Back to the Water Below

Back to the Water Below is the fourth studio album by English rock duo Royal Blood. It was released on 1 September 2023 by Warner Records. The album is produced by the band themselves, having previously self-produced the majority of their previous album. It received acclaim from critics.

Background
Back to the Water Below was recorded in Royal Blood's home studio in Brighton. Of the decision to produce the album themselves as opposed to minor input from outside producers as the band had done on their previous records, frontman Mike Kerr said in an interview with NME that the recording process allowed the band to "[force themselves] to do things that came naturally". The album title takes its name from a lyric in the song "Pull Me Through."

Promotion
The band began teasing new music on Instagram on 12 May 2023, with the first in a series of videos being released showing work being done in the studio, such as demos of new riffs.

On 25 May 2023, the album's lead single "Mountains at Midnight" was released alongside an accompanying music video.

The band released the second single from the album, "Pull Me Through", on 13 July 2023.

The band toured North America and Europe in support of the album, including as an opening act for Muse on their Will of the People World Tour in the summer. The band then embarked on their own headlining tour in the autumn.

Bonus edition
The deluxe edition of Back to the Water Below was accompanied by a bonus 7" that included the two B-sides of the album, "Supermodel Avalanches" and "Everything's Fine".

Although fans received both bonus tracks well, "Supermodel Avalanches" was met with particularly high acclaim from fans of the band, who widely demanded the song be released officially on streaming services. After teasing the song online, the band debuted the song live on 15 November at a gig at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland. The song became a mainstay of the setlist, and on 19 December, the band released Back to the Water Below (Bonus Edition) onto all streaming services and platforms, which included "Supermodel Avalanches" as an eleventh bonus track. The release was presented as a Christmas gift, with the band wishing their fans a "Merry Riffmas" as a part of the release.

Critical reception
Back to the Water Below received a score of 81 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on seven critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Mojo stated that it has "top-drawer tunes throughout", while Kerrang!'s Mark Sutherland noted that it "really ought to broaden Royal Blood's appeal still further" with its "tightly-wound riffing and ludicrous lyrics". Erica Campbell of NME described it as "an album that highlights the band's rock and roll instincts, self-knowledge and ability to generate something new with a bass, drums and zero hand holding".

Neil McCormick of The Telegraph summarised that "rock fans should be delighted that Kerr and Thatcher are still in the ring, giving it everything they've got" as "lyricist Kerr sounds like he has been in the wars" and "like a man undergoing changes, using music to understand himself". Finlay Holden of The Line of Best Fit called Back to the Water Below "simultaneously a refinement and expansion of the Royal Blood formula" as well as "a short and snappy experience". DIY's Sarah Jamieson felt that the duo "mov[e] away from the more shallow-sounding confines of its predecessor" and "manage to make a return to the towering riffs that populated their early releases, while adding some much-needed dynamism".

Personnel
Royal Blood
 * Mike Kerr – vocals, backing vocals, bass, production (all tracks); synthesizer (tracks 2, 5–7), piano (3, 4, 7, 9, 10), keyboards (8), guitar (10)
 * Ben Thatcher – drums, percussion, production

Guest musicians
 * Tom Hobden – viola, violin (9, 10)
 * Ian Burdge – cello (10)

Technical
 * Pete Hutchings – engineering
 * Liam Hebb – engineering assistance
 * Spike Stent – mixing
 * Matt Wolach – mixing assistance
 * Matt Colton – mastering