Royal Blood: Royal Blood review – heavy, hefty commercial rock duo

Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher, often referred to as a "power duo" – a phrase that brings to mind dual-cleaning bog bleach as opposed to saviours of rock – were the only guitar group featured on BBC's Sound of 2014 list. The pressure is on, and not only because they've topped the US rock chart and share management with Arctic Monkeys – which is certainly reflected in their music, their debut recalling the Sheffield act in their desert-rock, post-social-satirical phase. Peel back the early 00s rock (the Vines, Death from Above, riffs that lurch like Jack White drunk at a saloon bar) and there are quavering vocals that add texture to their stodgy sound, too. It's heavy and hefty enough to crown them kings of the commercial rock scene, but then, who is going to stand in their way?