Royal Blood are back with a vengeance after a three year hiatus with a brand spanking new record; Dead Company.
The band have been largely quiet since a minor controversy at Radio 1’s Big Weekend back in the summer of 2023, to refresh your memories singer Mike Kerr was guilty of labelling the Scottish crowd “pathetic” as he felt they weren’t playing their part in the show.
I think it’s fair to say there were mixed feelings at the time about who was at fault but clearly it lit a fire underneath the boys from Brighton, Royal Blood have come out swinging.
The first half of the album is fast and furious, so much so it’s like being bombarded with alt rock from all angles, the eponymous album opener kicks things off at a blistering pace that doesn’t let up with trademark razor sharp riffs and boundless energy. Mother Never Told You encapsulates this new, defiant attitude.
Lead single Ten Over Ten is a thumping rock hit with Mark Kerr almost sneering the lyrics at times, once again fronting up with a bold ‘we’ll do what we want’ attitude that pervades through the LP. Three years on since 2023’s Back To The Water Below, this is a comeback that makes you remember why Royal Blood sounded like such a breath of fresh air way back when they burst onto the scene.
You can’t say it’s reinventing the wheel because it’s not, but if it ain’t broke… Kerr’s wacky lyrics, scintillating guitar licks coupled with Ben Thatcher smashing the ever living shit out of his drumkit = Classic Royal Blood, and I’ve got a feeling that’s exactly what their fans want because no one else does it quite like them.
The second half of the album doesn’t give you too much time to breathe either as the record clearly has a mission statement that reads go full blast, but there are a couple of softer moments, notably on the funky Rear View Mirror before Swallow The Bomb ramps it back up to 11.
Will it win them any new fans? Probably not. Will it remind some lapsed once why they fell in love with them in the first place? Me thinks so.
It’s good to have them back.
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