NEW MUSIC CORNER #207 VON HERTZEN BROTHERS/ROYAL THUNDER

[RJhog (Admin)]

by "RJ"

This week's taste of new music brings you a couple of different styles.  The Von Hertzen Brothers have appeared here before with their previous effort.  I just reviewed New Day Rising, which you can find HERE.  You'll see by the review that I'm a fan.  Royal Thunder's Crooked Doors just came out this week.  I have only heard the first track included here, so other than that (which is an amazing track if you ask me), I'm as blind on this one as you are.

Von Hertzen Brothers - New Day Rising

1. New Day Rising

2. You Don't Know My Name

3. Black Rain

4. Dreams

5. Sunday Child

Royal Thunder - Crooked Doors

6. Time Machine

7. Wake Up

8. The Line

9. Ear On The Fool

10. The Bear I

[Jon]

Von Hertzen Brothers--Thumbs In the Middle

First song is really good. The second has some Queen "Jazz"-era geetar going on and upon first listen I didn't like it much, but the second time I did. The third and fifth song bored me, but the surprising standout what the fourth song, it just made me feel so happy. I wanted to go to a beach and skip around, but there's no beaches nearby. I can't go more than halfway thumbs though, because it's two really good songs out of 5, with one pretty good. 

[Jon]

Royal Thunder--Thumbs Down

This sounded like one long song. Every song droned on and on. She does have a nice voice, but all the songs were emotionless. Definite pass on this one.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Being perfectly honest, I have not been able to get into this

[Scott]

ROYAL THUNDER ... Two thumbs down

Sounded familiar so I did a search and found you posted this band in March Metal Madness.  My comments were similar to Jons "droned" sentiment. But the AOTW week post had a Sabbath feel to it.  Not hearing that on this one.  Didn't seem to mind that first tune.  Her voice is really quite good, but this second tune really imparts the feel of droning until that poppy bridge, seems this band is trying to change direction??  I'm confused about the identity of the band... The Line sounds more like what I remember on your previous post.  Ear On The Fool, that's a cool song title by the way, starts nicely and changes direction into the so-so zone.  Definitely starting to feel that one-long-song thing.  The Bear I, not a cool song title by the way, really puts the nail in the coffin of the droning feel.

Passing on this band...

[Scott]

VON HELSING BROTHERS ... Two thumbs wondering why Jon liked that 4th track!

Was expecting much bigger sound and production.  Not sure why but thought it would be far more bombastic. New Day Rising is an ok opener, beats the Royal Thunder offering by a mile! You Don't Know My Name has Queen Jazz elements in it?  I missed that part... ok never mind there it is.  Nice ear Jonster!  I got no issue with the 3rd track, its quite nice actually.  Dreams was a little, no scratch that, a lot cheesy.  Not sure why Jon liked that other than the fact that its really weird.  I dint care for the closer much...  3 out of 5 for me and with lack luster production, I'm no where near purchasing...

[Jon]

BECAUSE IT'S A HAPPY SONG!

[Niels (Mod)]

VON HERTZEN BROTHERS - 3.5/6

I think, they are a weird bunch, these finnish people. It seems like, they really don't know, what kind of direction, they want to take. The first couple of tracks are pure Hard Rock, and also the best tracks on the album. But like with their last release, most of the album contains of filler of pop-rock-songs, and not of the finest kaliber. I thought, they were supposed to be a Prog-band, but Prog is not really among the styles they play on the two albums, I've heard. I'm not sure, I will care very much, next time, they decide to release some new music.

ROYAL THUNDER - (can't really say, since I've only listened to a couple of tracks)

Nah, one of those albums, where I feel, I'm wasting precious time. It's extremely rare, that a front-woman is a plus for me. I'm not really a fan of women singing rock'n'roll. I'm an old male chauvinist pig, I am. Girls should sing pop, and look pretty doing it, although if a woman partly sings on albums like with Dewin Townsend (Annekke) and Anathema, I don't mind at all. I also have trouble listening to the new The Gentle Storm-album, because it's only Annekke van Giersbergen singing lead on all of the album.I wouldn't mind that much, if the music was great, but it's not at all in this case.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Hey, at least you gave it a try.  I appreciate that.