English power rock duo Royal Blood are back with the semi-abrasive single “Mountains At Midnight.” Now considered veterans of the current wave of bands that are shredding the myth that guitar music is dead, Royal Blood consistently find ways to merge where they have been with where they are going.
They last time we saw them, they dropped the bombastic cut ‘Honey Brains.” “Honey Brains” signaled a remaining interest in huge acoustic drum sounds, feedback and vocals with an attitude.
After successfully experimenting with danceable beats over themes of sobriety on the 2021 LP Typhoons, Royal Blood have seemingly taken the power of “Honey Brains” and the approach of the title track of Typhoons to cook up “Mountains At Midnight.”
The result is a crunchy punch in the face from the word go. From the outset the drums are furious as they give way to a vintage fuzzy guitar riff.
The vocal cadences match the groove which is meant to make you physically react. Lyrically, the nod to each phase of the band’s career is evident.
“I’m a bruise you soothe in your dancing shoes/ I’m a ticking timebomb hooligan come to light your fuse, “is as vivid, aggressive and damn near hedonistic as anything they have done.
While “Mountains At Midnight” may not ever be heralded as the greatest Royal Blood song of all time, it will certainly go down as one that is the sum of all the band’s eras (thus far).
