Another gorgeous January night in East Atlanta was capped off Sunday, January 28th, by hometown rockers Royal Thunder with help from West Chester, Pennsylvania’s Backwoods Payback.
Backwoods Payback are veterans of the rock scene. Forming in 2003, they have toured most corners of the world, complete with a tour of Europe this past year.
Their sound can be described as grungy rock n roll, think Crack The Skye era Mastodon with a slight tinge of Eagles of Death Metal. Information about the band themselves is scarce online, with no Wikipedia page and a Spotify bio that simply reads “three people from West Chester and Richmond. LOUD.” As vague as it is, it fits the band perfectly. Their latest release, Fire not Reason was released in 2016 through Dullest Records.
The EARL was packed in pretty tight by the time Backwoods Payback took the stage. There was excitement among many of the concert goers, some who have been going to Royal Thunder shows for years and were excited about who they had brought on tour with them. They played through a seamless set with very little downtime. As their set wound down, people were finally able to catch their breath.
Royal Thunder was up next to close out the night. They have been a staple of the Atlanta rock scene since 2006. They are currently on a US tour in support of their newest LP, Wick, that was released on Spinefarm Records last year.
As I made my way back into the stage area, the crowd size had almost doubled.
I’ve grown to realize that regardless of what night of the week it is, if there’s good music happening in Atlanta then there will always be a large crowd.
Royal Thunder’s sound is as unique as it is familiar. Equal parts stoner metal, psych rock, and a slight bit of grunge as well. Miny Parsonz in my opinion has one of the best voices in Atlanta’s indie scene regardless of gender. There is a light saturation of the gazy, psych rock post-grunge sound going on in every corner of the country right now, but with Miny’s voice it really makes Royal Thunder stand out from the rest. They played through a solid set with choice cuts from each release in their catalog. With their new LP being their most ambitious record to date, I see big things for the future of this band. Stay Tuned.
Written and shot by Peter Sigmund. Check out Peter’s photos from the show:
Royal Thunder Upcoming Tour Dates:
East Coast/Canada Pt. 2 / supporting The Atlas Moth w/ #MirrorsForPsychicWarfare
2/10 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
2/11- Pontiac, MI – The Pikeroom
2/12- Toronto, ON – Hard Luck
2/13- Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz
2/14- Boston, MA – Great Scott
2/16- Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus
2/17- Philadelphia, PA – Voltage Lounge
2/18- Washington DC – DC9
2/20- Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
2/21- Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern
2/22- Atlanta, GA – Club 529
West Coast/Canada w/ Pinkish Black
3/10 – Tampa, FL – Coppertail Brewing Co.
3/12 – Memphis TN – Rockhouse Live Memphis #
3/13 – Little Rock AR – The White Water Tavern #
3/14 – Houston TX – White Oak Music Hall
3/15 – Dallas TX – Not So Fun Wknd Fest – Three Links – Deep Ellum, TX
3/17 – Denver CO – Streets of London Pub
3/19 – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar Las Vegas
3/20 – Scottsdale AZ – Pub Rock Live
3/21 – San Diego CA – Brick By Brick
3/22 – Los Angeles CA – The Hi Hat
3/24 – San Francisco CA – DNA Lounge
3/25 – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp Sacramento
3/26 – Portland OR – Tonic Lounge
3/27 – Seattle WA – Highline Bar
3/28 – Vancouver BC – The Astoria
3/30 – Calgary AB – The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club
3/31 – Edmonton, AB – The Forge on Whyte
4/01 – Saskatoon SK – Amigos Cantina
4/03 – Winnipeg MB – The Good Will – Social Club
4/04 – Fargo ND – The Aquarium
4/05 – Chicago IL – Beat Kitchen
4/06 – Columbus OH – Spacebar
#- No Pinkish Black
