Altsounds - Alestorm - Black Sails At Midnight [Album]

This review is the second in a four part series of recent releases off the Napalm/SPV label.

With the buzz around Pirates Of The Caribbean still fresh in everyone’s mind last year the timing of Alestorm’s first album Captain Morgan’s Revenge was pretty much bang on the money with a good reception both commercially and critically in metal circles.

The question was with this 2nd album being released only a year later along with line up changes could this trend continue?

In a manner of speaking it has with more focus on the influences shown by more recent bands such as Turisas and more focus on the grand epicness portrayed through the combination of the usual ingredients: guitar, drums and keyboard.

The mythology though now is expanded on drinking rum or mead and finding treasure with a look into pirate legends such as the track Leviathan and a reference to Treasure Island with the track Chronicles Of Vengeance.

For those of you who just want to stick to the drinking and treasure lyrics though don’t fret as tracks such as ‘That famous Ol’ Spiced and ‘Wolves Of The Sea’ (a reinterpretation of the folk song Pirates Of The Sea) will satisfy that quota for you!

I will admit that the album is only for a fan of the last album so start with Alestorm’s debut if you haven’t already.

The album itself though is a fun escapist style album with a DVD of their Wacken 2008 performance included (but not on the promo copy I have, although retail versions miss out on possibly one of the strangest things I’ve heard which is the you are listening to voice done in-character pirate mode with a ‘Yarrgh’ now and again!) so if you are a fan it is recommended!