Royal Anguish
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Royal Anguish

Band Metal Rock

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Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Ballbuster Hard Music - John Haseltine"

"...Their gothic/black/death/thrash fusion of hybrid metal is second to none...All ten (songs)are excellent. Extremely high levels of musicianship and song writing here . Do what you can to get this one. You'll be thanking me later. Very, very impressive." - (review of Mysterion CD)


"HM Mag - Stewart Stevenson"

"...Mysterion is brutally heavy, yet atmospheric and beautiful. Sinister and dark, yet emotional and gripping. Describing the intricacies of this album in such a small space is nearly impossible. A truly exquisite work of art!"
- (review of Mysterion CD)


"Darkest Hours Zine - Patrick"

"Listening to Mysterion is like going on a dark journey... The song structures have been well done and the vibe of this album is strong and unique... Beautiful lead melodies, piano and dark as hell! This band got a lot of talent and it's easy to see that." - (review of Mysterion CD)


"Rivot Rag - Jack Rudzinski"

"...Keyboards, the frenzy of double bass with a pounding rhythm, Death growling and the operatic female voice swooning throughout... if you enjoy European Black Metal mixed with touches of Savatage style guitar work and a splash of Goth sparsely thrown in, Mysterion is for you."
- (review of Mysterion CD)


"RAG MAGAZINE - Kelly Morrissey"

Imagine an opera for the dead... deep, heavy vocals, dark lyrics, and pounding guitars that make you want to put up those horns and bang your head. Now mix in reverent keyboards... and some truly beautiful supporting vocals by female sopranos with... classical
training. My only question: how did this music come out of Ocala, Florida?" - (review of Mysterion CD)


"Whipping Post Zine - Matt Morrow"

Royal Anguish is one of THE top new bands in metal today. (New in a sense that this is a totally different band that what was around years ago). This is a band that takes their art very seriously. From music, to lyrics, to production, to packaging. This is stuff that I can very highly recommend to all metal fans.

Rating: 9.5 of 10
- (review of Mysterion CD)


"Rivot Rag - Jack Rudzinski"

...Royal Anguish puts on one hell of a performance. It was obvious they are a very talented band that writes songs with over the top production... Katy Decker’s voice is nothing short of amazing. I like the interplay between Matt and Katy on stage. It makes for a more interesting performance... Marius’s blistering guitar leads are equally as impressive... Kaitee Elliott provides the band with the orchestral sound, foundation and ambiance... The rhythm section of Greg and Anthony is the driving machine of the band...

I highly recommend seeing Royal Anguish live.
- (review of live performances)


Discography

UNTITLED FULL LENGTH CD (2006 Fear Dark / Holland - upcoming)
TALES OF SULLEN EYES (2005 MCD - Fear Dark / Holland)
TALES OF SULLEN EYES (2004 MCD - Independent)
THE CHRONICLES OF AUTUMN SORROW
(re-issue) (CD) (2004 - Bombworks Records)
MYSTERION
(CD) (2003 - SotD Records)
THE COLLECTION, VOLUME 1
(3 way split CD) (2002 - SotD Records)

Royal Anguish has also appeared on the compilation "A Brutal Christmas" (2002, SotD Records), and had multiple recordings in the early 90's that are now out of print.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

After a strong run through the early to mid 1990's (which saw the recording of an EP, a single, and multiple live shows), the band looked as though its existence would come to a close following the recording of 1995's full length CD, The Chronicles of Autumn Sorrow. Member changes, personal crisis, and label difficulties were more than the band could withstand at the time.

In 1997 frontman and founder Matt Knowles would ressurrect the name and commence writing on what would later become the full length CD, Mysterion (2003, S.o.t.D. Records). In 2000 Knowles hooked up with long time acquintance Anthony Smith (drums) and the two, along with a host of studio musicians, embarked on a three and a half year journey to complete the aforementioned recording.

As the sessions for Mysterion came to a close, Knowles and Smith knew it was time to transition Royal Anguish from what had been a studio only alignment back into a full fledged live band. Entering into the band during the summer of 2003 were current members Katy Decker (a well trained and educated opera vocalist), and Kaitee Elliott (keyboards). Lead guitarist Marius Kozlowski entered in the fall of 2003, and bassist Greg Andrews in January 2004.

Under this lineup the band has erupted back into the extreme music scene with a sound and stage show that is considered one of the most original and fresh on the market today. Their recent live performances are highlighted by what was hailed as "the largest all locals metal show in years for the Tampa / St Pete area" with Yeti and The Absence (1/10/04 State Theatre, St. Pete, FL), the largest metal show ever for Club Venom in St Petersburg, Florida (1/31/04), and a show stealing performance at the "April Slaughters Metalfest" (4/3/04, Brass Mug, Tampa, FL).

Royal Anguish recently completing a stint with the independent label S.o.t.D. Records (which was highlighted by the full length CD, Mysterion, in 2003). The band now has a short term working relationship with Bombworks Records (TX - USA). In May of 2004 Bombworks released the highly sought after full length CD, The Chronicles of Autumn Sorrow, which was never officially released after its recording in 1995.

The band is now set to start production on their latest release, entitled "Tales of Sullen Eyes", at the end of May 2004. This release will be recorded at Mana Studios, Tampa, FL, and will be engineered by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, ex-Morbid Angel). This release is slated to contain four new songs, along with a modified / rerecorded version of a track from the "Chronicles..." era as well as a remix/re-envisioning of a song off of Mysterion.

The band plans on furthering its reach into the music scene with a live show that has been hailed as one of the more original, featuring dramatic interaction between Knowles and Decker that brings added energy and life to the material. They will also be working towards their next full length release which they estimate for the middle/end of 2005.

We thank you for taking the time to read about us and we look forward to communication with you.