Edmonton rock quartet Royal Tusk have had a busy few years. They first hit the scene in 2014 with the release of their EP “Mountain,” released their first full-length album in “DealBreaker” in 2016 and, most recently, released their second full-length album “Tusk II” in October 2018.
Describing their style, bassist Sandy MacKinnon says, “A lot of “rock” today sounds like people forgot that it’s driven by loud guitars–that’s something we have to bring back,” likening their sound to classic bands like Aerosmith and Deep Purple as opposed to any other band currently on radio.
This desire to live up to their rock forefathers is heard nowhere better than in the band’s latest single “First Time,” – a fiery, guitar-driven track accompanied by aggressive vocals and blunt lyrics about bringing change to the world. If you’re a fan of fellow Canadian band Three Days Grace, you will enjoy Royal Tusk who’s music shares a similar intensity and catchiness.
Speaking of their latest album in particular, vocalist and guitarist Daniel Carriere shares that the band wants to show their maturity and confidence to speak out about the state of the world saying, “Our earlier stuff was a bit gentle. It was about love. This record is angry, fed up, perplexed.
This is seen in the aforementioned track “First Time,” with hard-hitting lyrics that proclaim “I want to die” and “If you want justice, it ain’t coming for free” describing the band’s sentiments about the anxieties and fear that weigh heavy on many of us in time of social and political strife all over the world.
If you like what you hear, catch Royal Tusk live when they stop right here in Ottawa at The Brass Monkey this Sunday, Aug. 25th as part of their nation-wide tour! For more info about the band and to snag tickets to a show, visit their official website.