Will Swan is a guitarist that has contributed to Dance Gavin Dance, Sianvar, and Secret Band. He has also run his own record label, Blue Swan Records, since 2013. He is so infused in the genre of post-hardcore that fans have dubbed his style of guitar playing as “Swancore”. Bands such as Hail the Sun, Eidola, Stolas, etc. draw heavy influence from Swan’s groovy, chaotic playing, which is a mish-mash of metal, psychedelia, and math rock.

In the aforementioned Dance Gavin Dance, Will was bandmates with vocalist Kurt Travis for the albums Dance Gavin Dance and Happiness. Kurt would sing in several related bands over the years, such as A Lot Like Birds, Eternity Forever, and Push-Over, before forming Royal Coda in 2017. This act also features Sergio Medina (of aforementioned Stolas), Joseph Arrington (A Lot Like Birds), and Steffen Gotsch. It is fair to say that Royal Coda is a Swancore supergroup.

Compassion is a nod to Will/Kurt’s Dance Gavin Dance record, Happiness. Many intricacies prevalent in that now ten-year-old album are even more fleshed-out and take a front row seat in this succinct second album from the band. Where Royal Coda’s self-titled debut album had some novel concepts from some serious star-power in the genre, it was clear that the blending of ideas from each member weren’t coming together as cohesively as an artist that has had time to acclimate. This new effort is proof that these musicians took the time to concoct a fully-realized, unique record.

Announcing Will Swan would be in the band was barely a surprise, and more of a welcome addition. Not to discredit the rest of the musicianship of the band, but anything Will touches turns to gold. He is one of the most hard-working people in the genre, at one point being in three bands at the same time he was running a record label. One would think this would lead to neglecting one band or another, but he regularly records and tours with each band, sometimes playing twice a night for Sianvar and Dance Gavin Dance (and soon to play in Royal Coda and DGD on the upcoming spring tour).

Swan is natural in Royal Coda; there are moments in this record that never took place in their first album. For example, the breakdown in “All in Question” is a melodic romp, and a departure from the dreamy environment established by the tranquil backdrop of guitars and soft percussion used throughout the song. The riff in the intro of “Becoming the Memory” is vintage Swan, with a meticulous minor-key run that is pleasant to the ears and is familiar territory for long-time Swancore listeners. Compassion‘s tendency to go from frenetic to relaxed is a treat, and creates an unpredictability factor for first-time listeners.

While Will’s work on the record stands out, the rest of the act deserves their due diligence. Kurt shines bright, as he employs vocal techniques in this album that I have never heard from him before. This is evident in him reaching a low octave in the track “Don’t Stay Long”, as well as his aggressiveness in most of the choruses on the album. The rest of the instrumentation complements the act, with a compelling rhythm melody from Sergio in every song, as well as drumming that rounds it out with notable performances in the chorus of “Numbing Agent” and the verse of “Arms Race for God’s Grace”. Bassist Steffen Gotsch recently replaced Jason Ellis, the bassist on Happiness and Royal Coda, and does a bang-up job considering he’s much newer to the genre than his bandmates.

This is a considerable step-up from the 2018 release in both execution and lasting power. While Compassion is only eight songs long, with a reprise to cap off the record; the listener is in for a treat with several tracks being immediate Swancore standouts. Catch Royal Coda touring the USA this spring, with Dance Gavin Dance headlining!

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