Review: Royal Thunder - Crooked Doors
By Sam Carroll, Contributor
[Relapse Records; 2015]
Rating: 4/5
Key Tracks: “Time Machine," “The Bear I," “The Bear II”
Royal Thunder is signed to Relapse Records, the same label that’s home to Baroness, Dying Fetus and Toxic Holocaust. All are extreme names with extreme sounds, but Royal Thunder rolls off the tongue like molasses on oatmeal.
Crooked Doors is the Atlanta-based quartet’s sophomore release. It’s considered heavy metal but removes many trademark elements; bluesy leads replace blistering walls of distortion. Frontwoman Mlny Parsonz delivers gritty vocals but adds soul that isn’t often found. The LP displays the group’s sonic evolution and first attempt at tackling a concept album driven by power ballads. The final product is executed well, but the lyrical themes aren’t uncommon in power ballads.
The record opens with “Time Machine,” a seven-minute power ballad that pulls at the listener’s heartstrings. The lyrical themes are also found in breakup songs, but what makes this different from most is that the romance was shared between Parsonz and guitarist Josh Weaver. Parsonz’s vocals emphasize the emotional strain in the lyrics, “I’m wrapped up in these arms / I’m burning in your bed / Don’t you ever come and look for me / Don’t you ever say my name.” The music does an excellent job at driving the tone further home.
“One Day” shares a lot with Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, particularly “Dancing Days.” Both songs feature shimmering chords layered over an off-balance rhythm. The lyrical theme has a reflective tone about a relationship. Parsonz expresses doubt about the experience with verses like, “I got a bad feeling / Did I get this right,” and, ”Life set me free and cut me down the middle / I’m stuck in between it / Don’t put me back together.”
The release closes with “The Bear I” and “The Bear II.” Both parts split from the rest of the album’s dense sound. Part one blends folk with soul. The atmosphere is calm and collected and doesn’t mix with the abrasive tone of rest of the tracks; it sounds like it was randomly thrown on the record at the last minute. The guitar’s picked notes are clean and articulate and the drums tap out a slow, jammy tempo.
It sounds like a song to watch the sun set to on a warm summer night. The lyrics follow suit with the romantic theme, but mirror emotions of moving on from the breakup: “I need to be free / Let me go / This is not what I want / This is no good for me.”
The second part of the track removes all rock elements and replaces them with piano and an orchestral arrangement. Neither component has any particular technicalities, but the combination with the moody vocals boosts the emotional value of the piece. The theme continues revolving around the aftermath of the breakup, but has a more introspective focus than elsewhere: “And I wish I had the heart / To move on / But I am not / No I am not that strong.”
Crooked Doors shows Royal Thunder has developed a greater sense of maturity since 2012’s CVI. Parsonz’ vocals carry emotion more effectively, and the music has a greater hand in helping set each song’s atmosphere. The unique approach to power-ballads works in the group’s favor, but the idea behind the concept isn’t original. The internal relationship makes it seem more interesting, but it ultimately doesn’t add anything new.
