Finnish death sludge practitioners BLACK ROYAL have issued a video for “Denial.” The track comes off the band’s Lightbringer full-length, released earlier this year via Suicide Records. A dense and obliterating work both musically and thematically, Lightbringer centers itself on mankind’s utter failure in finding inner strength and the empty trust in false ideologies; the soundtrack to a world on the path towards imminent decay.
Comments the band, “The song — which is a mixture of Motörhead and Entombed — originated when our drummer Jukka insisted we do a d-beat-type song. We obliged as Jukka is the founding member. Lyrically it’s an ode to free thinking and an attack against organized religion. For the video, we wanted to do a tribute to our idols from ’90s.”
View BLACK ROYAL’s “Denial” below where you can also view clips for “The Chosen,” and “Cryo Volcanic,” as well as their performance at this year’s Tuska Open Air in Helsinki.
BLACK ROYAL’s Lightbringer is out now on CD, LP, and digital formats via Swedish-Finnish label Suicide Records. Find orders at THIS LOCATION.
Hailing from Tampere, Finland, BLACK ROYAL was forged in 2013. The quartet’s music combines modern sludge with ’90s death metal, classic seventies influences, epic choruses and unconventional arrangements, resulting in a distinctly alluring sound often and accurately described as “death blues.” Inspired by beer and occult teachings, their music is laced with distortion and growls proclaiming various themes from free thought to the perils of organized religion. Following two critically-lauded EPs – The Summoning Pt.1 and Pt.2, released in 2015 and 2016 respectively – the band was signed by Swedish-Finnish label Suicide Records and unleashed the Dying Star seven-inch/digital single, serving as the first taste of Lightbringer.
Of the record’s concept, the band elaborates, “Faith is, more or less, a consequence of fear and ignorance. Mankind’s quest for meaning is greater than their ability to understand that we hold the key to our own potential and inner strength. This act against the original plan of The Elders and The Wise has led mankind to the brink of their own intellectual extinction. To survive, mankind must abandon the power of religious dogmas and evolve by the strength from one’s inner self. The time has come for the Lightbringer to enthrone and steer man back to the path of free thought and prove wrong their false choices, the reason for current global chaos). Now is time for the new world order. It won’t be divine.”
“…a bludgeoning assault on the auditory senses, laced with underlying heft of groove and tone, but filled with a brutality that reveals itself as a core element…” – The Obelisk
“…a massive, gut-rumbling, head-moving behemoth, dark as night and immediately addictive, with an atmospherically occult melody that soars.” – No Clean Singing on “The Chosen”
“Finnish death ‘n’ roll in the vein of Entombed’s post-Wolverine Blues offerings with echoes of Boston’s own Motherboar.” – Rock And Roll Fables
“Lightbringer is initially a burly, savagely hybridized sludge beast with a death metal head and a stoner rock fist that can really rise to power when it needs to. Yet throughout its spin I could hear soft-balled nods to early Mastodon (‘Pentagram Doctrine’), Faith No More riffs (‘The Chosen’), and heady Warhorse-like aggro-sludging that rarely felt self-conscious about how it rocks…” – Grizzly Butts
“[Lightbringer] sees BLACK ROYAL merging the brutal and raw aggression of Entombed and Dismember with the groovy sludge of Acid Bath and Down resulting in a captivating and infectious sound that can be described as death blues. – Rock ‘N’ Load
“Oh man this is good! Rumbling, tumbling sludge with a burly death metal back bone and tangible nods to the likes of Lurk, Warcrab, Yellowtooth, Crowbar, latter Gorefest , early Mastodon, label/country mates Demonic Death Judge, and for a super obscure reference, now defunct Michigan act, If He Dies, He Dies.” – Teeth Of The Divine
“To step out of the relative unknown already baring an apex predator’s grin is rare, but Lightbringer knows that to define is to limit, and arrives secure in its advanced substance and magnetic presence. Those taken with The King is Blind or Lazarus Blackstar will find plenty to tackle here, as BLACK ROYAL provide more than enough brazen brawn and indomitable force of will to sate any savage yearning.” – Angry Metal Guy
“…an exciting album. One that blends the ferocity of death metal with the ominous barrage of doom whilst still allowing each track to breathe. There is plenty of piss and vinegar within the tracks to make the pulse race. I look forward to hearing more from this lot.” – Ave Noctum
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