Royal Headache

So yet again another long absence from this page, I’ve barely had time to myself since tafe started and I was somewhat egged on by a good friend of mine who also owns a blog to write another review. Pretty soon I might put my compostitions up aswell just so I can get people to listen to my tunes. That would be cool. Nothing else has happened much except I saw Blood Duster and got my copy of Lyden Na on double LP signed by the band, organizing another bigger house gig minifest called Goatfest! which you should definitely go to and I’ve finally completed my Space Ghost Coast To Coast collection, getting some essential albums on LP;

Boris – Pink
Cocteau Twins – Blue Bell Knoll
Big Black – Songs About Fucking
Slices – Crusing
Insect Warface/Carcass Grinder split

Man Is The Bastard/Locust split

Converge "On My Shield" single

…oh and I’ll be getting a baby brother soon next year, that’s exciting.

First I was going to review Counter/Transference by Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Shirt but Ausgrind beated me to it and I figured we don’t need another hapless reviewer telling you how bloody brilliant it is, but hell I’ll do a short version anyways-Holy fuckballs FGWMWS is hands down right brilliant and you should get it!!!!! Redirect yourselves to a better-written article here and then if you want come back here.

Okay now im going to review a album that I haven’t seen any other reviews of, to my knowledge at least, and that is Royal Headache’s new LP.

There is something I’ve realized while I was listening to Royal Headache’s new album-what if we were to just strip back all the bullshit and just have simple, almost embryonic tunes where we can sing love songs without eyes being rolled, where playing simple chords and beats and deliciously catchy songs isn’t frowned upon. At the end of the day you can play for money, play for the love of music, but you can’t fake yourself and your abilities, and that’s why this album may very well be my album of the year, if not a lifetime.

Lets talk about the overall production first off. If you told me that this was released in the late 70’s by an American band I would have been completely convinced, but nay, its released in 2011 by an Australian band, in talking everything from the artwork cover to the sound quality, which sounds like Husker Du recorded their music in the Beach Boys tiled bathroom with one microphone, which amazingly enough the lo-fi clarity never actually stands in the way of the music, unlike many other similar bands.

The tunes here like I mentioned earlier, are all hits, its pretty rare for me to listen to an album more than 5 times in a space of 24 hours but I cant get over how criminally distinctive this album is. It doesn’t make its way to be impressive, but that counter-reacts in the best way possible, from the reverbed drenched howlings of Shogun and his boyish innocence of his words that can outmatch the early Ramones, to the well-constructed nonchalant chemistry that holds the band together. This album clocks in about 26 minutes and it  containts everything from the steady beat of “Psychotic Episode” to the more show paced instrumentals of “Wilson Street” and of course the quicker and peppy tunes like “Back and Forth”, "Girls" and “Really In Love”. 


With many songs here that goes through the sweet emotions and the bitter, but without the dramatic left-turn out of the composition itself, to make it a bit more clear you know how when bands write a sad song the whole band gets sad and everything sounds SAD to make it clear that it’s a FUCKING SAD SONG? You don’t find this here at all, there are no stereotyping false intentions here,it is the pinnacle of telling a story thought a song minus the dreary enchantment that many artists fail to grasp.Royal Headache can go through the themes of  love, hate, excitement and depression without being something they’re not and that’s why this is one of the most original album I have bestowed upon in a while.

“WHAT? ORIGINAL YOU SAY? OH REVIEWER YOU UNACQUAINTED IMPERCETIVE LOAF I HAVE ONLY HEARD THESE RIFFS AND 4/4 DRUMS A MILLION TIMES FROM BANDS THAT ARE 5 TIMES BIGGER THAN THIS ONE!”

I speak of originality in the element of the vibes of emotion and the magnetism that is offered here. sure you can string a few chords together, but can you convince me you will play them with feeling and contrast? That’s is what I don’t get anymore from the slew of punk bands that are dominating the market with their pseudo-emotional punkcore bullshit (Skyway? Bitch please) and is what I exactly get whenever I listen to this LP.

Then again now I am perhaps contradicting my self by stripping away all the bullshit and maybe im overanalyzing this.

I will say one more thing though; I find there are 2 types of albums, one that has everything face-value, quick at the start to make an impression, only for it to get weary after a few listens, then there are the albums that hardly sound amazing at first, but after a couple more turns you discover more and more beneath it and ends up growing on you

 Its just so relieving to listen to an album that has the best of those two categories, its hooks you at face-value while you keep discovering the youth of these songs over and over again. It’s the true revival of the foundations of punk music that many bands emulate, but never actually get it correct, Royal Headache don t go out of their way to make a statement, but its within their own magic that they have made something so romantic without the tacked on egotism.

I don’t know how to explain it, but I love this album, it wont ever get a Grammy, hell it wont even show up on the Triple J Hottest 100, but for those to find this gem will be more than sastified, maybe even find hope in the Australian punk scene again.

I have asked Royal Headache to play Goatfest!, heres hoping they will play it!