14

14. Royal Blood - Royal Blood (2014)

Hard Rock

One of the most obvious macro stories of the past decade in music has been hip-hop and its various derivations supplanting rock music from the forefront of the global music scene. In fact, the meteoric rise of electronic music, as well as its infusion into pop, has also driven its fair share of nails into rock’s coffin. However, the lingering contingent of rock practitioners couldn’t give a shit. The never say die attitude of rock is still alive and well, nowhere more so than in Royal Blood’s eponymous 2014 debut. 

The Brighton-based duo, comprised of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher, never got the memo that the kids aren’t listening to rock anymore. Or they were smart enough to know that just isn’t the case. There’s a blistering immediacy to their sound, evident from the very jump on album opener “Out of the Black”, a riotously energetic blast of a song. The first (and only) rock band I’ve ever heard of that doesn’t even employ a guitar player, Royal Blood’s unique sound is derived from vocalist and bassist Kerr’s clever pedal work which manages to summon the essence of a distinctly grungy guitar from his bass. When I saw the band open for Queens of the Stone Age in Milwaukee in October of 2017, I temporarily lost some respect for the duo upon realizing that, even live, it’s just the two of them on stage. I couldn’t believe that such a depth of sound could be created without additional musicians or pre-recorded samples being pumped through speakers. But soon after, I learned of Kerr’s badass bass technique and all respect was restored, and then some.

The band’s devil-may-care disinterest in convention or topical trends is highlighted on the aptly titled track “Careless”, which is a raucous, swinging joint that accentuates the thunderous input Thatcher provides on the drums throughout the album. There’s no fat to be found anywhere here, just ten tracks totaling 33 minutes of banger after banger. Royal Blood here provide rock music a much needed shot in the arm, providing hope to millions that it won’t be dying any time soon.

*image; cover art for the album Royal Blood by Royal Blood