ROYAL THUNDER — Crooked Doors (review)

ROYAL THUNDER — Crooked Doors album cover Album · 2015 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Nightfly
Three years on from their promising debut CVI, Royal Thunder return with their second album Crooked Doors. Whilst building on CVI’s strengths it shows the bands growth as songwriters and they have produced an even better album with 11 tracks of grunge inflected hard rock with psych and blues overtones.

Once again it’s the awesome vocals of Mlny Parsonz that initially draw the listener in, her visceral classic rock tones full of feeling and emotion make her one of the best singers today as well as a very capable bass player. The rest of the band are no slouches though, the guitars of Josh Weaver expertly weave (no pun intended) together forming sometimes hard riffs, often played with a fairly clean sound and resonating arpeggios along with some very tasteful soloing. Drummer Evan Diprima is solid as a rock yet slips subtleties in to match the dynamics that are a prevalent strength of Crooked Doors.

Highlights, of which there are many include the blues soaked Forget You, the driving hard rock of The Line and the slide guitar infused Glow. Forgive Me, Karma shows much light and shade with some subtle but clever time changes. Floor wins by its captivating riff, simplicity and strong melody and One Day’s melody likewise instantly grabs you. The Bear I and II are subdued and plaintive closers, part II in particular, being Parsonz on soulful vocals and piano and cello from guest Matt Jarrard only. An effective way to finish.

Crooked Doors is a remarkably mature second album which hits you fairly quickly but repeated plays reveal layers not immediately apparent making it an album you’ll want to revisit often. Highly recommended.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

The Goblin Sessions Heavy Metal
THEM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tormenta De Arena Metalcore
VORAGO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Infinite Metalcore
FUTURE GHOST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Heretic Melodic Death Metal
SUNCINDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Harrowed TwentyTenVideo
HARROWED
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us