ROYAL HELL is a quartet from Northeastern Pennsylvania and have been earning their stripes on the local scene. In 2022, they released their second full length album “Second Sight of the Grand Seer”, and it draws from quite a few influences. On this record, you’ll hear grooves from the 60’s, jams from the 70’s, and delicious metal goodness from the 80’s and 90’s. It all comes together in a unique way that they have made their own and continue to refine.

Here is a bit more information about the band and the album:

ROYAL HELL Line Up:

MATT V. PEPPE – VOCALS

EUGENE PAVLICO – GUITAR

DAVID KUSMA JR. – BASS

ROB HELME – DRUMS

“Second Sight of the Grand Seer” Details

Track list for “Second Sight of the Grand Seer” by ROYAL HELL:

Ready? Let’s get into this one!

ROYAL HELL come out swinging on their second release and make every effort to show their fans just how much they value their influences that span quite a few genres. Many of the songs feature groove driven melodies on the back end paired with some juicy rock/metal riffs. Other songs feature straight up classic metal structure and feel. A few songs are a bit harder to put into one or two specific boxes and this seems to be deliberate on the part of the band. Make no mistake, this is a strong record, and the band demonstrates a high level of acumen and production quality. However, the multitude of genres and influences muddy the cohesiveness of the big picture.  

The record opens with three songs: “Saturn”, “Black Desert”, and “Risen”. These all feature a driving groove heartbeat with some nods to Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Danzig sprinkled into the mix. The song “Risen” features a unique jazz-cabaret style intro. The vocalist is dialled in and is impressive.

Next, “Destroyer” kicks it into gear and delivers a strong classic metal jam with not-so-subtle hints to 70’s hard rock. Moving to “Blood Shield”, this is a standout track that is an outstanding metal slow jam style track with a moody overtone. “Drugs” kicks it into another gear and speeds things up – another excellent track. The song “Leather” is an overt nod to 80’s sleaze lyrics against their standard classic metal vibe. This one meanders a little and lacks focus.

When listening to “Hole in My Soul”, this is a classic metal Red Hot Chili Peppers song. Then, mid-song it shifts to a Danzig feel. Coming up next, “Hot Blooded Dreams” delivers a straight up rock and roll tune that gets the blood flowing from the provocative lyrics.

Rounding out the record are the last three tracks: “Does it Matter Now”, “Both Sides”, and “Beware”. The band gets introspective with an acoustic based gem on “Does it Matter Now”. Shifting to “Both Sides”, they go back to form with a bluesy groove jam. Finally, “Beware” delivers the knockout punch. This is best track on the record, hands down. It has all the right qualities… a driving tempo, huge riffs, soaring vocals. It’s the anthem on the album, no question about it.

Ultimately, this is a good effort on the part of ROYAL HELL. It takes a couple of listening sessions to soak it all in and begin to feel it. The band trying to showcase a multitude of influences in their sound makes it come across scattered. Also, the 12 tracks clock in at over 52 minutes of music – the songs are dense and could use a bit of tightening up.  

ROYAL HELL has a bright future, without a doubt. There is a great foundation laid out and they are stacked with talent. This is a band to keep an eye on. Show them support on their continuing journey!

THEWOTHM SCORE: 7/10

To learn more about ROYAL HELL please use the following links:

https://www.royalhell.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RoyalHell/