Sound: What is more fun that pirate-themed power metal? Absolutely nothing! On Black Sails at Midnight, Alestorm mug it up, employing soaring keyboards, noodly, galloping power riffs and of course, lyrics about high seas pursuits. Taking sonic cues from DragonForce and Hammerfall, Alestorm put the fun back in melodic metal without sacrificing speed or sonic integrity, which is no easy task. At times, songs like “The Quest” and “That Famous Ol’ Spiced” might seem a little hokey or playing too hard for laughs, but if you put aside expectations and your possibly elitist nature, Black Sails at Midnight is impossible to dislike. It’s an easy record to love, whether you are a metal fan or not. But if you do indeed love metal, embrace the riffs, the gruff, talk-sing vocals and the abundance of upbeat keyboards that exist in this album of folky, pirate power metal! Ay ay, cap’n! // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Lyrics exist to tell a story. Somewhere along the time, over the years, lyrics haven’t meant as much as they used to, especially in metal. There’s no middle ground, with bands having either fantastic or below-average, generic lyrics. With Alestorm and Black Sails at Midnight, lyrics are the most crucial element in the equation and they become the focal point of the songs. “That Famous Ol’ Spiced” could be your new Friday night poundin’ beers anthem, while “Keelhauled” will transport you dockside on a port in the late 1800s! You will want to pick up a sword, hope on a steed and pump you fist in the air while singing along and tapping your toes to these silly but instantly likeable metal madrigals. // 10
Impression: It’d be easy to dismiss Alestorm as a one-trick pony and a joke metal band if the music wasn’t so decently played and glazed with a medieval vibe that lots of metal fans enjoy. There is most certainly a place for humor in heavy metal and Alestorm make the most of that quality. Black Sails at Midnight certainly sounds like it came from another era and Alestorm do their best to conjure a specific sound. So go ahead, we dare you to walk the plank with a bottle of rum and to sing “Yo ho ho” in the process. If you can’t have fun while cranking “No Quarter” and “Chronicles of Vengeance,” then you must have lost your pulse a long time ago and there’s no retrieving it. Ahoy, matey! // 9
- Amy Sciarretto (c) 2012
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A360P.
cant believe Metal Hammer only gave it a 7