Royal Hunt
X

"X" is the return to the scene of one of the most underrated bands in the power metal scene, although, to be honest, even if they have always been associated with this genre, they actually have little in common with it. The Danish band, brought to life under the influence of the eclectic keyboardist André Andersen, showcased a prominent rock attitude right from their debut "Land of Broken Hearts" in 1992. A refined hard rock, seasoned with baroque touches worthy of the best Kamelot, and filled with a high dose of melody. However, this X brings some novelties to Royal Hunt's house: besides the addition of bassist Andreas Passmark, in the group's tenth album (hence the chosen title), we find a greater sonic sophistication, with a fairly decisive turn towards even more rock sounds and less metal, featuring a notable recreation of melodies borrowed from bands like Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, and Rush, in a splendid fusion of hard rock/metal/prog that the band had never so boldly ventured into before.

The result is a truly interesting album from every point of view. The immediacy and sparse compositions of the group's early period are entirely abandoned in favor of greater sonic completeness, with a sound that becomes fuller and more compelling. Additionally, Andersen's keyboards lose some vigor and only act as a backdrop to the sharp sonic carpet staged by the guitars of Andersen himself and Marcus Jidell, the real driving force of the entire album, with his solos demonstrating an excellent taste for melody and notable technique.

The album opens with the forgettable intro "Episode X - Arrival", which at least showcases the preference for melody, later reaffirmed in the splendid "End of the Line", a well-executed mix of hard rock and broad AOR solutions. Also at a high-quality level is "King for a Day", another excellent testament to today's Royal Hunt music: good interpretation from Mark Boals behind the mic, varied rhythm, and once again, the melodic openings mid-track are decisive. These first pieces are enough to reaffirm the fundamental centrality of the melody element in the sound of the Danes, who return to showcase all their class in "The Well", the most "experimental" of the lot along with "Shadowman", another composition of absolute artistic level (does anyone else hear a certain influence of Angra and Uriah Heep)? The only song in the entire work that, to the writer's ear, isn't particularly pleasant is "Back to Square One", far too repetitive and forced in its lingering on the refrain. Fortunately, "Blood Red Stars" and "The Last Leaf" take us back to peaks of pleasant and well-constructed melodic hard rock, which confirm the positive drive of Royal Hunt's latest work.

"X" is a work that confirms the quality of this band, one of the most prolific and original in the genre, capable of renewing themselves despite several lineup changes. Two quite useless albums like "Eye Witness" and "Paper Blood" had marked a period of stagnation, quickly overcome with the arrival of Mark Boals on vocals and the release of "Collision Course". Then in June 2010, came this "X", confirming the technique, the drive, and the originality of a group that has been underrated for too long and should be rediscovered. This is the right opportunity to do so.

1. "Episode X - Arrival" (1:59)
2. "End Of The Line" (4:55)
3. "King For A Day" (4:49)
4. "The Well" (4:52)
5. "Army Of Slaves" (6:01)
6. "Shadowman" (5:35)
7. "Back To Square One" (5:24)
8. "Blood Red Stars" (6:21)
9. "The Last Leaf" (4:25)
10. "Falling Down" (4:14)
11. "Episode X - Departure" (1:06)