RSS Feed


ROYAL THUNDER
CVI

Relapse (2012)
Rating: 8/10

Atlanta thunder gods Royal Thunder make their label debut with the blistering CVI. While their label home may be best known for bands that display crushing brutality and its speed denizens, Royal Thunder break the mould with their own brand of down-tuned rock’n’roll that is equal parts 70s Heart and Saint Vitus. It’s big, loud and ugly, but at the same time it’s got a classy edge that keeps it one step in front of the stoner rock bands for the most part.

The album opens with the killer riffs of ‘Parsonz Curse’. The song is a seven minute and fourteen second monolith that firmly establishes vocalist / bassist Mlny Parsonz as a force to be reckoned with. ‘Whispering World’ brings that early 70s vibe into focus with a never-ending lead guitar that makes you feel like you should be seeing cheesy coloured graphics in front of the band on stage (à la Heart and Jefferson Airplane). The rockin’ ‘No Good’, dynamic bookmark ‘Blackwater Vision’ and the acid-trip laden ‘Minus’ lend even more credence to the comparison.

CVI isn’t all about the throwback sound though. The slow build and absolutely monster riffage of ‘Shake And Shift’ prove that Royal Thunder can bring the heavy anytime they want and deliver it better (and more accessibly) than any of today’s big bands (I’m looking at you Mastodon and Down). ‘Scary Witch’ shows the band get a little more down and dirty, plodding into unquestionably stoner metal waters. While the song is as dynamic as they come, you have to really like this genre to keep coming back to the song. The slow starting ‘Drown’ picks up nicely and features some downright insane drumming that will go a long way to convincing fans of progressive music that Royal Thunder may appeal to them as well.

Overall, this is a truly excellent debut album. It’s very open-ended, maybe even inconsistent, yet it manages to somehow stay cohesive for the most part. Listening to CVI for the first time is like taking a really long roller coaster ride blindfolded! Repeated listens hold up almost as well, revealing a pretty musically complex album bit by bit. If you are looking for something heavy, beautiful and just plain rockin’ then you must not miss out on Royal Thunder’s debut album! Fans of Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus, early Heart, late Led Zeppelin, Down, Mastodon and the like will find a lot to love here, but I can also see the band appealing to fans of bands like Pink Floyd, Rush, King’s X and fans of other progressive bands’ darker sides.

Mark Fisher

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share