Tusk II [LP], Royal Tusk, Vinyl

It’s been said that if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Well, it was nearly impossible to knock over a mammoth. ROYAL TUSK dig in their heels, defiantly hold their ground, and fight with fury. These blue-collar troubadours from the Great White North are steadfast champions of the majesty of kickass riffs, meaty hooks, a thick bottom end, and loud guitars. This is music with meaning, sometimes even a message, that’s always built around a powerful vibe and uncompromising passion. Royal Tusk is a deeply soulful celebration, brimming with working class optimism and tempered by renegade realism. On their sophomore-slump-smashing Royal Tusk II, the group summons the effortless energy of an era of rock music when bands weren’t content to merely reverse-engineer hit-making formulas to move units.