Alestorm – No Grave But The Sea

[schema type=”review” name=”Alestorm – No Grave But The Sea” description=”Label: Napalm Records” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”2017-05-26″ ]

Alestorm is the first (and probably the only) name that comes to mind when we are talking about pirate metal, rum and partying. Hailing from Scotland, this pirate metal band has been delivering some fun folk metal ever since they were formed in 2004. The band has released 5 studio albums so far with the latest album “No Grave But The Sea” which is released this month!

As expected, this record is definitely the one to cheer you up. With Alestorm, it’s always a matter of partying, alcohol and folk-ish tunes. I gotta admit that although their previous records did not catch my attention that much, this one definitely got me interested and stayed in my mind. The folk-ish tunes mixed with that bombastic modern power metal sound form the highlight of the record. This is surely one of the reasons why this band is even better live; I remember having seem them 1-2 times and they never disappointed and I can definitely see these songs working well in the live shows. Just like any other Alestorm song, the songs are great to sing along, dance and drink to… and I am sure this is what the guys want us to do.

One aspect to criticize when it comes to bands like Alestorm is the genre of ‘folk metal’ or the concept of ‘pirate metal’ being repeated over and over again in albums. If you are the typical folk metal fan who is fond of Alestorm and similar bands, listening to a record like this will be no problem but if you are looking for diversity, then surely a band like Alestorm will become repetitive with each album. That’s why the band probably decided to spice it up a bit and offer limited edition versions of the album featuring a rubber duck… and the Mediabook Bonus CD edition with each song “for dogs”…. for real! That should be one of the many reasons why Alestorm is one of ‘those’ bands who should and should not be taken seriously. Yes, the music might be repetitive but I gotta admit that these guys always cheer me up and make me laugh!

If you wanna party and cheer up, “No Grave But The Sea” is the record for you! I might not be the passionate folk metal fan like I used to be but kudos to these guys for keeping the folk metal spirit alive and making us laugh! Go get the record and catch the band live!

Highlights: No Grave But The Sea, Mexico, Alestorm 

Line-up:
Christopher Bowes – vocals & keytar
Máté Bodor – guitars
Gareth Murdock – bass
Elliot Vernon – keyboards, tin whistles & vocals
Peter Alcorn – drums

Tracklist: 1. No Grave But The Sea 2. Mexico 3. To the End of the World 4. Alestorm 5. Bar ünd Imbiss 6. Fucked with an Anchor 7. Pegleg Potion 8. Man the Pumps 9. Rage of the Pentahook 10. Treasure Island

Links:
Alestorm Official
Alestorm Facebook