ALBUM REVIEW: Ill – Royal Deceit
Self-proclaimed “bastard child of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and LETLIVE” Danish metalcore group ROYAL DECEIT will release their sophomore album Ill this Friday. Whilst the band are still young, they have achieved a lot since forming in 2014, including playing shows with the likes of the mighty JINJER – a promising sign indeed for this new record.
Kicking things off with the title track, the band begin with a toned-down fade in which morphs into a groovy riff layered with some strong unclean vocals. These sound almost purposefully strained but the tone is really cool, a very classic metalcore sound. Another metalcore trope explored here and throughout the album is the blend of cleans and uncleans. Interestingly, this mix has not been limited to the classic format of harsh verses and melodic choruses, rather mixing some clean elements into the pre-chorus sections as well. In Ill (the track), the build up to the breakdown (and the breakdown itself) is super fierce, tricking the listener with a continuation of cleans out of the chorus, and then a sudden change to an almost hip-hop sounding riff, followed by a blast of harsh output from all members of the band.
Notable also is the feature from HANGING THE NIHILIST vocalist Alexander Hall Kristensen during the track Let Me Burn. Perhaps one of the heavier songs on this album, it starts as it means to go on, with ripping riffs and pounding vocals. There is almost a PARKWAY DRIVE sound to sections of the vocals, but when mixed with the rolling riffs and rhythms throughout this song, you’re not sure what to focus on first. It’s the sort of track that makes you want to stand up and bounce around in an unordered manner and a definite stand out on the release.
Cursed Mind is the sort of song you want to get riled up to, gradually picking up the pace from a slow intro, then bringing in a drawn-out bouncy riff, and dropping into a mix of glorious distortion. The pace switches up throughout the verses of the track quite a bit, keeping the listener guessing and engaged. The melodic vocals during the chorus give some ASKING ALEXANDRIA vibes, oozing some beloved nostalgia. During the latter half of the song we actually get a slower melodic section which is truly quite beautiful to listen to, and this is then melded into some uncleans and an almost romantic sounding riff. This technique is really enjoyable to listen to and also shows a slightly different side to ROYAL DECEIT.
Self-Destruction is such a meaty track, opening with heart-pounding impact from all areas. This is then combined with some wonderful melodies throughout the chorus. It sums up the two elements that are found on this album in abundance: heavy and gut-wrenching riffs, rhythms and vocals that keep you guessing, and self-aware melodic sections that truly make you listen. This is a really great sophomore effort from ROYAL DECEIT that is most certainly worth a listen.
Rating: 9/10
Ill is set for release on August 11th via Prime Collective.
Like ROYAL DECEIT on Facebook.