Royal Downfall
These means have no end
Luftslott
"These means have no end" sounds like one of those records from the late 1990s that was given such significance when Fugazi and Refused were suddenly revisited and proclaimed the "new black" as the whole hardcore/indie/emo scene exploded in the early 00s. And, while complementary in many ways, this dated element works both ways - instilling a sense of nostalgia, but also a sense of missed progression. All the components are here: the meandering assault of At the Drive-In paired alongside the more spacey approach of Sparta, the Fugazi bass lines wrapped with Promise Ring-esque guitar lines, and, just like many of those records, "These means have no end" grows on your more and more with each listen, but the overall punch is lacking force. That being said, Royal Downfall have made a record that deserves to be placed alongside many of the bands' works that I've noted here, faults and all. "A backlash is here" is anthemic, title track "These means have no end" has an ending that puts many electro-indie tracks to shame, and "March of the musicians" seems to take stock of the contemporary Swedish indie scene, incorporating some its more easily noticed elements (glockenspiels and all) into the band's regimen. My money's on the next album, but "These means have no end" has a welcome place in my record collection for the foreseeable future.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
