Alestorm: Captain Morgan's Revenge

Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp have a lot to answer for. Thanks to the incredible success of the Pirates Of The Carribean trilogy, scurvy knaves and salty sea dogs are back in the public consciousness and Scotland's Alestorm are sure to reap the benefits, especially as Captain Morgan's Revenge is a total riot.

These ten flagon raising songs are some of the most shamelessly enjoyable anthems of the year.

The Curse Of Captain Morgan

But first, a little history lesson. The real Sir Henry Morgan was a famous Pirate Captain who took advantage of the Spanish-English war to terrorise the Carribean during the seventeenth century. The Captain Morgan who forms the basis of the album's title track is entirely fictional, the band taking more than a hefty chunk of creative freedom with the character. What it lacks in historical accuracy though, it makes up for in fun.

Like a lot of the recent thrash metal releases, this is an album that taps into the inherent humour of heavy metal. Musically speaking though it is far more similar to the likes of Turisas and Ensiferum, accordions and violins fighting for space alongside the galloping drums and hefty crunch of the power chords. Given that most of the songs revolve around drinking or violence the connection can also be seen in the lyrics, but then what are Pirates but Vikings in the tropic of cancer?

Belay that order ye dogs!

If this gives the impression that Alestorm are plagiarising established bands and changing the lyrical subject slightly, it wouldn't be entirely inaccurate but these four Scottish brigands cram so much personality into their work it doesn't really matter. Taking the anti-establishment ethos of Piracy and applying it to heavy metal fits so well it raises the question why hardly anybody else is doing it?

Opening track Over The Seas for instance is an unstoppable juggernaut of an introduction. Hurtling past at just under four minutes, it is then followed by the ridiculously catchy title song, a dark tale of high seas damnation that somehow manages to banish rather than beckon the gathering shadows. Elsewhere, Death Before The Mast is destined to be a mosh pit favourite while the frankly ridiculous Wenches And Mead is so intoxicating they should have put an alcohol percentage label on the inlay.

Avast me hearties, yo ho!

There isn't much room for inward thinking and sensitive balladry here, but even so they do a sterling job working the light and shade. Nancy The Tavern Wench is more evenly paced than the rest of the tracks, while the acoustic Of Treasure showcases the folk influences. The album doesn't feel disjointed though because even the slower songs are over the top, blending in with the likes of Terror On The High Seas and leaving no room for any filler material.

As the most notable 'Pirate-Metal' band since Running Wild, Alestorm are almost certainly going to be heralded as ambassadors of this rather underpopulated subgenre. Captain Morgan's Revenge might be cheesier than Edam, but it is guaranteed to be a favourite at many a raucous headbanger party. Viking metal fans, it's time for a trip to the Carribean.

The real Captain Morgan looked nothing like this

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