Royal Thunder
Crooked Doors
Relapse Records
Street: 04.07
Royal Thunder = Portugal. The Man + Skid Row
 
Royal Thunder is a mish-mashed hodgepodge of heavy rock n’ roll whose musical style is so assorted, it’s hard to pin down. Dynamic, vigorously feedbackinjected rock is mixed at times with Southern rock (“Glow”), and at other times with dance-pop (“Wake Up”). On many tracks, “Time Machine” included, I could have sworn I was transported directly back to a late-’80s glam metal show. Every song has a dominant and heavy bass line that keeps the album stitched together. Sometimes, Mlny Parsonz’s vocals are forcedly wailing and grunting in comparison to her natural singing voice, an example of which can be heard on “The Bear I”— but Royal Thunder’s musical diversity makes up for this singular shortcoming. This is only their second album, and I can’t wait to see how they continue to progress from here. (Crucialfest 5 @ Bar Deluxe: 06.18) –LeAundra Jeffs