Typhoons

There is a particular kind of risk that comes with success, especially for a band like Royal Blood, whose early identity was built on brute force and minimalism. By the time Typhoons arrives, their third studio album, the duo are not so much refining that formula as attempting to detonate it from within.

Recorded across 2019 and 2020 and largely self-produced, Typhoons finds Royal Blood pivoting sharply. The muscular alternative rock that defined their earlier work is still present, but now refracted through a dancefloor lens. Disco rhythms, pulsing grooves and a newfound sense of movement underpin much of the record, giving it a kinetic quality that feels both deliberate and, at times, liberating.

The turning point appears to be ‘Trouble’s Coming’, the first track that, by the band’s own admission, made sense of this new direction. It is easy to hear why. The track leans into repetition and rhythm rather than sheer volume, trading density for groove and setting the tone for what follows. From there, songs like ‘Typhoons’ and ‘Limbo’ build on that foundation, each exploring the tension between the band’s instinct for heaviness and their growing fascination with dance-oriented structures.

There is also a sense of personal recalibration underpinning the album. Written during a period of sobriety and reflection, the material carries a sharper focus, both musically and thematically. That clarity manifests in tighter arrangements and a willingness to experiment with texture. Bass tones shift, tunings vary, and at points the instrumentation stretches beyond the duo’s traditional setup. Even tracks born in lockdown, including ‘Typhoons’, ‘Limbo’, ‘Mad Visions’ and ‘Oblivion’, feel purposeful rather than pieced together.

Not everything lands with equal weight. Some critics have noted that the added complexity does not always translate into memorability, and there are moments where the sheen of this new direction risks smoothing out the raw immediacy that first defined the band. Yet even in these instances, Typhoons remains compelling for its intent. This is not a band coasting on a proven formula, but one actively reshaping it.

Commercially, the gamble paid off, delivering Royal Blood their third consecutive UK number one album. Critically, the response was largely favourable, with several outlets positioning it as their strongest release to date. Praise has centred on its reinvention, its expanded palette and the confidence with which it embraces change.

If Typhoons does not fully eclipse what came before, it does something arguably more important. It redraws the boundaries of what Royal Blood can be, trading predictability for progression and proving that even the most rigid foundations can still shift under pressure.