Posted on: March 31, 2010 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

The first track on “Royal To The Bone” does not do much in the way of forwarding Heideroosjes’ sound. The repetitious nature of the track just gives individuals a few minutes to pick up something to eat or get properly situated in their favorite easy chair. The second track is “Psychic”, and it is a track in the traditional sense.

Heideroosjes stick with the same repetition, but at least there is something more tangible on this track. “Psychic” shows Heideroosjes as a hard-hitting punk act in the vein of mid-nineties Epitaph acts. Again, there is a problem with the band trying to create something new on this track. It is really easy to do what the band has already done, and the band seems a little too eager to go and do what they’ve already done. It takes a few tracks, but Heideroosjes really get into their stride with “Why Does Everybody Steal My Hits?” The band settles down into a post-“Dookie” type of Green Day groove. The type of punk rock is always nice to hear but it is not revolutionary in the least. The band could ride out this wave if they really tried, and they try to change things up slightly during “Home”. “Home” is a little harder and shows Heideroosjes’ rock side. It only takes a few more minutes, but “We’re All Fucked Up” is the band’s ode to acts like Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys.

The subject material is much more dark than anything that Flogging Molly ever cut, but the track is fun. The one major problem that I hear on “Royal to the Bone” is that Heideroosjes do not have a sound of their own. They gain most of their power on this disc through copping the styles of other acts. “Thank You (For Messing Me Up)” is another track that is single worthy for Heideroosjes, but is something that again shows that the band does not cultivate enough of their own style on this album. For the next few discs, Heideroosjes need to go on a soul-searching trip to come up with something that is as catchy as this but done in a style that shows the band’s own sound. As it is right now, the tracks on “Royal to the Bone” are foreign knockoffs to the inspiring and impressive originals of years gone by. It is catchy, but the album is not filling.

Top Tracks: Nothing’s Wrong, Home

Rating: 5.4/10

Heideroosjes – Royal to the Bone / 2006 I Scream / 16 Tracks / http://www.heideroosjes.com / http://www.iscreamrecords.com / Reviewed 08 August 2006

[JMcQ]

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