MusicRadar

The gleaming, uber-bling Chrome Cobra has arrived.

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• Review
• Manufacturer's Description

Emperor's new clothes?

All the other expected niceties associated with Iron Cobra ownership are present and correct too. The Para-Clamp hoop clamp means no fiddling with drum keys or reaching under the pedal to attach Cobra to drum, and the Quick Hook spring attachment speeds up set-up and breakdown.

In short, the level of design and build quality is excellent and fully up to the standards expected by demanding pros. But then, this is an Iron Cobra we're dealing with...

And that's the thing. This is 'just' an Iron Cobra - there's no performance-related benefit to the chrome version, the standard one works equally as well (with the added advantage of not needing to polish it all the time to keep it looking swell), so what's the point?

We're not sure that the Chrome Iron Cobra needs one. Sure, it'll sit behind your kit where no one but you can see it, it's flash for flashness's sake, and it's a completely unjustifiable purchase when judged in the cold light of day - but so what? It's also a beautiful thing to look at, it feels great to play and, importantly, it's a unique celebration of one of the best-loved pedals ever produced.

It might be a collector's item rather than a pedal for every gig, but the fact that you could use it for every show if you felt like it means that it's more than just a museum piece.