Royal Blood’s self-titled debut album could be one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher have built up quite the buzz by inflicting the dirtiest, most distorted bass sound possible on fans with an apparent lack of interest in their ear drum’s well-being.

The music world and appreciators alike have already heard a few tracks from the album. ‘Little Monster’  propelled them into the limelight with its chorus hook and that riff, which will never sound like it is coming from a bass guitar no matter how many times you listen to it.

The album opens with their first single ‘Out of the Black’, which might have hints of The White Stripes or Blood Red Shoes, but maybe that’s just because they are two other duo’s that like to make a lot of noise.  In truth no one really sounds like Royal Blood, because no other two-piece have a bassist willing to abuse their instrumental outlet in such a way.

The fullness of the sound on ‘Blood Hands’ will blow you away. You could listen to six-piece rock bands who don’t generate as much impact as you find in that track. It isn’t just the bass either, Ben Thatcher on the drums has quite the job of filling up the sound, and fitting around Kerr’s hammering riffs. He does it beautifully, imposing at just the right times, as on ‘Loose Change’ where he kicks in two-thirds of the way through.

‘Careless’ has one of the most interesting riffs on the album. The reason for mentioning riffs so often will become apparent on listening through the album, because they play such an important role. It is rare to find a popular band these days that rely so heavily upon the old-fashioned concept of tearing out a riff, even if it is the bass and not the guitar providing the focal point.

Royal Blood have become the acceptable face of heavy rock. Clutch have a similarly heavy, yet accessibly catchy sound but have come nowhere near the British mainstream music charts. But Royal Blood, by stripping everything right back, have managed exactly that. They are good, no doubt about it. Where they will go after this album though is unclear, as their sound doesn’t offer much room for expansion and adding any other members will diminish the novelty of solely using bass and drums. Let’s not look to the future then, and instead just enjoy this brilliant, foot-stomping, head banging, pounding, simple, catchy album.