Royal Trux – White Stuff Review

Royal Trux – White Stuff
★★★★

It felt like a shock wave punching me in the face when Royal Trux announced that after fifteen years they would break an unspoken hiatus. I thought we had left Royal Trux back in the ‘90s covered with disenfranchised rock and roll dust. Twin Infinitives, Cats and Dogs, Sweet Sixteen—these albums took rock and bastardized the hell out of it. In turn, Royal Trux became one of the more innovative rock bands of the grunge and post-grunge era. Their sound was dirty and smelly. Their songs were out of tune and sometimes obnoxious. The gloss had been sanded off and a naked aggressiveness was left for us to stare at. That is what made them brilliant. They were not Sebadoh nor were they Pussy Galore.

Now comes White Stuff and the album starts in just where they left off in the 2000s. The title track roars with guitar rock flavor, if that flavor was a toilet seat in a dive bar. It’s an eye opener and immediately, you will confirm that Jennifer Herrema and Neil Hagerty still have a music connection only they can fully comprehend.

Exploiting drug culture, “Suburban Junkie Lady” feels like the two took the Blues Explosion and ripped them to shreds. Maybe if the Butthole Surfers were more refined, it would come close to sounding like this. You cannot help but be immersed by the sleaze that pours out of this music. Their collaboration is explosive for Royal Trux standards. Chalk up their tumultuous break-up and recent personal shenanigans to fuel songs sounding so raw.

Royal Trux – White Stuff (Official Music Video)

“Everyday Swan” is a goddamn acid trip. “Whopper Dave” is about as straightforward as a Royal Trux song gets, reminiscing on that ‘90s alternative rock culture. “Under Ice” ends with a Muscle Shoals rock and roll orgy.

If they walk away and leave the re-unification with just this album, and they just might, it’s a swan song well deserved. The ship can sink for all I care. Royal Trux gave us something we can drool over.