If I didn't know any better, I'd be thinking that 36 Crazyfists had somehow slipped a release right by me, as Down-Stares sounds a lot like them. Even the screams in most of the songs sound highly similar to Brock's. To their credit though, when vocalist Simeon Hendrix really gets into it, he does manage to come into his own vocally and is slightly heavier than Brock. And this is especially true when the vocals are layered with death metal growls, giving Down-Stares a tiny bit of a modern metal edge.

In terms of overall sound and melody, these boys are definitely the mainland's answer to 36 CF. Any number of songs on this album could easily fit right into a Crazyfists set...well, except for the spanish language title ("Para Mi Familia") of track 2 that is. It's highly unlikely that 36 CF, being native Alaskans, would ever use spanish titles for their songs or albums. For those who might not be interested in hearing anything in spanish, rest assured the song is sung completely in english.

Unfortunately there really is no getting past the comparisons, because with the exception of the smaller nuances, Down-Stares really does sound that much like 36 Crazyfists. There are some more rock oriented elements in their sound and some more modern elements as well (like the incorporation of death vox randomly thrown in), but there just isn't enough of it to completely separate them from the band which obviously has had a huge influence on them and their sound.

The similarities that Down-Stares has to 36 Crazyfists and the comparisons that will inevitably be made are not lost on the band. Fortunately it doesn't keep 'Cobras And Matadors' from standing on it's own as a truly solid release. There's plenty of grooving metallic rhythms, solid musicianship, catchy choruses to sing along to, and more than enough melody to ensure that it appeals to both Metal and Hard Rock fans.

If you're a fan of 36 Crazyfists, or just a fan of bands that do exceptionally well in mixing metallic rhythms and styles with a more streamlined Rock influence, definitley pick this one up. 'Cobras And Matadors' is catchy as hell and you won't be disappointed in the least.