Review by Metal-Rules.com
Reviewed: December, 2025
Released: 2025, Northpoint
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: JP
Now this is how you do an EP! Royal Hunt is coming out of some well-deserved downtime and a successful pair of concept albums DYSTOPIA (2020) and DYSTOPIA-Part 2 in 2022 and a long tour cycle and some reissues of older material.
BEHIND THE CURTAIN comes in a nice looking, mid-sized digipak with full booklet, liner notes, stickers, a button and photos. The liner notes go sing by sing giving fans insight into the value of these unreleased tracks.
We lead off with a leftover from the DYSTOPIA sessions which is just as good as anything on the albums. Up next a pair of live tracks from 2023 with immaculate sound. Following that are two acoustic tracks drawn from an impromptu session at a bar. The song ‘Half Past Loneliness’, originally found buried in SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE (2011), is really having a renaissance. It really lends itself to this upbeat acoustic version and apparently there’s a dance mix version of this tune as well!
Lastly and most intriguingly is a remixed, remastered version of ‘Fistful Of Misery’ from CAST IN STONE. Anderson was never quite satisfied with his own mix in the album so he experimented and redid this song. My ear isn’t that keen but it still sounds good to me!
If that wasn’t enough treasure, the EP comes with a DVD! Subtitled ‘Camp 2025 ‘It is a bit of tour diary with the band travelling to a gig, (Posada Rock in Romania in 2023) airports, backstage etc. It runs 45 minutes and has the live clips from the four EP clips I mentioned earlier. The sound and visual qualify is quite fine. It is a nice glimpse into what the band has been up to lately, some fooling around, jokes and so on.
BEHIND THE CURTAIN was an unexpected surprise and a treat to let the fans know they are still alive and kicking with this packed and valuable EP. I might be rating this a bit high for ‘just’ an EP, but I think it worth it!
As a final side note, fans may recall that in 1996, 2006 and 2016 the band released double live albums, called respectively, 1996, 2006, and 2016! If the Metal godz are with us, could these new live tracks appear on a new double live album next year… called 2026? One can hope!
Track Listing:
1. Ride into the Sunset (single version)
2. Last Goodbye (live 2023)
3. The Mission (live 2023)
4. Half Past Loneliness (acoustic version)
5. Sign of Yesterday (acoustic version)
6. Fistful of Misery (remixed & remastered)
Line Up:
André Andersen -Keyboards, Guitar
D.C. Cooper- Vocals
Andreas Passmark-Bass
Jonas Larsen -Guitar
Andreas Johansson -Drums
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