Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
Following an across the boards complete success of last year’s debut EP Swedish black metallers The Blastbeaters’ alter-egos Royal Republic are, once more, geared up for a return to English shores. What commenced dwelling in the realms of fictitiousness most rapidly grew into something quite wondrously chaotic and possessing of a heart-beating lifeform; but more of that later.
It’s Valentine’s weekend and the Scandinavian renegade quartet, in their uniquely indomitable style, have tagged this triplet of English dates “You bring the love, we’ll bring the super-kungfu- lazer! Grab your sweetheart, grab your mom, grab a ticket.” Who could resist? After seeing RR, for the first time, headlining the Call of the Wild festival last year and blowing the place apart we certainly couldn’t! Seems like we weren’t alone either; the former SWX venue – now Electric following a takeover – is rammed by the time the Swedes roar onto the stage.
Before then we have 40 minutes in the technical company of talented German prog-metallers The Intersphere. This four-piece came to attention at the tail-end of 2024 opening for Vola on their ‘Friend of a Phantom’ tour. Whilst not yet chockful there’s a most healthily sized crowd inside Electric as the night’s openers assemble; a quartet of blue spots pierce the gloom as the expectant hub-hub recedes.
With a serene detonation The Intersphere set into the slick groove of ‘Wanderer’, the title track of their last studio release. Masterfully controlling their ebb and flow with an entwining rage blending with gentle eddying lakes whilst the interjection of a hooky chorus dovetails with craft. It’s all rightfully warmly received by the Bristol crowd and via a “Good evening” and the briefest of introductions from frontman Christoph Hessler the band stride into the soaring ‘Mind Over Matter’. Tumbling percussions, rapid-fire lyrics, reverberating bass with a punchy riff atop it’s mellow and chilled yet somehow impactful. Impressions of Empyre dart in and out delighting myself.
The powerful tones of ‘Bulletproof’ showcase a searing six-string slide from Hessler before latest single ‘Time To Deliver’ – the band’s first new material in a couple of years – continues to impress. With the gentleness of the first snowmelt the intro is blown apart with the behemothic rhythms of the main body pulsating with a seismic thrust. A crushing slab of prog metal it brings to mind the likes of Vola and TesseracT.
Bright and a little jaunty, with some lowdown cowbell, ‘Corrupter’ turns the spotlight back upon 2023’s ‘Wanderer’ album as does the following ‘Down’. Replete with crashing waves upon a rocky shoreline it effortlessly sweeps majestically over a grandiose vista. The strongarm flow of ‘Always On The Run’ drives hard prior to the set-closing chopping stampede of ‘Prodigy Composers’. The serenity of the autumn leaf fall stirred upon the breeze is torn asunder with tornadic forces assuming control.
It’s great to have renewed acquaintances, in musical terms, with the precise skillset that The Intersphere possess; they won’t be slipping from conscious thought this time as they’ve been firmly added to the grey matter playlisting. Technical and accurate with a translucent honesty this Mannheim four-piece engage on a subtle plane; definitely a grower which I will be watching much closer in the future.
“’Cause why get less if you could get more?” question tonight’s headliners Royal Republic in the trampling stampede of ‘Getting Along’. In the midst of an eight-track opening salvo, with little time to draw even the briefest of breaths, the Swedes offer a moment to reflect upon humanity’s desires. If any band has written a more apt, reflected in their image, line of lyrics then I desire to meet them. Accompanied by swarthy tongue-firmly-inserted-in-cheek innuendos the Scandinavians are seriously endowed with a sense of fun akin to the likes of Electric Callboy.
It’s suddenly got busy, very busy in fact. Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ has Electric singing along as the atmosphere of expectancy grows. The air crackles as the chorus of Joan Jett’s version of ‘I Love Rock n’ Roll’ gets a brusque Bristol makeover whilst a swarm of stage techs ready matters for the arrival of Royal Republic. A raucous West Country reception is unleashed as the regal pageantry of the ‘My House’ intro ramps up proceedings prior to the headliners tearing into the track proper.
Frontman Adam Grahn sports his illuminated Flying V styled six-string whilst bassist Jonas Almén assaults his keytar. The Euro disco-metal whips up matters with the ever-effervescent Grahn fronting on-stage proceedings. Completed by the absolute animalistic percussive elements of Per Andreasson and the stabbing guitaring of birthday-boy Hannes Irengård this tight-knit quartet, with five studio albums under their belt, have been together since forming in 2007 after meeting at the Malmö Academy of Music.
Following the multi-tinted opening lightening bolt RR roll right into the electrical explosion that is ‘LoveCop’. With pin-sharp backing vocals and harmonies to die for this is an outfit who know how to delight. Whilst there is still plenty of shiny leather to observe it seems that the band’s pearls have disappeared. Well, this tour has been a lengthy one as Grahn later reflects; without doubt this bunch sure have gigging down to a tee.
In the mayhemic form of ‘Getting Along’ and ‘Baby’ a coupling from 2016’s ‘Weekend Man’ follows the initial ‘LoveCop’ brace. Bristol clap along interactive to the avalanche that rumbles full of jovial Scandic sentiment. A banner proclaiming “Happy birthday Hannes” is held aloft as bassist Almén raises celebratory horns aloft during the Slayer-esque outro of ‘Getting Along’. A chap, raised upon an unseen mate’s shoulders, has a good number of the moves (including the meaty “huh!”) and is enjoying the best night of his life as ZZ Top is introduced to ABBA in ‘Baby’.
The avalanche continues unimpeded with the utter pandemonium that is ‘Boots’. Proving absolutely contagious ‘Stop Movin’’ slides in with a full-throttle groove that is impossible to ignore. Highly infectious with its F1 acceleration Grahn exclaims collective delight with an impassioned “Stop, Fuck yeah!” at track end continuing with a “How the fuck do you do?” enquiry. A herd of red-eyed peeved rhinos charge in the highly metalliferous ‘Back From The Dead’; growling menacingly the demon beckons alluringly.
Telecaster wielding Irengård gently noodles the intro of ‘Full Steam Spacemachine’ whilst Grahn wryly notes “I think we might peak tonight” as the inevitable damburst edges closer. It’s a full-on marauding as Bristol detonates with sweat pouring in all quarters. Heading hard to starboard, all the while staying the course the track simmers before one final damburst sweeps all before it.
Breaths are, following this mighty salvo, with an acoustic empowerment of ‘Boomerang’ with the four members gathering out stage-front as Grahn introduces an acoustic guitar as “the most dangerous sexual weapon”. With freight-train harmonica courtesy of Irengård this barbershop reworking is a re-imagination that works so well. In fact, what follows can also be described in this manner too.
Periodically through the course of 2025 the Royals, morphing into The Blastbeaters, released a quadrumvirate of disco-themed tracks under the crepuscular guise of a Scandinavian darkened metal outfit. The metalled up ‘Stayin’ Alive’ and the thundering hooves of ‘Venus’ lift the metaphorical roof, dispersing structurally damaging energies across a large radius. The Blastbeaters reign supreme.
To the theme of ‘Top Gun’ Grahn hops out into the crowd in search of a willing cowbell operative for a pulsating ‘Ain’t Got Time’. Feon (hopefully got the name and spelling correct, if not apologies) clearly relished her role proving that there, is indeed, always a need for more cowbell. It’s party time Royal Republic style with huge roars emanating from the packed in ensemble.
With Grahn reunited with his colleagues the afterburners are reignited for a funky ‘Fireman & Dancer’ evoking vibes reminiscent of Queen’s ‘Hot Space’ era. Almén’s four-string low-end bounces along with Irengård’s Frans Ferdinand-infused riffing as a conflagrant ‘Tommy-Gun’ emphatically brings down the curtain upon the main body of the set.
Not a single soul is departing; Bristol is yet to be fully satiated. The resplendent AOR of ‘Lazerlove’ nods towards fellow countrymen (and ladies) of Night Flight Orchestra. A descending shooting star flashes across the night sky. Every note and pause is absorbed by an enthralled Electric crowd before Hannes’ first birthday in Bristol is celebrated.
A particularly heavy-arsed snippet of Metallica’s ‘Battery’ gets heads really nodding. “This is how it could have been!” quips Grahn. The merry disco-drenched jaunt of ‘RATA-TATA’ proves a furious conclusion to a phenomenal with exuberant cheers exhibiting the approval of the massed ranks. Singing along to the outro tape of Bob Dylan’s ‘The Man in Me’ Royal Republic can reflect upon another job well done.
This is a band that plays to huge crowds on the mainland European circuit especially wooing festivals like Summer Breeze, Hellfest, Sweden Rock, and Rock am Ring but are equally at home in the more intimate venues too. As Glenn Frey offers on the final outro track ‘The Heat Is On’.
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
