The last few years have seen some
fairly underwhelming ‘supergroups’ emerge in the world of heavy music, and
while some of them ride the waves of hype for a couple of albums and a few
tours, not many of them seem to be able to achieve the greatness that the bands
they originated from managed to gain. Glass Cloud are an entirely new beast,
consisting of vocalist Jerry Roush (ex Sky Eats Aeroplane and Of Mice & Men),
guitarist Joshua Travis (ex The Tony Danza Tapdance Experience) and a rhythm
section made up of Travis Sykes and Chad Hasty. The debut album from the band, ‘The
Royal Thousand’ is a colossal and technical metal behemoth, bringing together
furious riffs and intensely complicated song structures to create a group of tracks
that are as unique as they are spellbinding.
The album begins with ‘White Flag’,
which fades in with a bouncing riff, before distant screams take over and clear
vocal harmonies push along a heavy groove. A steady and authoritative beat
combines with thunderous guitars, the tempo switching constantly and keeping
the listener on their toes. The breakdowns have a brutal edge (including teeth
rattling sub drops and low growls aplenty). ‘If He Dies, He Dies’ is a chunk of
intelligent metalcore that showcases fury at its finest, with Roush’s screams
reaching their bellowing highs. The song is laced with venom, the drums
punching with every chug. The complex riffs are low-tuned, eight string wonders and add to the super-heaviness of
the track.
‘Falling In Style’ is diverse
with sweeping guitars and a steady combination of screamed and clean harmonised
vocals. It flows well, never letting up with the onslaught of metal. It’s a
non-stop heavy song with a keen eye for excitement amongst the wrath. ‘Ivy
& Wine’ is the album highlight and also one of the best hardcore/metal songs
of the year so far. It’s a real throw down, take no prisoners affair, the
technicality only being outweighed by the sheer musicianship on display. It
stands up the best of this genre (Animals As Leaders, Periphery) and pushes the
boundaries even further with harsh vocals and experimental guitar licks. It’s a
white knuckle ride and when the clean melodies arrive it provides a wonderful
interlude before the chugs return, making their impact a real shock to the
senses.
‘Prelude for a Ghost’ slows the
pace with atmospheric tones and distant vocals repeating a melody that appears
full force in next track ‘all Along’, which is back to the heavy grind, albeit
this time with much more melody (especially with the chorus, which soars and
fits it perfectly with the rest of the track). The severe edge of distorted
guitars is some of the best on the record and continues into ‘She Is Well &
Nothing Can Be Ill’ which overall has a different tone to the rest of the
album. It’s enthusiastic and passionate, effortlessly stylish and again,
technically ace. The vocals and lyrics are poignant and alluring, and the final
breakdown is a joy to behold.
‘Counting Sheep’ is a foot to the
pedal, hammering song, guaranteed to make the listener giddy. Crushing riffs are
a constant and the occasional Deftones-esque beauty is a refreshing edge to
this groove metal experience. ‘Memorandum’ starts with a rolling, slow beat,
drawing out an extended intro before low juddering guitars take over, growling
notes overwhelming the slower rhythm. It’s a well executed song that shows of
the diversity f the band, who are clearly a talented bunch. Final track ‘From
May To Now’ has a much simpler composition and does its best to break the
mould, ending a completely fantastic album on a huge high.
Glass Cloud are an exciting new
band who have done well to avoid the recent curse of supergroups, delivering an
album in the shape of ‘The Royal Thousand’ that is consistently brilliant
without feeling overcooked. One of the best heavy metal releases of 2012, for
sure.
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