what would you expect from a band who label their own music as “true scottish pirate metal”? folkish, up-tempo rides across the fourth (fourths) seas? correct guess. any time i think of pirates, a word comes to my mind (don’t ask why): swashbuckling. and that’s what these guys are – and so is their first release under this monicker. in fact, some might be interested in having a listen to what these buckaneers did before signing for the mighy nuclear blast – if that’s the case, jot down the name “battleheart”, which (just as the current one by the way), already spoke for itself.
the merely musical background is expectedly some kind of speedy, up-tempo power metal – as the “true” in their own definition may suggest. the keyboards and accordions add that tasty folky flavour which is needed to set up some kind of piraty mood. and unlike too many a record, here the keyboards really do fit, providing a nice background sound which is neither invadent nor foreshadowed by the other, more noise-making instruments.
by the way, don’t let tags misguide you: no doubt alestorm have something in common with other folk, “non-pirate” metal acts – still they bring out something fresh and personal. to name but one thing: more solos than you’d expect to find on a folk metal album (along with the thrashy flavour to “death by the mast”). to name just another: the pirates of the caribbean theme “quotation” creeping out one of the songs. the melodies flow rather naturally, and before you realise, the album’s over – in a way, even too soon.
oh, and yes, there IS a beer song too. when expected things are good. what you might not expect, is to find alestorm‘s own version of “flower of scotland” as a coda to this adventurous journey. what? oh right, they did warn us, they’re scots. and proud to be.
thus spake the cennsor: 8/10
