Eindhoven metallers The Royal have had a steady rise. Up to now, all of their material has been self-released and barely made a splash in the scene, but they have caught the eye of Long Branch Records, who will now be responsible for bringing their second full-length record, ‘Seven’, into the spotlight. So despite forming in 2012, this release signals the start of their career.
Proudly influenced by a number of the genre’s leading artists, The Royal cover all basis on ‘Seven’. ‘Thunder’ tears in with razor sharp riffs and bruising breakdowns, while the title-track serves up a decent helping of crisp technicality. Sem Pisarahu’s vocals are relentless and destructive, and he is more than capable of claiming the choruses without the use of melodic cleans. The record is remarkably well polished, delivered with a confidence that exceeds their experience, and others who have managed similar. Even when compared to the early works of their heroes, ‘Seven’ is a match, signalling definite potential.
What does expose their experience however is the naivety of it all. In striving to cover so much ground, they have almost forgotten what they want to be; either that or they are not sure yet. Snippets from August Burns Red and Breakdown of Sanity can be unearthed throughout, and the aforementioned confidence oozing through the record actually stems from their ability to imitate rather than invent. They may have promise on their side but, at the moment, this is where they differ from those they look up to.
‘Seven’ will do enough to ensure that The Royal become a household name on the metal circuit over the next couple of years, if you pay enough attention. Support slots and festival appearances await, but they’ll need to use this time to define themselves. There is no shame in drawing influence, and it’s important that the net is cast out as wide as possible, but it has fuel creativity from within. There’s no doubt this Dutch mob have it in abundance, but they haven’t shown enough of it yet.
MATT BORUCKI