Royal Thunder‘s debut album, CVI, and its follow-up, Crooked Doors, set the bar high for the Atlanta rockers in the music scene. The band was only two albums in, and yet their growth as musicians and songwriters had fans immediately hooked, and instantly begging for more. The group’s latest offering, Wick, showcases the band’s evolution once again, but they’ve managed to portray their passion in an even more raw, and fascinating way.
Wick opens up with the ominous, slow churning, Burning Tree, that captures your attention right away. You are immediately introduced to the subtle changes of their sound, while the passion still screams out of every note and lyric. As ‘April Showers’ hit your speakers, the bluesy influences fly out at you, and once again, their evolution is portrayed in a masterful way. Mlny Parson‘s dynamic vocals are on pure display at this point, and with the maturation of the band evident behind her, it’s an onslaught of pure emotion.
The third track, Tied, is one of my favorite tracks on the record. From the power of Mlny’s vocals, to the intensity of the lyrics, this is just one of her shining moments on the record. As you move into ‘We Slipped’ and ‘The Sinking Chair,’ the band’s sound becomes reminiscent of their earlier material, yet the simplicity of the guitar work is just brilliant. Sometimes more is too much. Sometimes less is better. They’ve mastered that now, and it will only make for better music to come in the future.
The next song, ‘Plans’, is one that will have people talking all year. While it may be the most basic track musically on the record, that’s not what ‘Plans’ is about. This single is a gutsy, and heart wrenching showcase of Mlny’s vocals and lyrics, and it will truly take your breath away. She pushes her vocal chords to the breaking point with every single word, and it’s one of the most impressive performances I’ve heard in years. This song is truly as real as it gets.
After the emotional toll that ‘Plans’ takes on you is gone, the record moves on to ‘Anchor’ and the title track, which boast enormous choruses, and catchy hooks. After ‘Turnaround’ kicks the energy back up a bit, the record closes with ‘The Well’, and the powerful ‘We Never Fell Asleep’ track. The final songs truly show the diversity of their sound, and have far they’ve come as song writers. They’ve taken their influences, and the previous works, and combined them into a collection of tracks that could grab any fan of any genre. This band has never been about fitting into a specific style of music, and they make that incredibly clear with the last tracks.
With Wick, Royal Thunder has proven, once again, that they are one of most impressive bands alive. They are one of the rare groups that aren’t afraid to wear their heart on their sleeves, and openly share their world with fans through each and every one of their songs. While 2015’s Crooked Doors was an emotional and brilliant ride for the listener, Wick is just as impressive, if not more. Musically they’ve grown on every level, and as I said before, Mlny’s vocal performance is simply phenomenal. Just when I thought I couldn’t love this band anymore than I already do, they go and write this album, and now I’m one of those begging for more.
9.0/10
Order your copy of Wick here.