ROYAL THUNDER is the kind of band that has a lot of metal fans, and appears in a lot of metal press outlets, despite not having a particularly metal sound. I set out to see if this metal fan would be a fan of their latest album, "WICK".

It struck me that ROYAL THUNDER bears a passing resemblance to CASTLE in some ways - both have a sound that is "metal-adjacent", if you will, and both have a bassist-vocalist with a distinctive voice. However, ROYAL THUNDER unfortunately lacked engaging riffs for the most part, unlike CASTLE. The vocal performance by Mlny Parsonz was the clear highlight of the album, but I can't help but wonder if the band has come to lean too heavily on her star power, albeit unintentionally.

On the first half of the album, "Burning Tree" and "We Slipped" were highlights for me. "Burning Tree" opens with hazy riffs and interesting percussion. The vocal harmonies add a sense of intrigue, and Parsonz's vocal tone has just the right amount of grit. "We Slipped" is a faster-paced number, with a darker guitar tone. Joshes Weaver and Coleman deliver some great guitar work, with the flanger-tinged solo being a high point.

On the second half, I found "The Well" and "We Never Fell Asleep" to be the most engaging tracks. "The Well" has several structural changes, while retaining coherence. Parsonz delivers a dazzling, emotional vocal performance in the chorus, and her bass work adds to the warmth of the song. Evan Diprima produces some interesting drum fills, and the heartfelt guitar solo brings the emotion of the song to a head. "We Never Fell Asleep" has lyrics with a moving quality to them, and the vocals gain punch as the song goes on.

This album is a move away from ROYAL THUNDER's old sound, and I had mixed feelings about this album. I found myself feeling a bit bored at times, but the tracks which were personal highlights were amazing. "WICK" did grow on me with repeated listens, but it still didn't hit me like a thunderclap.