Metal Mondays: Alestorm

Yarr, there be pirate metal aboard!

YARRRR- wait, what?

Alestorm
Genre: Pirate Metal
Country: Scotland

Alestorm, the one and only True Scottish Pirate Metal band has made quite an impact in the relatively short time since their debut. They were formed in 2004 under the name Battleheart and released their first official record under the name Alestorm in 2008. After Captain Morgan's Revenge, Black Sails at Midnight and Back Through Time have followed. And already, the band is prepping for their first ever headlining festival.

Those crazy pirates.

Alestorm's music is unique in the sense that it's hilarious the first time, but as you continue to listen to it, there's a good musical backing as opposed to the music just being there for cheap laughs. Their lyrics range from grand adventures to just getting drunk. The songs do a good job of not breaking the pirate theme (besides maybe Scraping the Barrel, but that song's pretty awesome in its own right) so you always feel like a swashbuckler listening to an Alestorm album. The only thing I'd like to see more of is for the band to dive deeper into pirate lore. As countless movies and games have shown, there's a lot of pirate stuff to be explored. I did enjoy Back Through Time though, as it felt like the band responding to the current metal scene (viking metal specifically) and of course Swashbuckled served as a great call out to Swashbuckle. They have the unique spot of being one of the only pirate metal bands in existence (though there are finally some other bands catching on to the idea) so I think Alestorm should embrace it more.

Alestorm is also the only band I've seen live more than once. This Wednesday will be my third time seeing them in concert. Maybe I'll even finally get a t-shirt. The first time I saw them was one of my first concerts, so I didn't even bring enough money for merch. The second time they had completely sold out the day before. Hopefully the third time's the charm.

Speaking of seeing Alestorm live, they are a great live band. For some reason, they're the only band for which I know practically every word of every song. No matter what they play, I'll be singing along. Even driving in my car I sing along whenever I decide to play Back Through Time. The band itself is just so much fun. And I'm not the only one. The entire crowd goes crazy whenever Alestorm rolls through town. From every single person singing Nancy the Tavern Wench to a giant mosh pit erupting during Back Through Time, it's always a great time. I just wish they'd play Heavy Metal Pirates once! I think it would be an amazing live song.

Nothing needs to be said about this poster.

I definitely have a lot of Alestorm memories, as they keep coming to me as I'm writing. Chris Bowes is a great guy. He really knows how to keep a crowd entertained. He always has some joke to say in between songs or he just plays some catchy riff on his keytar. The first time I saw them, he even played for a good minute because the guitarist was having technical difficulties that the crew was fixing. Then there's Dani Evans who always always jumps off stage right when the band has finished their set and walks through the crowd to the bar. Once he has a drink in his hands, he takes the time to interact with fans, signing things or just talking to people. It's great to see a band that likes its fans so much. Chris Bowes also happens to be a part of a little band called Gloryhammer, who, as some of you may remember, linked to my blog on their Facebook page. These guys are pretty awesome.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this great band again this Wednesday. It's always a good time when Alestorm is in town!

-Zombie Viking