Second chances in music—as in life—are rare. In a gated ecosystem that is set up to prevent even first chances, getting a do-over hardly ever happens. Perhaps no one in 2023 appreciates that more than the members of Royal Thunder. After losing a key member and eventually collapsing entirely under the weight of excess, the beloved Georgia trio have reunited and returned with their first album in six years.

For vocalist/bassist Mlny Parsonz, guitarist Josh Weaver and drummer Evan Diprima, the title of their fourth record tells the tale: Rebuilding the Mountain. The album is Royal Thunder as perhaps they should have been all along. “When we started this thing, I always felt like it was something bigger than us,” Weaver says. “It was an awesome spiritual force in my life, and a connection with these two other people. It’s a very sacred thing, and we just kinda pissed on it for a while. Now, to have it back, we realize how special it is. The only way we can do this is to do it right. If you’re part of something that makes you alive and inspires other people and inspires you, I feel like it’s almost your duty to do it.”