If you’re of a certain vintage, you may recall Cold Slither — a fictional metal band featured in a 1985 episode of the ‘G.I Joe: A Real American Hero‘ animated series of the same name. Led by the villainous Zartan and his Dreadnoks, Cold Slither set out to brainwash the youth of America with subliminal messages hidden by G.I. Joe‘s arch enemy Cobra within their songs.
While Cobra‘s aim was to utilize their victims to help them further their schemes to take over the world, the seemingly far-fetched concept was somewhat topical at the time. In the mid ’80s, concern had been raised over subliminal messages allegedly being hidden in records from Ozzy Osbourne and later Judas Priest.
With the ‘Cold Slither‘ episode turning 40 this year, toy manufacturer Hasbro has teamed up with metal and rock label Reigning Phoenix Music to bring Cold Slither to life, both musically and physically in limited-edition action figure form.
Ben “BMac” MacCrae — Associate Brand Manager, Global Brand Development & Marketing at Hasbro — said of taking on this project:
“Bringing Cold Slither to life through our partnership with RPM has been an absolute dream come true! As a child watching this fictional band on my TV screen, I never imagined I’d one day help transform them from animated rockstars into a tangible, sonic reality. From the meticulously crafted figures you can hold in your hand to the face-melting album we’ve created, G.I. Joe fans worldwide are about to experience something truly revolutionary this summer.
This project bridges nostalgia with innovation in ways that will leave the community speechless—prepare for a musical assault that would make Cobra Commander proud!”
Reigning Phoenix Music General Manager and Co-founder Gerardo Martinez added:
“It is a dream come true to be able to work on this amazing collaboration with my favorite, and one that happens to be one of the most iconic brands in the world: G.I.Joe! It is also a pleasure to work on this amazing project alongside some of my friends from Hasbro and be able to bring Cold Slither into reality in the most Heavy Metal way!
Many of us have waited 40 years for this to happen but the wait is finally over. And a special thanks to Michael Charles Hill for writing the original Cold Slither episode back in 1985.”
Cold Slither‘s eponymous track has now been reimagined and will be receiving a release as part of a forthcoming self-titled album from the fictional group. While the songwriting credits remain attributed to the fictional members of the band, the very real-life metal musician Gus Ríos (Gruesome, ex-Malevolent Creation) is credited with producing this new version of the track.
You can check out that updated version of the song below, complete with a lyric video animated by Costin Chioreanu. You can also soon find more details via coldslitherofficial.com.
Meanwhile, The G.I. Joe Classified Series action figure set release of Cold Slither will initially be exclusive to attendees at this year’s ‘San Diego Comic-Con‘, with limited online availability to follow.
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