Black Royal - Firebride (2020)
Riding high off the release of their
first LP in 2018, following a single and a pair of EPs, the Finnish
group of Black Royal are back to strike while the iron's hot with
their second LP. Running right at forty minutes total, the album
features nine tracks, blending together a number of styles, but
always coming through with a strong sense of the band's character.
Opening with a melancholy, almost
dirge-like bit of tenderness in the intro to “Coven”, the band
shows an impressive way with understated melodies, before jumping
into the hard and sludgy metal that makes up the meat of the LP's
music. A chorus of “Please forgive me Satan / For I have not
sinned” highlights a warped sense of humor, while an interjection
of symphonic strings before the final minute gives an indication of
the band's willingness to get weird for the sake of keeping things
interesting.
From there, the group keeps things
unpredictable but engaging, leavening the hard metal with streaks of
moody melodics and psych inclinations put through strange filters.
Strong riffs and the self-discipline to leave listeners wanting more
serve the band well, and as firmly rooted in metal as the music is,
they find ways to keep it up and moving that bring a touch of hard
rock energy to the proceedings. Additionally, the riffs tend to be
so firmly structured that they lean more into death metal than
sludge, though the mix of styles keeps either from being a firm
designation.
One of the biggest points of
commendation for the band is how much distinct flavor and attitude
they give each song (a personal favorite being “All Them Witches”).
Though they operate with mostly the same tools from track to track,
Black Royal show a high degree of creativity in how they deploy those
tools, always incorporating at least a few change-ups to avoid
getting bogged down in repetition. At the same time, they keep a
recognizable spirit and energy going through all of it, and the
momentum through the album is a persistent force.
Though the forty-minute run is likely
to leave listeners wishing it had another couple of tracks tagged on,
each song on the album is solid, and it makes for a stimulating and
energetic showing of the band's capabilities. Check it out if you're
looking for some powerful metal that can't be pinned down by easy
description.
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; Criminal,
Dead Hand, Deuil, Plaguewielder, Slush
~
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