappreciated) duo in modern hard rock. McCandless shines on tracks like “Flight Of The Superstar” while Marshall’s low end rumbles along during the sinister “The Park”.
As far as fifth album’s go, Superfiction is a triumph. It’s modern Cold that’s managed to recapture the magic and intricate storytelling that originally enticed me into loving these Jacksonville natives. Songs like “Crossroads” and the piano-laden closer “The Ballad of the Nameless” are clear declarations that Cold are indeed back and not going anywhere anytime soon.
This is not the Cold I fell in love with back in 1998. It’s taken me 6 years or so to fully grasp that and I respect band’s that grow and evolve beyond their first album. That said, Superfiction represents a stronger, more mature and more experienced band and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Superfiction is available here or wherever good music is sold. Get the digital version here or here and get an exclusive cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On”.