10 years ago, it all started when some dudes from Scotland decided to create a new brand of metal that was perfected. We have Amon Amarth, who are the pioneers of Viking metal, Wolfheart, who are the pioneers of Winter metal, and now we have Alestorm, who have perfected the combination of old pub drinking songs, with swashbuckling tales, and a whole lot of metal to dub it “pirate metal”, as they have revisited the 10th Anniversary of their groundbreaking record “Captain Morgan’s Revenge”, which was released on January 26th via Napalm Records.
Producer Lasse Lammert revisited and remastered this underground cult classic by making “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” sound more crisp, more fresh, while also repackaging the CD by providing some incredible artwork that will cause pirate lovers to do the hempen jig everywhere!
The title track “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” takes the concept of an old Irish/Scottish pub drinking song and adding a whole lot of metal to it. It’s plain to see why this song is such a cult classic, it has the catchy chorus that is necessary to make it feel like a modern twist of an old pub drinking song. The opening track “Over The Seas” is what immediately makes Alestorm incredibly unique in their music. The storytelling of the lyrics of the days of pirates and exploration are simply uncanny as it takes the listener on an odyssey of what pirates went through to satisfy their lust of gold and to capture that obsession of obtaining all kinds of treasure. The absolute standout tracks are “Nancy The Tavern Wench” and “Set Sail And Conquer”.
“Nancy The Tavern Wench” offers that modernized take of what could sound like an old pub drinking song. The tale is pretty tongue-in-cheek, yet it captures the imagination of the listener when the listener thinks of the Age of Exploration, along with pirate life and the life of a wench that the pirates lust after. “Set Sail And Conquer” sounds like that rock anthem for pirates, it strangely has that take no prisoners attitude while having a tongue-in-cheek approach to the song.
This album is incredibly addictive! Not only is “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” an incredibly fun and infectious listen, but it captures the imagination of history coming to life while having that tongue-in-cheek approach to the music. It is plain to see why Alestorm is at the top of their game right now, it’s because the music is lighthearted and incredibly fun. Madness To Creation gives this album a 9 out of 10 star rating! Check out the track listing below!
- Over The Seas
- Captain Morgan’s Revenge
- The Huntmaster
- Nancy The Tavern Wench
- Death Before The Mast
- Terror On The High Seas
- Set Sail And Conquer
- Of Treasure
- Wenches & Mead
- Flower Of Scotland
Check out the lyric video to “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” below!
Alestorm will be touring the U.K. and Ireland in support of the 10th Anniversary Edition of “Captain Morgan’s Revenge”. Rumahoy and The Dread Crew Of Oddwood are slated to provide direct support for Alestorm on this tour! Check out the tour dates below!
