Album Review
Alestorm - Back Through TimeAlestorm – Back Through Time

Pirate metal was a novelty genre that I didn’t see surviving very long at all, or so I thought; Scottish lads Alestorm are the band that I feel really brought the style into the limelight in recent times as well as push it to the extreme. Even though in my opinion they are the best pirate metal band on the scene, after the release of debut album “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” I was struggling to see where they could take their sound next and when follow up release “Black Sails at Midnight” hit the stores I found myself a little disappointed, whilst the album wasn’t bad it trailed far behind “Captain Morgan’s Revenge”.

The thing with the debut album was that the novelty alone was enough to ensure its success but not only that, “Over the Sea’s” to this day I think is the most pirate-esque song in existence which gave it the authenticity as well, the follow up though I feel that they just strung together whatever resembled the pirate cliché and some of the lyrics were pure and simply cringe worthy. This new release though really brings the high octane metal like never before as opener “Back Through Time” shows opening up with some dialogue and then fast paced technical skill leading off into some chunky riffs, “Shipwrecked” follows on with the same thick metal style but with a very catchy chorus line. That seems to be the general consensus for this album; its heavier, catchier and more upbeat than “Black Sails at Midnight”.

“Sunk’n Norweigion” as well always brings a smile to my face with the chorus line “One more drink at the Sunk’n Norwegian, One more drink before we have to die” and “Midget Saw” which is absolutely hilarious. This album I think is the perfect utilisation of the comical novelty and actual technical skill, “Scraping the Barrel” as well address people like me who assumed they would be a one hit wonder, “Many have told us that we can’t go on, that one day we’ll run out of lyrics for songs, but when the time comes to write album four, we’ll scrape out the barrel once more” which in all fairness is fair play to them. I have complete faith after hearing this album though that they will indeed keep finding themes and lyrics for songs for years to come and if they keep the quality at this level then there isn’t really anything stopping them from having a very long successful career.

4/5

Review by James Webb
 Band Members
Alestorm- Band
Gavin Harper
Tim Shaw
Doug Swierczek
Alex Tabisz
Ian Wilson
 Track Listing
1. Back Through Time
2. Shipwrecked
3. The Sunk’n Norwegian
4. Midgit Saw
5. Buckfast Powersmash
6. Scraping the Barrel
7. Rum
8. Swashbuckled
9. Rumpelkombo
10. Barrett’s Privateers
11. Death Throes of the Terrorsquid
12. I am a Cider Drinker (Bonus Track)
13. You are a Pirate (Bonus Track)
 Band Related Links
Alestorm Facebook
 Review Score Code
- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
- What Was That?