Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Royal Hunt
Label: Frontiers Records
Released: August 21, 2015
Runtime: 49:49
Rating: 3.5/5
The thirteenth album from the Danish symphonic rockers, titled »Devil’s Dozen«, brings nothing that would shake up the well-worn path the Earth takes on its tour around the Sun along the ecliptic. Predictable, tried-and-tested goods, repackaged and served up again. Once more, then.
Despite the promises from the band’s chief strategist and visionary, its undisputed chieftain, keyboardist, main songwriter, arranger and composer André Andersen, that the new album would hold quite a few artistic surprises, there’s not a shred of innovation to be found in it.
The band delivers eight songs. That sounds like little, but it’s plenty, since they’re fleshed out in running time. Going by the template Andersen has been using in his arrangements for years, the songs are evenly matched in quality, with no artistic stumbles or quality slip-ups between them. The basic framework of the songwriting is Andersen’s eternal love oath to the treasures of classical music, which he once again draws on first and foremost for inspiration. Even though Royal Hunt keep their recognizable musical character on »Devil’s Dozen« too, without straying an inch, you can feel the guitars were cranked up a notch this time and pushed to the front in the production. The album therefore feels tougher than its predecessor »A Life To Die For« (2013), while the symphonic resonance of hard rock, a hallmark of the band since time immemorial, ends up somewhat »veiled« as a result.
Don’t get me wrong. »Devil’s Dozen« is by no means a bad album. Far from it. It’s just very predictable. So it’ll definitely be tailor-made for the band’s die-hard followers, and also for anyone who doesn’t know the band’s older catalog. The band has once again managed to squeeze out some seriously catchy chorus melodies across the album, and »Devil’s Dozen« also builds up the desired bombast and pomp. Yet another typical trait of the band’s sound and style. Opening track So Right So Wrong convinces you of that very effectively.
Given the realization that the new album is more musical-artistic self-replication, which doesn’t exactly give you goosebumps, it’s worth noting that over the years DC Cooper’s voice has dropped lower and thickened. He no longer ventures into the extreme vocal heights, and interestingly, some registers suit him less, since his voice turns a bit (unflatteringly) nasal in them.
A compact, quality and predictable new album from the band, then. From head to toe. What matters most is that the band enjoys itself in the studio, even if it keeps sticking, forever and safely, to its otherwise successful musical formula!
Lineup
DC Cooper – vocals
André Andersen – keyboards
Jonas Larsen – guitar
Andreas Passmark – bass guitar
Andreas Habo Johansson – drums
Production
André Andersen
Tracklist
1. So Right So Wrong
2. May You Never (Walk Alone)
3. Heart On A Platter
4.A Tear In The Rain
5. Until The Day
6. Riches To Rags
7. Way Too Late
8. How Do You Know (bonus track)
