Crooked Royals dropped a triple-hit of good news recently, pairing a blistering single, Glass Hands, with the news that they've signed to 3DOT Recordings who will release their debut full-length Quarter Life Daydream on Friday, October 31st.
The New Zealand metal merchants initially bulldozed a path for Quarter Life Daydream with the single Copacetic generating over half a million Spotify streams and counting. Glass Hands storms out of the gate on a flurry of double bass and fret-searing lead guitar as the melodic vocals ring out.
Glass Hands is about unmitigated passion towards a figure, whether that is a higher power, celebrity, or political figurehead. The narrative of the lyrics is sung by a person who is absolutely certain that they are doing and acting in the interest of themselves, and in favour of the figure they are appeasing.
“The song is about a person who wants to believe in something so hard that they’ll do anything for it,” clean vocalist Christian Carstensen goes on. “We want listeners to be critical of this voice though.”
“It’s similar to when people get news from a headline on social media," adds Carstensen's raw vocal counterpart Lee Mackley. “They’ll spout the headline, but they don’t read the actual article. They just believe in it without understanding it". Ultimately, Crooked Royals ask listeners to think about why they follow this person to the letter — sometimes to a fault.
In celebration of the release of Glass Hands and the impending arrival of Quarter Life Daydream, Crooked Royals put together a guide to the best of New Zealand metal. It's a choice list that gives a great overview of what the 'land of the long white cloud' has to offer for metalheads.
A Guide to NZ metal by Crooked Royals
- Banks Arcade
Favourite Songs: Be Someone and Firework
This band is just blowing up atm, if you dont know them yet, trust me you will! We met these dudes when they dropped their song “Sick” (also a banger) and have been friends since and are currently touring together. They bring the heavy sad boy feels and we love it! Also absolutely incredible live.
- All I Seek
Favourite Songs: The Bay and Envy
The newest band out of the whole list, but god damn are these boys good! If you like Dance Gavin Dance when Johnny Craig was the frontman you’ll love them, they're a little heavier and proggier but in a good way!
- Full Bloom
Favourite Songs: Malware and Black Lung
These dudes deserve so much more love and attention, absolutely insane musicians, their songs are top notch, anyone who is a fan of Northlane would love these dudes!
- Xile - Favourite Songs: So Much for Love and I am your God
This is for all the Hardcore fans, these boys are straight heavy and any hardcore fan would love them, its just groovy heavy goodness!
- No Life
Favourite Songs: Backchat and Fractured
These guys are also super new to the scene but made a big splash, they are another hardcore band but these boys slightly remind us of Alpha Wolf, they are so sick and definitely worth checking out.
- Pull Down The Sun
Favourite Songs: Of Valleys and Mountains and Turehu
Absolutely love these dudes and if you like Gojira you're absolutely going to love them as well, they are one of the best up and coming NZ metal bands atm.
- Claemus
Favourite Songs: Aspire and Purge
One of the most criminally underrated NZ bands in our opinion, if you're a Proggy, Techy, Djenty boy you will absolutely love them!
- Written By Wolves
Favourite Songs: To tell you the Truth and Let it Burn
This band isn’t technically metal, but they are just too good to leave off the list. If you like Anthemic/Cinematic Rock with some heavy moments and screams thrown in for good measure then check these boys out! They are already absolutely killing it with over 300k monthly listeners on Spotify
- Shepherds Reign
Favourite Songs: Le Manu and Aiga
These lads are a polynesian metal band who play songs reminiscent of Avenged Sevenfold and Dream Theater but in the Samoan language, they are very moving and powerful.
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