Alestorm - Captain Morgan's Revenge review
| Band: | Alestorm |
| Album: | Captain Morgan's Revenge |
| Style: | Folk metal, Power metal |
| Release date: | January 2008 |
01. Over The Seas
02. Captain Morgan's Revenge
03. The Huntmaster
04. Nancy The Tavern Wench
05. Death Before The Mast
06. Terror On The High Seas
07. Set Sail And Conquer
08. Of Treasure
09. Wenches & Mead
10. Flower Of Scotland [The Corries cover]
Alright! Finally a concept band that steps away from the cliché Viking metal theme. A theme that has scarcely been shown since Running Wild, but unfortunately, Alestorm is no Running Wild.
The album opens up with no warning, trumpets and chugging guitars right from the start. Sounds like some epic fun right? Well, yes, if you are six years old. This album is about as predictable and unbearably cheesy as one band can be. First of all, the keyboards do create the sound the band was probably trying to achieve but it just becomes patronizing. We understand, you are pirates, now lay off the overused hooks with accordion synthesizers. As far as the guitars go, there is very little to say, 90% of the time they are so deeply buried by overproduced trumpet or accordion synthesizers they seem to be there just to make the sound a little beefier, or so the album doesn't get mistaken for the "Muppet Treasure Island" soundtrack. The overall song structure is the predictable part, I don't think there is a single riff on this album I haven't heard somewhere else. Lastly lets take a look at these lyrics; icing on the cheesecake. For the most part, these lyrics are (like a lot of other aspects of the album) completely predictable, most songs being dominated by stupidly facile rhymes like these: "There lived one man who was true/ Guardian of secrets that only he knew/Condemned for a crime that he did not commit/ Sentenced to die in the depths of the pit".
The album is not entirely bad though. There are two songs on the album that I actually enjoyed, mostly because they weren't entirely smothered in synthesizers. The first of these two songs being 'Death before the Mast' - which has a very nice build-up starting with just bass & drums, then guitars and vocals coming in in a solid pumping rhythm, a good sound that is carried out throughout the song while actually being balanced out with the synthesizers. The second decent song is 'Terror On The High Seas' - this song has a neat little drum intro before a decent chugging intro riff with a cool solo layered over top comes in, once again balancing the synthesizers out nicely through the entire song. That sums up the good part of the album.
This album partially bothers me because all the musicians seem to have great skill but unfortunately being a novelty band is a dead-end road, I can't imagine them successfully repeating this for three or four albums, or offer much change without dropping the gimmick.
I highly recommend against this album unless you can stomach heavy synthesizers, boring guitars and childish lyrics.
Comments
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8662 From: Czech Republic  |
thumb down for this review from Alestorm lover  
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Posts: 3523 From: USA  |
 I have to say, you've expressed my thoughts exactly on this album. Yes, I can listen to it from beginning to end, but it's more a joke than it is something I can take seriously. I guess they'd be a good opening act though on tour... But I get this feeling that the whole pirate thing is not genuine, and an all-out marketing campaign to get attention. Good rating as well.
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| Shadowcross The Summoner Posts: 481 From: Australia  |
I think they pull it off... it does make me laugh and it's a nice change from the power metal norm. Wenches and mead is a great song!!
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| Daggon Underpaid M.D. Posts: 1689 From: Mexico  |
I like this album, many vikings and nordic gods out there, maybe some pirate stuff can stand a chance this days, thumb down of this review, who cares, if you want to listen to this album do it, if you didn't like it who cares.
---- "Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada  |
Written by Daggon on 13.05.2008 at 06:49 If that were true every review on this site would be a 9.9/10.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Daggon Underpaid M.D. Posts: 1689 From: Mexico |
Written by Doc G. on 22.05.2008 at 03:50 jeje, well that's true jaja thanks, I just don't like too much reviews, I don't know why I still read them jeje, but everyone has a different opinion and that's great. Well maybe I must stop reading reviews :p
---- "Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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| Ghost Blader Posts: 6 From: Israel  |
I think these guys are awsome and i don't care what you say, it's WAY better than Manowar!:banger2: 
---- For all the Ones, Who seek their "Dawn", My Wrath i Breed, My Wrath i Spawn!
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden  |
Way too cheesy for my tastes... The idea is cool, but it's badly played.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Abattoir Posts: 3629 From: Slovenia  |
Well, the beginnig, or more excatly, the first three maybe four songs aren't so bad...the rest of it is so so.
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| Necrogeddon Born Too Late Posts: 730 From: UK  |
well i enjoy it...i think music can be too serious sometimes, and its nice to have some bands that can dress up as pirates and sing about wenches and mead 
---- 'I wish you all had one neck and that I had my hands on it.'
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| Janne Hugin Posts: 1721 From: Hungary  |
It's a very interesting album. Half of the songs are great(Captain Morgan's Revenge, Set Sail And Conquer, Wenches And Meat...) but there are some songs which are not really good(Death Before The Mast, Teror On The High Seas). by the way I like this music maybe because it's easy to listen to it.
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada |
Written by Janne on 05.08.2008 at 00:00 Funny, your 2 least favorite songs were the only 2 that werent completely drowned in keyboard synths.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Janne Hugin Posts: 1721 From: Hungary |
I don't really like the voice of the synths in Alestrom... It would be better if they used a real accordion!
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955 From: Brazil  |
Very nice band, good to hear at any time.. doesnt matter if its cheesy, or the lyrics are childish (who cares about this?!) all that i know is that i have fun listen to this album. Has an original theme (i love this kind of folk, one of the few kinds who arent tribal), an ok vocal, and a descent sound... good enough.. 8/10 reminds me of One Piece... good songs for Amv's... 
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Jonnz of Steel Posts: 119 From: UK  |
I prefared the Battleheart EPs as well. I love the songs, but for some reason the album just loses the fun carelessness of the EPs. It sounds to professional and loses Battleheart's origional soul...
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| Janne Hugin Posts: 1721 From: Hungary |
Written by Jonnz of Steel on 23.09.2008 at 00:28 Yeah it sounds differently than the EPs. I like both old and new sound. but their Korpiklaani cover kicks ass!
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| Jonnz of Steel Posts: 119 From: UK |
Written by Janne on 23.09.2008 at 13:38 Yeah man that fucking slayed! Their instrumental No Quarter was pretty awesome as well, shame those two songs have disapeared since the name change...
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| Janne Hugin Posts: 1721 From: Hungary |
Written by Jonnz of Steel on 23.09.2008 at 16:13 maybe they will release these songs (also the intro in Battleheart (The Glorious Battle) which is awesome too) later. They also released the song Heavy Metal Pirates on a single this year! Let's hope!
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada |
Written by Guest on 07.10.2008 at 00:12 Moon, spoon, june. That sums up this album, I suggest finding out what that phrase means.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada |
Written by Guest on 07.10.2008 at 08:17 Well, I actually own the CD, and yes, I have read through the lyrics. By moon spoon june I don't necessarily mean random, but yes, I mean facile rhymes with meaningless lyrics, like poetry written by a fourth grader. I posted a nice example in the review itself, perhaps you just looked at the rating instead of actually reading the review? Speaking of which, I have fully explained all my problems with the album, you just seemed to argue against my review with some self righteous belief that you have some profound understanding of the album that I lack, which is funny considering what a shallow album it is. You have yet to even give one actual reason why my review is crap, the opinion of the review can neither be right or wrong, but lack of evidence to support those opinions is what makes a review crap, and once again, I explained myself well.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| necrovamp Posts: 424 From: UK  |
their ok as a fun thing to listen to about once a year apart from that they are really bad and their lyrics sound like i wrote them lol. i agree witht he rating. though they were fun to watch at boa and the singers quite amusing.
---- 'I'd rather die than go to heaven' - Murderface
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Guest on 07.10.2008 at 00:12 It says SONGwriting... not lyricswriting... It has nothing to do with the lyrics.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Scottgun Posts: 39 From: USA  |
I'm willing to grant them a one album gimme as a head-clearing exercise to get all the pirate clichés out of their system. Hopefully, they will go on to put out some substantial music and be more than a novelty act.
----  Whenever a musician is interested in self-expression you know it's gonna suck--Robert Fripp
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Guest on 08.10.2008 at 22:49 You can take it as you wish. I have seen some reviews here of albums that lacks lyrics... at all. And still have good points of songwriting... Why? Because at least most of us think that feeling the music is more interesting than good lyrics. Examples? A lot of death metal bands with childish lyrics about raping someone and the music is still crushing, that's why people put some good points on songwriting. In this special case... it's not wroth complaing anything, because both the lyrics and the songs's structure are something that I can easily forget. But that's off course my opinion. But Doc. already explained why he wrote the review with reasons that are more than enough... You can always write your own. Written by Guest on 08.10.2008 at 22:56 Here are we again... different opinions. I respect yours, you can do the same as well since I can't enjoy their lyrics and music, Am I too serious? Maybe... but how the heck cares anyway.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Posts: 9718 From: Canada |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 09.10.2008 at 00:11 I care, because the same kind of mentality could be said for movies; "Why don't like The Barney movie? Its all about having fun and its cheesy so you can't not enjoy it" (<- sweet, double negative!)
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Doc G. on 17.10.2008 at 03:18 O well, that's true. But what I wanted to say is that we don't get anything if we complain. Since there are still some people who like mega-chessy stuff like this one.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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