The Royal Society (album)

The Royal Society
Studio album by The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
Released	25 October 2004
Genre	Gothabilly [1] psychobilly [2] rockabilly [2] rock and roll [2]
Label	No Death Island
Producer	Chris Goss
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster chronology
Horse of the Dog (2002) The Royal Society (2004) In the Garden (2007)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	84/100 [3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Drowned in Sound	8/10 [4]
The Guardian	[5]
NME	8/10 [6]
Playlouder	[7]
Q	[8]
Tiny Mix Tapes	[2]
Uncut	8/10 [9]

The Royal Society is the second album by the British rock band The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, released in the UK on 25 October 2004 on the No Death label.

It was produced by Chris Goss of Masters of Reality. The album is a lot longer and less frantic than its immediate predecessor, showing the band's progression.

This is the last album to feature Andy Huxley on guitar.

Track listing

1. "Rise of the Eagles" (Andy Huxley & TEMBLD) - 2.45
2. "I Could Be an Angle" (Tom Diamantopoulo & TEMBLD) - 3.23
3. "When I Hear You Call My Name" (Sym Gharial & TEMBLD) - 3.59
4. "Migrate Migraine" (Tom Diamantopoulo & TEMBLD) - 3.18
5. "Puppy Dog Snails" (Marc Norris & TEMBLD) - 3.54
6. "The Dancing Girls" (Tom Diamantopoulo & TEMBLD) - 3.09
7. "The Fool" (Tom Diamantopoulo & TEMBLD) - 3.08
8. "I Rejection" (Andy Huxley & TEMBLD) - 4.14
9. "Drunk on the Blood" (Tom Diamantopoulo & TEMBLD) - 5.30
10. "Mister Mental" (Tom Diamantopoulo & TEMBLD) - 2.53
11. "Freud's Black Muck" (Andy Huxley & TEMBLD) - 3.39
12. "Temple Music" (Tom Diamantopoulo & TEMBLD) - 3.10
13. "The Way Of The Men Of The Stuff" (Andy Huxley & TEMBLD) - 3.23

B-sides

Amongst the list of B-sides below, live tracks, demo versions, cover versions, remixes and videos were also released on most of the singles from the album.

Song	Length	Release(s)
"6:30"	3:01	B-side of "Mister Mental"
"Flag Party"	2:46	B-side of "Mister Mental"
"Professionalism"	2:29	B-side of "Mister Mental"
"Ice Cream"	2:24	B-side of "I Could Be an Angle"
"Grrr"	0:45	B-side of "I Could Be an Angle"
"Royal Society"	2:30	B-side of "I Could Be an Angle"
"We Don't Rock"	2:44	B-side of "Rise of the Eagles"
"Party Pooper"	2:38	B-side of "Rise of the Eagles"
"Alchemy"	3:56	B-side of "Rise of the Eagles"

Personnel

• Guy McKnight – vocals
• Marc Norris – guitar
• Andy Huxley – guitar
• Sym Gharial – bass
• Tom Diamantopoulo – drums

Singles

Date of release	Title	Uk Top 40 chart position
3 February 2004	"Mister Mental"	25
10 August 2004	"I Could Be an Angle"	35
4 January 2005	"Rise of the Eagles"	40

References

1. "Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The Royal Society (Island Records) **". York Press. 6 January 2005. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
2. "The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster The Royal Society". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved 17 July 2019.
3. "Reviews for The Royal Society by The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster". Metacritic . Retrieved 26 April 2025.
4. Diver, Mike (27 October 2004). "The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - The Royal Society". Drowned in Sound . Retrieved 26 April 2025.
5. Sullivan, Caroline (22 October 2004). "Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The Royal Society". The Guardian . Retrieved 26 April 2025.
6. A demented, disjointed, delicious-as-human-rump-steak modern classic. [23 Oct 2004, p.49]
7. Allen, Jeremy (23 October 2004). "The Royal Society - The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster". Playlouder . Retrieved 26 April 2025.
8. These songs display such moustache-twirling camp that they exert a lively pull despite the undead atmospherics. [Dec 2004, p.136]
9. Explores themes of mental derailment and the black arts against a backdrop of the heaviest psychobilly, grunge-metal and stoner rock. [Nov 2004, p.106]

External links

• Caroline Sullivan (22 October 2004). "Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The Royal Society". The Guardian .