Royal Bliss

Chasing the Sun

Neal Middleton — lead vocals, guitar

Taylor Richards — guitar

Jake Smith — drums

Dwayne Crawford — bass guitar

            Royal Bliss steps up for this next review hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah. The band formed in 1997 and has released 8 records and played multiple sold-out shows. The band has been called the unluckiest band in rock with falls, skiing accidents, car wrecks, lawsuits, failed recording sessions and broken relationships, but throughout all that they continued to battle on. They released their first album in 1998 then released #2 in 1999. In 2001 the band merged their first two albums together to create their Old’s Cool release. The next album also came in 2001 and was met with high demand. There were on 5,000 copies of King Size produced, but quickly sold out. 2005 seen the next album surface after nearly two years of recording. They then re-mixed that record and added two more tracks in 2006 for another release, which prompted the band to go out and really push them selves into that national act. The band then moved onto their next chapter with a new label behind them. The debut major album arrived in 2009 via Capital Records. Life In-Between debuted at number 151 on the top 200 and number 4 on the Heatseekers chart. The band then self released their next record, Waiting Out the Storm, in 2012 and are now back with their 8^th album Chasing the Sun. The album features ten tracks which spread 33 minutes. They get the album going with “Welcome.” The track begins with a huge scream and loud tunes. They refine them a little bit when the main vocals comes flying into the fold. The up tempo tune moves along with a solid sound. There are a couple of awkward moments in the track, but they provide a perfect place for the band to get a crowd involved. This screams “live track.” “Cry Sister” slows the album down with a grind-it-out style tune. The music in this album is calculated and the solo section is awesome. The vocals also are collected and smooth. This is a top notch track. It’s well written and executed to perfection. “Rock You All Night Long” offers up a little attitude to the record. You can hear the cockiness flooding from the voice of Neal. The music is a slow grind once again, but they match the vocals to a tee. This is going to be a huge track live. You can just hear the energy from the track. “Dreamer” slows the track way down and might be the first tune that I really couldn’t get into. The lyrics are well written, but I don’t think that they really match the music in this one. Just didn’t do it for me. “It Haunts Me” offers up an odd, but haunting intro that moves into the meat of the track. The tune turns into a sick sounding track and will stick around with you. It’s a simple track really, but it’s well done and works. The vocals burrow into your brain and stay while the tunes slip right in behind. “Drink My Stupid Away” begins the second half of the album with the introduction of some key work. The vocals sweep in slowly and actually include some backing vocals. The slow moving track leans heavily on the lyrics and the delivery of them. It’s a strong track with a powerful message that you need to dive into head first. “Alive To See” is a decent track, but it feels like it’s pinned down in this format. I think that it has the chops to be a live track, but the album version is restricted. The vocals are solid as is the music and I would listen to the track whenever it would show up, but I just feel that it could really open up and do some serious work during a show. “Impossible” slows the album down once again. This was another track that didn’t excite me much. The track doesn’t sound bad as the vocals are under control and the tunes cruise along, but it just doesn’t have it. “Turn Me On” brings back the keys, but also turns the tempo back up after it gets going. The track offers up a killer guitar solo that is sure to get a live crowd going. The attitude in the track is high and the vibe is great. This track is going to blow up! The record wraps up with “Home.” The track is another slower tune. This one puts its emotions right out there on display. The lyrics are great and you can get lost in them. The southern rock style flourishes in this tune and sounds phenomenal. This track will be a fan favorite. Overall this is a great release. There are several great tracks and some lower “A” tier tracks as well. There are really only a couple tracks that don’t excite you on this record. It’s pretty solid from start to finish. The vocals are great. They are smooth and clear while delivering the well written lyrics with ease and near perfection. The music works well with the vocals and really don’t battle from the spotlight. There are some great solos sprinkled in the album as well. This is one of the most complete records that I have heard in recent memory.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Tracks to Watch:

Cry Sister, It Haunts Me, Turn Me On, Home

Track List:

1. Welcome
2. Cry Sister
3. Rock You All Night Long
4. Dreamer
5. It Haunts Me
6. Drink My Stupid Away
7. Alive To See
8. Impossible
9. Turn Me On
10. Home

Website (s):  www.royalbliss.com