07 October 2022 - 0 Comments

Thrashing NZ alternative metal quintet, Crooked Royals return with one last single, Counterfeit from debut album Quarter Life Daydream, out via 3DOT Recordings on Friday October 21. Pre-order’s live now.

Recorded and mixed by Zorran Mendonsa (Coridian) and mastered by George Lever (Sleep Token, Loathe, Thornhill), Counterfeit commands listeners attention with an undeniably ferocious energy. Premiering via Heavy Consequence yesterday, the website commends the juxtaposition between Christian Cartsensen on clean vocals and Lee Mackley with gutturals: "It works splendidly on Counterfeit, evoking hints of Linkin Park, albeit with a more metalcore edge."

The back and forth between vocalists mirror the lyrical theme about the duality of perception on what is real and fake within our own personalities. The band explains, “The song is an argument with yourself about why we do things, observing other people’s motives, and how both sides of the coin make you feel and act. Which in eventuality should make you see you're just as much a part of the problem as anyone else is, and all these perceptions should mean nothing.”

Having just finished a couple of shows main supporting The Plot In You (US) in September on the Swan Song Tour, Crooked Royals waste no time in following up with news of their main support slot alongside Silent Planet (US) on their Australian tour. Tickets on sale now via Destroy All Lines.

Crooked Royals unearth harmony from unpredictability. The quintet is Christian Carstensen (clean vocals), Lee Mackley (heavy vocals), Jake Andrews (guitar), Keane Gilles (drums), and Conor Lawson (bass). Infusing metalcore with moments of head-spinning off-kilter prog, alternative melodies, and even nocturnal trap R&B, the band switch lanes seamlessly and smoothly.

They bob and weave past boundaries with a deft and dynamic approach. After racking up millions of streams independently and touring with various genre heavyweights, they perfect this vision on their full-length debut album, Quarter Life Daydream out through esteemed label 3DOT Recordings on October 21.

3DOT Recordings is the record label founded and curated by seminal heavy band Periphery. Formed in 2018, it is not only the outlet through which Periphery released its last album, Periphery IV: Hail Stan, but also the members' various side projects including Haunted Shores, Bulb, King Mothership, Jake Bowen and Four Seconds Ago. On top of Crooked Royals, the label has also built a diverse roster of heavy bands including Destrage, Astronoid and Infinity Shred.

With initial demos, the band caught the attention of Veil of Maya frontman Lukas Magyar, who worked with them on their 2018 debut EP, Intertwine. In between supporting Northlane, Polaris, Monuments, and more, they maintained this momentum with the Rumination EP in 2019. With the onset of the global pandemic, the musicians hunkered down and penned music at a prolific pace, expanding their signature style in the process around a cohesive theme on Quarter Life Daydream.

Counterfeit is available now and streaming everywhere. Quarter Life Daydream will be out Friday October 21 via 3DOT Recordings.

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