ALBUM REVIEW: Royal Thunder - "Wick"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/04/2017

Label: Spinefarm Records

 

“Wick” is often an exercise in balancing the spare and the expansive; the pop rock chops with the proggy bona fides.  In a world where modern rock radio wasn’t total garbage, “We Slipped” would be a bona fide hit, providing one of the strongest refrains Royal Thunder has written to date.

“Wick” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Burning Tree

2. April Showers

3. Tied

4. We Slipped

5. The Sinking Chair

6. Plans

7. Anchor

8. Wick

9. Push

10. Turnaround

11. The Well

12. We Never Fell Asleep

The Review

Royal Thunder has the best and most repeated story in rock since the heyday of Fleetwood Mac: marriage, addiction, cult, recovery, divorce, escaping said cult.  With lesser bands, the hype would outshine the music; thankfully, Royal Thunder may finally be outrunning their strange back story with their first album for Spinefarm Records and their third full-length overall: “Wick”.  From the first note, “Burning Tree” evokes the psychedelic hard rock of mid-career Led Zeppelin or, more recently, alternative metal godfathers like Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden.  The open-tuned, chiming riffs provide grounding for Mlny’s multitracked, spook and exhilarating vocals.  “April Showers”, with its sinister, pounding builds and cathartic choruses highlights the Fleetwood Mac comparisons, though Parsonz usually has a bit more heft to her vocals than Stevie Nicks.  “Tied” starts in a similar Eastern groove before breaking into a proto-metal swing that Royal Thunder could stand to lean into a bit more.  I imagine with the space of a live setting these Bill Ward indebted moments blossom into full on heavy psych freakouts.  But “Wick” is often an exercise in balancing the spare and the expansive; the pop rock chops with the proggy bona fides.  In a world where modern rock radio wasn’t total garbage, “We Slipped” would be a bona fide hit, providing one of the strongest refrains Royal Thunder has written to date.

Like their previous output for Relapse Records, Mlny’s vocals are the main attraction throughout, and the spare balladry of “Plans” highlights her undeniable talents: she can be unbearably anguished and tuneful at once.  The Janis Joplin comparisons are merited, especially when the soulful roots shine through the grungier elements.  And while Royal Thunder may insist that they’ve excised their cult nightmares on their previous albums, lyrics like “There goes my mind and all my time / you pushed me away” feel as distinctly apt when referring to either spiritual or romantic ruptures.  Which isn’t to say its all rootsy Americana: the title track is distinctly menacing, “Push” begins as a gently swinging rocker that gains steam and shifts enough to border on psychedelic prog rock, and “Turnaround” is another radio-ready cut with Latin guitar flourishes.

The final two tracks feel like mission statements for this newest phase of Royal Thunder.  “The Well” shifts between spacey verses and balladic refrains, plus some of the most impressive feats of Parsonz’s multi-octave range.  The layering effect creates a sort of virtual church chorus that lingers on a repeated phrase: “Too bad/ It breaks my heart Maybe we should say it’s over”.  Album closer, “We Never Fell Asleep” acts as a perfect distillation of the album as a whole, opening with those familiar, sitar-like chords before settling into grooving, tribal drum patterns.  When it all feels a little predictable, the synths kick in for a shift into a massive outro.  Finally, all the instruments drop out for an cappella gospel closing.  These explorations into the unknown, grounded by devotional placidity, suggest that Parsonz (and Weaver, for that matter) are managing some kind of musical solution to their metaphysical crises.  Uprooted from their community, their religion, and their romantic partnership, they create their own ritualized music that doesn’t rely on charismatic chicanery but painful honesty.  While some critics have derided the “vocal processing” of the newer Royal Thunder output, the expansiveness is kind of the point here: if Parsonz can’t be part of an actual choir, she’ll create her own virtual ensemble line by line.  This blurring of the personal and the profound is without a doubt what elevates Royal Thunder, while the soul meets Soundgarden style of their frontwoman is the perfect aural metaphor for their lyrical obsessions.  One can hope that with each burst of rock catharsis, Royal Thunder continues to experiment while remaining grounded in ethereal introspection.

“Wick” is available now

Band info: facebook

Royal Thunder - 'Crooked Doors' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 06/04/2015

Label: Relapse Records

‘Crooked Doors’ CD//LP//DD track listing:

1). Time Machine

2). Forgot You

3). Wake Up

4). Floor

5). The Line

6). Forgive Me Karma

7). Glow

8). Ear on the Fool

9). One Day

10). The Bear 1

11). The Bear 2

Royal Thunder is:

MIny Parsonz | Bass & Vocals

Josh Weaver | Guitar

Evan Diprima | Drums

Will Fiore | Guitar

Review:

Atlanta’s Royal Thunder return with an album of emotion, power, deep rhythms and much, much more!

Formed in 2004, these guys finally released their first music on an EP in 2009 followed in 2012 by the mighty ‘CVI’ album which was a masterful mix of seventies rock, Mastodon riffs and stoner vibes. That certainly brought them to the fore in the rock scene around the world. They cut their mustard on stage supporting some awesome bands, Baroness, Pallbearer and many more over the past few years. That touring has honed their musical landscapes to such a level of excellence; they have gone on to produce this varied masterpiece.

Crooked Doors kicks off with ‘Time Machine’ which has excellent atmospheric vocals and guitar which in turn is driven by a catchy rhythm. This nicely leads you into this album of beauty. Next up is ‘Forgot You’ which kicks you in the bollocks with some awesome driving sludgy riffs, MIny’s aggressive vocals pound your ears, all achieved with melodic undertones. Wow! ‘Wake Up’ follows with a slow melodic spaced out tone to start which leads the track to its end in the Royal Thunder’s trademark style, increasing vocal power, volume and the band taking off to the moon. The next two tracks ‘Floor’ and ‘The Line’ are in a similar vain.

The following two tracks are my album favourites. ‘Forgive the Karma’ is so expertly written and composed it gives you the feeling Karma can be true.  MIny’s vocals have so much emotion it sends you to another dimension of feeling, well being or sadness. A single release? Following up this awesomeness is ‘Glow’ a track which takes you on a steady musical progression. This progression flows through the track like a river winding its way to form a romantic partnership with the sea. Fresh and Salty! Her vocals here go up a notch, how I don’t know. Such an underrated singer! This left me spellbound.

‘Ear on the Fool’ and ‘One Day’ follow with ‘One Day’ being a full throttle Led Zep style rock anthem. Powerful moving vocals and the band rocking their arses off, resulting in a track brimming with masterful vocals and musicial excellence. Now its onto the surprise, the last two tracks ‘The Bear 1&2 ‘, which are a chilled Sunday morning listen. Haunting vocals, piano and strings make a soothing end to the album. Sang with so much feeling these two tracks are enveloping and overwhelming.

What have they done here? Well they have blended various styles and era’s of rock with clever song structures and musical passages, but this time with emotion as well as power. It feels that all the emotion caused by a reported relationship issue within the band has driven them to produce music of the highest calibre, akin to ‘Rumours’. MIny’s vocals exhibit emotion in her voice from the very depths of her soul and the rest of the musicians have also dug deep to grind out this emotion in every note they play. Total respect required! Yes this album is not as heavy as ‘CVI’ but heavy is not everything? Yes you could say some of the tracks are of a similar style but for me each song tells a different story which only makes you want to listen to it again and again. Each listen gives you something else to think about, feel and remember. It’s up to you. These guys stand out in the rock scene and it will be criminal if they don’t become huge. If you like retro, blues rock, prog, grunge, metal, stoner, etc. etc, this is for you. I couldn’t advise you enough to purchase this release.

Words by: Brian Mclean

‘Crooked Doors’ is available everywhere now

For more information:

 

Royal Thunder on Facebook
Royal Thunder on Twitter
Royal Thunder on Instagram
Royal Thunder on Bandcamp



The Sludgelord News: ROYAL THUNDER SHARE NEW SONG “TIME MACHINE” VIA NPR

Photo credit: Kevin Griggs

Royal Thunder, the Atlanta-based outfit helmed by Mlny Parsonz and Josh Weaver, share Crooked Doors’ album opener, “Time Machine,” via NPR (http://www.npr.org/2015/03/05/390980154/royal-thunder-time-machine).

“You can’t go back,” says Parsonz of the song’s message. “There is no such thing as a time machine.  Live for now and learn forever. Beware the black streak that resides within each one of us. Relax, it’s just livin’.”

The band gave fans an early listen to music from Crooked Doors with the recent stream of “Forget You” (https://soundcloud.com/relapserecords/royal-thunder-forget-you/s-JHKg9), which Paste Magazine said takes “the atmospheric elements of their music even further. It’s a song that has a heady blend of the sludgy blues stomp that garnered them widespread attention and even heavier, darker elements than before.”

Pre-orders for Crooked Doors are available now with the music available on CD/2xLP/Digital via Relapse (http://bit.ly/royalthunder).  Digital pre-orders (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/crooked-doors/id963913145) include an instant download of “Forget You” and “Time Machine.”

Royal Thunder plays SXSW on March 17 (Dirty Dog).  The band joins Halestorm and Rival Sons for a brief western U.S. tour in June:

June 5     Anaheim, CA     The Grove

June 6     San Francisco, CA     The Regency Ballroom

June 8     Portland, OR     Roseland Theater

June 9     Seattle, WA     Showbox SoDo

June 10     Boise, ID     Revolution Center

June 12     Missoula, MT     Wilma Theatre

June 13     Spokane, WA     Knitting Factory

June 14     Vancouver, BC      Commodore Ballroom

Royal Thunder is Mlny Parsonz, Josh Weaver, Evan Diprima and Will Fiore.  Royal Thunder began work on the album in early 2014, returning to work at the Aria Recording Studio where they recorded the band’s critically lauded debut, CVI.  Pitchfork described singer Mlny Parsonz as “a blues-rock banshee of a woman, equal parts riot grrl and gospel diva” while Spin said she “commands a bluesy mix of Led Zep and Sleater-Kinney.” Rolling Stone’s David Fricke said Weaver’s playing has “the meaty, base elements of early-Seventies British blues.” 

For more information:

www.facebook.com/royalthundermusic

www.twitter.com/royalthunderatl

royalthunder.bandcamp.com

Source: Speakeasy PR

The Sludgelord News: ROYAL THUNDER PREMIERE FIRST NEW MUSIC FROM CROOKED DOORS WITH NEW SONG “FORGET YOU”

Click above for YouTube stream of “Forget You” or follow this link: http://youtu.be/E8xZjEUERY8

Feb. 10, 2015, ATLANTA – Royal Thunder offer a first listen to music from the Atlanta-based outfit’s sophomore album, Crooked Doors (April 7, Relapse Records), with the song “Forget You,” which is streaming via Soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/relapserecords/royal-thunder-forget-you/s-JHKg9).

“We are very excited to have the song ‘Forget You’ be the first song premiered off our new albumCrooked Doors, said Royal Thunder guitar player and co-founder Josh Weaver. “It makes sense for us to premiere ‘Forget You’ first, as it was one of the first songs we wrote and played out live after or last album, CVI. Thank you to everyone who has showed us love and support and made this album possible! Enjoy!”

The band have confirmed their first tour dates in support of Crooked Doors, with the band joining Halestorm for brief run in June, with more Royal Thunder dates to come:

June 5     Anaheim, CA     The Grove

June 6     San Francisco, CA     The Regency Ballroom

June 8     Portland, OR     Roseland Theater

June 9     Seattle, WA     Showbox SoDo

June 10     Boise, ID     Revolution Center

June 12     Missoula, MT     Wilma Theatre

June 13     Spokane, WA     Knitting Factory

June 14     Vancouver, BC      Commodore Ballroom

Pre-orders for the album are available now with the music available on CD/2xLP/Digital via Relapse.com.  Digital pre-orders include an instant download of “Forget You.”

Crooked Doors track list:

1. Time Machine
2. Forget You
3. Wake Up
4. Floor
5. The Line
6. Forgive Me, Karma
7. Glow
8. Ear On The Fool
9. One Day
10. The Bear I
11. The Bear II

Royal Thunder is Mlny Parsonz, Josh Weaver, Evan Diprima and Will Fiore.  Royal Thunder began work on the album in early 2014, returning to work at the Aria Recording Studio where they recorded the band’s critically lauded debut, CVI.  Pitchfork described singer Mlny Parsonz as “a blues-rock banshee of a woman, equal parts riot grrl and gospel diva” while Spin said she “commands a bluesy mix of Led Zep and Sleater-Kinney.” Rolling Stone’s David Fricke said Weaver’s playing has “the meaty, base elements of early-Seventies British blues.” 

www.facebook.com/royalthundermusic

www.twitter.com/royalthunderatl

royalthunder.bandcamp.com

Source: Speakeay PR

The Sludgelord News: ROYAL THUNDER RELEASE CROOKED DOORS TRAILER. COVER ART AND TRACK LISTING REVEALED; PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE

Feb. 4, 2015, ATLANTA – Royal Thunder offer a first listen to music from the their sophomore album, Crooked Doors (April 7, Relapse Records), with a brief trailer featuring music from the eleven-song release (http://youtu.be/1IItiIFXbV4).

The band began work on the album in early 2014, returning to record at the Aria Recording Studio where they created the band’s critically lauded debut, CVI.  Pitchfork described singer Mlny Parsonz as “a blues-rock banshee of a woman, equal parts riot grrl and gospel diva” while Spin said she “commands a bluesy mix of Led Zep and Sleater-Kinney.” Rolling Stone’s David Fricke said Weaver’s playing has “the meaty, base elements of early-Seventies British blues.” 

Pre-orders for the eagerly awaited album are available now on CD/2xLP via Relapse (http://bit.ly/royalthunder) and digitally via iTunes (http://geni.us/RTiTunes). Orion Landau, who also designed the artwork for Red Fang’s Whales and Leeches and Yob’s Clearing the Path to Ascend, created the album’s evocative artwork.

Crooked Doors track list:

1. Time Machine
2. Forget You
3. Wake Up
4. Floor
5. The Line
6. Forgive Me, Karma
7. Glow
8. Ear On The Fool
9. One Day
10. The Bear I
11. The Bear II

Royal Thunder is Mlny Parsonz, Josh Weaver, Evan Diprima and Will Fiore.

Fore more information:

www.facebook.com/royalthundermusic

www.twitter.com/royalthunderatl

royalthunder.bandcamp.com

The Sludgelord News: Daily Digest

Your rundown of the top sludge news stories of the day …

ACID KING

It’s been ten years since the last new ACID KING recordings were released. Now, the San Francisco trio is ready to roll out their latest effort. The new album is called ‘Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere’ and it will be out April 14, 2015 on Svart Records. The big news of the day came when the band revealed the cover artwork for the new album, which you can see to the side here.

Guitarist/vocalist Lori S spoke about the new record.

“We had several songs in the works over the years that we spent most of our time touring Europe but in between working our day jobs, we didn’t put the effort into recording. I really wanted to accelerate the process and get new music out. It’s time. This music that we’ve been playing for so long, that was initially obscure and underground, seemed to grow over these past 10 years and the timing was right to release this now!”

The artwork was created by veteran tattoo artist Tim Lehi and features a wizard riding an Asian-style tiger in space.

The band will be at Desertfest in the UK from April 24-26. Details of an upcoming U.S. tour should be announced soon.

www.facebook.com/AcidkingSF

www.acidking.com

Source:

Speakeasy PR

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ROYAL THUNDER

In other upcoming release news, Atlanta’s stoner doom darlings ROYAL THUNDER will return this April 7 with a follow-up to their hit 2012 record, ‘CVI’. The 11-song album, ‘Crooked Doors’ will be released by Relapse Records on that date.

The band was quoted in a press release and spoke directly to fans.

“It’s been too long,” the press release stated. “Thanks for being patient with us in delivering this album! We hope you are fond of it. Looking forward to revisiting familiar places and faces.”

Further details are expected to follow between now and the album’s release date.

www.facebook.com/royalthundermusic
www.twitter.com/royalthunderatl
royalthunder.bandcamp.com

Source:

Speakeasy PR

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LORD DYING
Staying with Relapse Records for the moment, LORD DYING are giving fans a glimpse of their entire upcoming ‘Poisoned Altars’ record. The album is set for worldwide release on January 27 before the band embarks on a massive U.S. tour throughout all of February and most of March which will culminate with an appearance at the Psycho California Festival in May. But fans won’t have to wait another week to hear the new album, it’s being streamed in its entirety on Loudwire, right now. The album features 8 new songs.

The tour will kick off on January 31 in the band’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, you can find a link to the event at this location. The album can be pre-ordered on iTunes and physical copies can be pre-ordered at this location.

If you want to listen to the full album, it’s being streamed at this location.

For More Info Visit:
https://twitter.com/Lorddying
https://www.facebook.com/LordDying
http://lorddying.bandcamp.com
http://instagram.com/lorddying

Source:

Freeman Promotions

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BROTHERS OF THE SONIC CLOTH
In other free stream news, the opening track to Seattle-based trio BROTHERS OF THE SONIC CLOTH is up-and-streaming on the Decibel website. The song is called “Lava” and band leader Tad Doyle spoke about the meaning behind the song.

"'Lava' was originally inspired by a Native American folklore story that talks about Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier, both active volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain range spanning Washington State and Oregon. The story in short; 'Where little sister goes, big sister follows,' with 'little sister' being Mt. St. Helens and 'big sister' being Mt. Rainier. Native culture and geology records have mentioned that these eruptions happen every four-hundred or so years. Rainier is well overdue. This song is basically a tribute to the force and natural powers that lay within the region and what an eruption would look like through the eyes of the life that surrounds the region."

The full album will be released by Neurot Records on February 17 and pre-orders are available at this location. You can hear “Lava” right now at this location.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brothers-of-the-Sonic-Cloth/63586406187?fref=ts
http://www.taddoyle.com/botsc
http://www.neurotrecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/neurotrecordings

Source:

Earsplit PR

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RILEY HAWK: NORTHWEST BLOW OUT 
You may have heard the new Kadavar song “Into the Night” by now (just maybe you heard it on this podcast?), it’s been available as a free download for a couple weeks. The Black Angels’s “Waterloo Waltz” has been available as a free download for a number of days. Both songs are from the RILEY HAWK: NORTHWEST BLOW OUT compilation released through Scion A/V. Now all four songs from the EP are available, the other two by LOOM and Hot Lunch are titled “Midnight Sol” and “Uprooted”, respectively.

Each of the songs on the EP will be featured in the upcoming video series Scion x Riley Hawk Driven, about Riley Hawk and the Sheep Dogs at their favorite skate parks in the Northwest. The artists on the EP were hand-picked by Hawk and he had this to say about the project:

“Music is an important part of skateboarding, I think the two worlds have often been tied to each other. So, when Scion came to me with an opportunity to create a collection of music from my favorite bands, I jumped at the chance to get involved.”

You can jump at the chance to download this EP for FREE at this location.

Source:

Speakeasy PR

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CHAINS
Slovenian doom / drone band CHAINS have quietly built a name for themselves in darker quarters over the last few years. Part of what has kept the band ‘quiet’ has been their lack of live shows. Well Chains is ready to take the stage for the first time to perform musical rituals under the name The Chains Experience. The first show is set to take place this Saturday, January 24 in Banja Luka (Republic of Srpska) at DKC Incel. You can find more information about the performance at this location. The band promises that each live ritual will be unique and will offer a visual as well as musical experience for concertgoers.

To note the band’s coming out party, Doom Cult Records will also be re-releasing Chains’s first EP from 2012 titled ‘Of Death’ with an all-new bonus track. The song’s title is “Samhain MMXV” and you can hear it at this location. Originally the work of one man, this bonus track is the first Chains recording to feature new member Knjaz on “ritual drums and chorus chants”. According to the band’s facebook page Doom Cult will be releasing the album as a FREE download.

The original edition ‘Of Death’ album was available as an extremely limited digipack of only 10 copies. The new edition of the CD will be released on January 26 and it will come in a DVD case. For now, you can find a free stream of the album at this location.

https://www.facebook.com/ChainsOfficial

https://www.facebook.com/DoomCultRecords

Source:

Doom Cult Records

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SHINING
Season of Mist Records revealed yesterday the details of suicidal black metal pioneers SHINING’s new album. Band leader Niklas Kvarforth comments:

"SHINING, the ninth, has been given the name of 'IX - Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends'. For once I am extremely pleased with how this album turned out. I believe that the fevered presence of filth and uncompromising darkness is more prominent than ever before. Not only will our more recent fan-base 'enjoy' the oppression contained therein, but I am also certain that those who stopped listening toSHINING after our fifth album will find the new one plague-ridden with what some might have felt was lacking on the more recent efforts… that atmosphere of old."

The album will be released by Season of Mist on April 20 with pre-sales beginning February 3. Shining have also unveiled a new website which you can find at this location.

https://www.facebook.com/shiningofficial

Source:

Season of Mist Records

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TREEDEON
Exile on Mainstream Records has released details of Berlin-based sludge trio TREEDEON’s new album and a free stream has been made available for the closing track. The album, titled ‘Lowest Level Reincarnation’ will feature 8 new songs and over 50 minutes of sludge. It will be released on March 9. If the closing track is any indication, sludge-fiends will want to mark the date on their calendars.

“Definitely the most powerful album I’ve ever been part of,” drummer Christian "Boomer" Böhm said. “We combined aggression and melody, had a great time writing and recording these songs. I can’t wait to play them live, which is exhausting, but very satisfying.”

Once again, you can hear closing track “Terracide”, at this location.

http://www.facebook.com/Treedeon
http://www.treedeon.com
http://www.mainstreamrecords.de

Source:

Rarely Unable PR

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ZU
It was also revealed yesterday that Ipecac Recordings artists Zu have a new album on the horizon. The band broke a three year silence with their ‘Goodnight Civilization’ EP in 2014.  ‘Cortar Todo’ will be their 16^th record, but will be the first full-length featuring newest member, Gabe Serbian on drums.

The band has played over 2000 shows in its 15 year existence, so expect an extensive touring schedule to manifest at some point. The tracklist for the new album was also revealed which you can see below.

TRACK LIST:
1. The Unseen War
2. Rudra Dances Over Burning Rome
3. Cortar Todo
4. A Sky Burial
5. Orbital Equilibria
6. Serpens Cauda
7. No Pasa Nada
8. Conflict Acceleration
9. Vantablack Vomitorium
10. Pantokrator

The album will be released on March 23, and you can hear the first single, “Rudra Dances Over Burning Rome” streaming right now at this location.

Source:

Rarely Unable PR

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SECRET CUTTER
And finally, Bethlehem, PA-based hardcore trio SECRET CUTTER have announced two shows this week. The first will be at the famed Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn on January 22. They’ll be appearing with Godmaker, Huldra, RHIN and Pink Mass. You can find info about the show at this location.

The second show will be held in Providence, Rhode Island on the 30^th with Good Lord, Sire, Lyra and Extinction Machine. Information about the show can be found at this location.

The band recently recorded a cover of Dead Kennedys’s “Your Emotions” which will be included on an upcoming Cvlt Nation compilation.

http://www.secretcutter.com

http://www.facebook.com/SecretCutter
http://secretcutter.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/cutter_secret

Source: 
Earsplit PR

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And now you’re all caught up in the world of sludge.