Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

ROYAL HUNT have premiered a new video ‘Thorn in My Heart’, taken from their concept studio album “Dystopia, Pt. 2”.

André Andersen: “The working title for this track was “Betrayal” and if you´re familiar with the book “Fahrenheit 451” than you probably know the part in which the main character got home and discovers that he´s been betrayed by the very person he considered to be his only family.

I´ve been thinking about the actual emotion that this kind of situation evokes: I guess everyone experienced a betrayal in one way of another and – even if the case was much less significant – it was still hurtful, right? Seems like even the music followed that train of thought, so it came out as rather diverse and – while the lyrics deal with the emotional aspect of the event – the music swings from “regret” – state to the flat out “vengeful”.

Another interesting detail is how the video editor captured this mood: the characters on the screen steadily change their appearance from “normal” to “monsters”… I never told him my thoughts behind this particular story, so it was kind of surprising to watch for the first time, as it´s uncanny how the video artist sensed the atmosphere/feeling of the track by listening to music and reading the lyrics”.

«Dystopia. Part 2” is the second and final chapter of Royal Hunt ́s concept opus which – according to the band – is “loosely based on Ray Bradbury ́s famous novel “Fahrenheit 451” yet modified and expanded in order to fit into the current state of affairs of the world”. A few guest singers appearing on the album: Mark Boals, Mats Leven, Henrik Brockmann, Kenny Lubcke and Alexandra Andersen, giving the already cinematic sounding effort a truly theatrical flair.

Stream / Download / CD / Merch “Dystopia, Pt. 2” – https://royalhunt.com

TOUR DATES:
Aug 25: Linköping Hell Year Rock Club, SE
Aug 26: Copenhagen Amager Bio, DK
Aug 30: Budapest Analog Music Hall, HU
Sep 01: Campulung Posada Festival, RO

ROYAL HUNT released their recent studio album – “Dystopia, Pt. 2” – on October 26th 2022 via King Records (Japan/SE Asia) and on October 28th 2022 via NorthPoint Productions (EU/N & S America). The second and final part of the concept will again feature guest performers: Mats Leven (TSO, Skyblood, Vandenberg), Mark Boals (Y.J. Malmsteen, Ring of Fire, Royal Hunt), Henrik Brockman (Royal Hunt, Evil Masquerade, N´Tribe), Kenny Lubcke (Narita, Zoser Mez) and Alexandra Andersen (Royal Hunt, JSP). “Dystopia – Part 2” will be released in following formats: regular CD, various Deluxe editions/bundles and a gatefold, heavy vinyl double LP (availability date pending).

ROYAL HUNT keep expanding their trademark sound and, as the story which inspired the project – Ray Bradbury´s classic novel “Fahrenheit 451” – gets more intense towards the end, the music turns into more dynamic, heavier direction. Once again the guest singers add even more dramatic contrasts to an already cinematic yet solidly rocking soundscape.

Simply a “must have” for any symfo/prog/power fan out there!

TRACKLIST:
1. MIDWAY (RESUMPTION) 2. THORN IN MY HEART 3. THE KEY OF INSANITY 4. LIVE ANOTHER DAY 5. THE PURGE 6. ONE MORE SHOT 7. SCREAM OF ANGER a) Hit and Run b) The Thrill of the Chase 8. LEFT IN THE WIND 9. RESURRECTION F451

The entire opus is just one minute shy of an hour: 58:57:17

TRACK BY TRACK:
Midway (Resumption) The sounds of a scratchy record are heard at the beginning of this. A symphonic music arrangement is heard low in the mix while that record noise remains. A needle is dragged across a record to segue into the next number from Dystopia – Part 2.

Thorn in My Heart The band fire out with some killer symphonic metal sound. This thing does such a great job of merging prog and metal styles into something that is powerful, meaty and so cool. The instrumental break features some amazing guitar and keyboard work. This drops back to a neo-symphonic section that feels almost soundtrack like for a round of vocals. It drives back upward
from there into the song proper. The sounds of a train station come in at the end of this and segue it into the next number.

The Key of Insanity There is an electronic symphonic angle to this at first as it rises above the train sounds that bring it in from the previous track. A driving, staccato metal jam emerges from there. It still has plenty of symphonic and proggy angles in the mix, but it’s more purely metal than the previous track was. A cool shift occurs later. It gives way to a keyboard and rhythm section driven movement with weird sound clips that seem like they might be Vincent Price in the mix. That section eventually gives way to a reprise of the song proper that holds it to the end. The actually closing of the piece is made up of more effects and atmospherics.

Live Another Day Keyboards start us out here. The song turns symphonic for a time before settling into more metal zones for the first vocals. It drops to piano in a symphonic styled movement for another vocal section further down the road. When it powers back upward from there it is much more symphonic and proggy. It goes through a number of twists and turns, and is very powerful. The crackling vinyl sound, followed by other sound effects take it out.

The Purge Wow! The metallic, symphonic sounds that bring this in are purely on fire. This instrumental is such a powerhouse metal meets prog tune.

One More Shot Coming in heavy and a bit more mainstream, there is still plenty of symphonic prog in the mix here. I love the main riffing as this song gets underway. This does land more pure metal than some of the rest of the stuff here. It has some killer guitar work built into it, too. Still, there are enough prog things at play to keep it from being pure metal. Part of that comes from some of the keyboard work, but the general arrangement has some prog magic, too. Sound effects that include someone running and sirens are heard at the end of this.

Scream of Anger At over 14 minutes of music, this is the epic of the set. A full symphonic arrangement starts it. At gradually shifts toward more rocking zones, but that neo-classical element remains in the driver’s seat. That works through, and then it drops back to more a more sedate section that has some almost blues guitar soloing paired with symphonic rock styled bursts of sound. This just keeps evolving with such powerhouse neo-classical jamming emerging. Just as you think it can’t get any more powerful, it does. Around the five-minute mark it drops back to mellower zones. The first vocals come in over the top of that arrangement. It works its way back upward to more meaty stuff as it continues. This drives out with symphonic hard-rocking power and some great vocal hooks as
it continues. This eventually works out to a driving, yet mellower, dropped back movement further down the road. That gives way to some seriously metallic jamming that gets into neo-classical zones. This gets so powerful before it’s done. Sound effects take over at the close to segue into the next piece.

Left in the Wind Piano and vocals with some icing on the cake keyboards start this. It builds out from there to a triumphant sounding arrangement that is mainstream, but also proggy. I can make out hints of jazz and some Alan Parsons Project here. It eventually works out to more rocking zones. We get some killer guitar soloing later that is at times more emotional and at other points more technical. This has plenty of symphonic vibes amidst the metallic jamming. It drops back to just piano after the halfway mark, and the vocals come over that arrangement. It feels moodier this time around. We get a blast of symphonic metal from there to continue. Eventually this crescendos to end, and we get a ticking clock and a chiming bell. A voice says “time’s up” as we move into the next track.

Resurrection F451 Powerful neo-classical prog metal brings this in with a dramatic and anthemic mode. This instrumental piece has a real soundtrack vibe, and, although fairly short, makes for a dramatic conclusion to the disc.

(c)by Gary Hill of Music Street Journal

BIO
Royal Hunt is a power / progressive metal band from Denmark. The name Royal Hunt appeared for the first time in 1989; a brainchild of André Andersen (main songwriter in the band) this outfit was created in order to combine basic values of Classic Rock with progressive, current musical elements. Today, after selling around 1.8 million albums and touring the world numerous times, the band is still going strong.

Line-up
André Andersen – keyboards
DC Cooper – vocals
Andreas Passmark – bass
Jonas Larsen – guitars
Andreas HABO Johansson – drums

Connect with ROYAL HUNT:
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/2CzAMm46coQpauDZj4a4ic
iTunes https://music.apple.com/us/album/dystopia/1543161212
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/royalhunt_official
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/royalhunt
Twitter https://twitter.com/royalhuntband