ALESTORM

Not many bands employ pirate themes in their work. The most well-known are, of course, Running Wild, led by Rock 'n' Rolf. And now it seems Scotland has produced yet another group of enthusiasts for that atmosphere we all remember from the novels of Stevenson, Sabatini, Salgari, and others. These rowdy Highlanders took power metal as their foundation, added a generous dose of choral arrangements for atmosphere, and unobtrusively worked in some folk elements. The result is a dyed-in-the-wool pirate metal album. I'm about to say something heretical, but the Scots' debut is more "pirate" to a greater degree than any Running Wild album. How is this achieved? There's no single answer. It's the sum of everything -- the excellent raspy vocals of Christopher Bowes (who also wrote most of the album's songs), those rollicking choral sing-alongs, and the solid rhythm section -- not extravagant, but properly constructed. And the tavern folk masterpiece "Nancy The Tavern Wench" is simply indescribable -- you just have to hear it. Naturally, the debut couldn't come without flaws -- among them, the weak middle section of the album, which includes a couple of tracks whose relative lack of melody disrupts the otherwise cohesive picture. But let's not dwell on that -- before us is an excellent, thoroughly pirate album that demands to be heard. As for the band, I'd like to wish them two things: first, don't abandon the nautical theme, and second, don't lower the bar.