Band: Alestorm
Album title: Back To Time
Label: Napalm Records
Distributor: Rough Trade Benelux
Release date: 03/06/2011
Release: CD

Yarrrrrr mateys, I’m here to talk about Alestorm, a folk metal band from Scotland. Their music is characterized by a pirate theme they use very intensely (not only in their music, but the way they dress), and as a result have been dubbed a Pirate metal band. The band formed under the name Battleheart in 2004. After releasing two EP’s, they got a record deal and signed with Napalm Records in 2007 and renamed the band to Alestorm. Their debut album was released on 25 January 2008.

Because this was something new and fresh, and came out around the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies (although their music doesn’t tell about this movies), they quickly rose from the underground and got more and more popular each day. But then again, who doesn’t like songs about alcohol, beautiful women and letting people walk the plank. The band's third album Back Through Time, was released last month in June. The combination of influences from heavy metal with thrash metal and folk tunes and tales of piracy can make everybody happy, joyfully and start a party (or at least a mutiny) and this new album is no exception to that.

The thing is, this is a nice change instead of hearing another folk/Viking/pagan metal band. This is original and actually filled up with musicianship to applaud to.

83/100

Jeroen.