In recent years the music industry has been submerged in two-piece bands and their ability to produce equally, if not more impressive music than the conventional four of five piece. From The White Stripes, to The Black Keys, to the more recent duo of Drenge, Royal Blood should find it hard to follow in their footsteps. This isn't the case, as the sound that comes from the drums of Ben Thatcher and the bass guitar of Michael Kerr is enough to blow away anything else a duo has produced before. Their self-titled album is an exciting piece of modern, alternative rock that has genius bulging through it's seams.
Full force, 'Out Of The Black', bursts in with a fitting 90s Limp Bizkit inspired WWE kind of entrance. Whilst the bass is as big as the entrance to the album, 'Come On Over', follows up with a more vigorous pacey riff. You wouldn't be questioned for mistaking the 4 stringed rusty bass, for a ferocious 6 stringed electric guitar but somehow Michael Kerr has mastered this act, wavering his fingers over the bass frets in the intense chorus lead up in 'Figure It Out'. The opening trio, along with 'Little Monster', which includes Ben Thatcher's highlight as he hits one of the finest, short but sweet drum solos, have all been heard before but nevertheless trigger the same level of reckless head banging.
In an age where rock music is no longer the force it used to be, Royal Blood get all the recognition they deserve, and it's not just 'cause Kerr looks fucking cool coated in a leather jacket and wielding a bass guitar like Zeus' lightning bolt. It's their effortless ability to turn what could easily be a luck-lustre jamming session into an exhilarating, alternative rock 'n' roll record.
'You Can Be So Cruel' is a a prime example. After the whirlwind opening of an album, it plods along at a gentle pace, edging to the side of blues with haunting background vocals that could've been written by Josh Homme. 'Blood Hands' is similarly timid on the outside but still includes the core elements of Royal Blood's close to becoming customary sound. It's these stiller moments, woven in between the raucous affairs of 'Figure It Out' and 'Little Monster' that are at Royal Blood's peak and make it hard to believe that this is the Brighton duo's first swing at the merry-go-round game of the music industry, of which they're currently winning.
They even craftily get away with 'Loose Change' which is almost the voice muffler edition of 'Harder To Breathe' by Maroon 5, until half way through it snaps out of the ball-squeezingly high vocals and regimented guitar to let loose on a grainy and scratchy riff. Travelling back in time in 'Careless', a more authentic rock n roll, heavily Led Zeppelin influence sound is adopted, accompanied by yet another version of the distorted monster bass. The notch on the distortion appears to have broken by 'Ten Tonne Skeleton' which is only saved by the memorable lyrics 'cut loose like an animal, fire up like a cannon ball' which will be one of the many that fans are likely to routinely chant at their next Royal Blood gig whilst being pelted in the face with a fist full of bass.
As Alex Turner infamously said earlier this year The Brit Awards, 'That rock 'n' roll just won't go away'. Six months later and Royal Blood (having supported Turner and co. at Finsbury Park earlier this year), have released the record to firmly restore an interest in rock 'n' roll and a two-piece band fully worth worshipping.
Out of 10: 9/10
By Joshua Shreeve (@JJShreeve)
Buy / Royal Blood - Royal Blood
Follow / [FACEBOOK]
Full force, 'Out Of The Black', bursts in with a fitting 90s Limp Bizkit inspired WWE kind of entrance. Whilst the bass is as big as the entrance to the album, 'Come On Over', follows up with a more vigorous pacey riff. You wouldn't be questioned for mistaking the 4 stringed rusty bass, for a ferocious 6 stringed electric guitar but somehow Michael Kerr has mastered this act, wavering his fingers over the bass frets in the intense chorus lead up in 'Figure It Out'. The opening trio, along with 'Little Monster', which includes Ben Thatcher's highlight as he hits one of the finest, short but sweet drum solos, have all been heard before but nevertheless trigger the same level of reckless head banging.
In an age where rock music is no longer the force it used to be, Royal Blood get all the recognition they deserve, and it's not just 'cause Kerr looks fucking cool coated in a leather jacket and wielding a bass guitar like Zeus' lightning bolt. It's their effortless ability to turn what could easily be a luck-lustre jamming session into an exhilarating, alternative rock 'n' roll record.
'You Can Be So Cruel' is a a prime example. After the whirlwind opening of an album, it plods along at a gentle pace, edging to the side of blues with haunting background vocals that could've been written by Josh Homme. 'Blood Hands' is similarly timid on the outside but still includes the core elements of Royal Blood's close to becoming customary sound. It's these stiller moments, woven in between the raucous affairs of 'Figure It Out' and 'Little Monster' that are at Royal Blood's peak and make it hard to believe that this is the Brighton duo's first swing at the merry-go-round game of the music industry, of which they're currently winning.
They even craftily get away with 'Loose Change' which is almost the voice muffler edition of 'Harder To Breathe' by Maroon 5, until half way through it snaps out of the ball-squeezingly high vocals and regimented guitar to let loose on a grainy and scratchy riff. Travelling back in time in 'Careless', a more authentic rock n roll, heavily Led Zeppelin influence sound is adopted, accompanied by yet another version of the distorted monster bass. The notch on the distortion appears to have broken by 'Ten Tonne Skeleton' which is only saved by the memorable lyrics 'cut loose like an animal, fire up like a cannon ball' which will be one of the many that fans are likely to routinely chant at their next Royal Blood gig whilst being pelted in the face with a fist full of bass.
As Alex Turner infamously said earlier this year The Brit Awards, 'That rock 'n' roll just won't go away'. Six months later and Royal Blood (having supported Turner and co. at Finsbury Park earlier this year), have released the record to firmly restore an interest in rock 'n' roll and a two-piece band fully worth worshipping.
Out of 10: 9/10
By Joshua Shreeve (@JJShreeve)
Buy / Royal Blood - Royal Blood
Follow / [FACEBOOK]