SOUND BITES

Two years to the day after releasing their breakthrough Crooked Doors , Royal Thunder returns with their third full-length LP (and first for Spinefarm). That previous album saw the group distancing themselves from their doom-laden roots and incorporating more psychedelic, proggy and classic rock tendencies into their sound. The tradition continues on WICK , which finds them pretty much abandoning any stereotypical metal leanings they may have held in the beginning in favour of more of an experimental hard rock approach. The thing is, listening to WICK , it's clear that this is a sound that suits them to a tee. Vocalist/bassist Mlny Parsons is even more of a powerhouse here than on Crooked Doors , which is nearly unfathomable but absolutely true; her voice was always strong, but here she really turns in a memorable performance, and should rightly be considered one of rock's most powerful voices thanks to her work here. One listen to the emotional pummeling that is Plans tell...

Spring 2015 saw some big albums released that were kind of disappointing (isn't that right, Mumford & Sons?), but it also saw some really good work by bands that typically fly under the radar. Some of this batch of nominees have been around for a long time, some are relative newcomers, and a couple of them made welcome returns from very long absences. The next group of Song of the Year nominees are:

The urge to pigeonhole music is an increasingly shameful endeavor, especially when it comes to heavy music. "That's not metal!", the eternal battle cry of the tr00er-than-thou masses, has always been a stupid argument in my estimation; it doesn't matter what the label says, it's all in the way it makes you feel. That's how music is supposed to work. Crooked Doors , the sophomore album by Georgians Royal Thunder, is categorized on Google Play Music as "doom metal"; I suppose that, in a purely technical sense, you could classify some of it as such. However, there isn't really so much doom or metal to be had on this album as there is muscular classic rock and prog. Much of what you need to know going in is handled by opening track Time Machine , a ticking, thumping seven-minute odyssey that showcases the band's strengths with effortless precision. Singer/bassist Mlny Parsonz commands attention with a confident, powerful vocal while guitarists ...

Wherein the author cops to being kind of a music sexist (but don't worry, rehab is going great).