Riff Police! Pull Over! #47: 36 Crazyfists Vs The Royal!

When it came to the first wave of Metalcore bands, Alaskan quartet 36 Crazyfists are right up there as one of those that have stayed the course. Yes, they have had their ups and downs but 8 studio albums and 4 EPs in 22 years as a band is pretty damn impressive by anyone’s standards. Produced by Eddie Wohl and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax and Volbeat fame back in 2002, “Bitterness The Star” was the bands second full length album and their major label debut for Roadrunner Records. Amongst many standout tunes was “Slit Wrist Theory”, a track that had its name regularly shortened to “Wrist Theory” to keep the mass media happy. It has a very distinctive intro that repeats in the bridge.

Eindhoven Holland natives The Royal have been touring Europe for 3 studio albums with their latest offering “Deathwatch” appearing just last week. A solid album from a band who specialise in a high energy modernised version of the Metalcore sound, they have a number of tracks that wear their influences on their sleeves. None more so that “Soul Sleeper”, a tune which borrows that distinctive introduction riff from “Slit Wrist Theory” and builds into the tune with pretty solid results. Influenced? Without a doubt. Ripped off? You’d have to ask the band. But it’s about as close as you can get to former Roadrunner A&R man Monte Connor (now at Nuclear Blast) picking up the phone…