According to Napalm Records we should be looking to find the following on Sunset of the Golden Age, "Catchy songs with an abundance of parrots and eye patches showcases the piratical life on the seven seas. A real treasure for pirates and rum-loving landlubbers!" Much of that gumph accurately describes both this and the rest of Alestorm's output, catchy songs and an in-no-way-like-Running Wild love of all things High Seas. The problem facing the band has been somewhat of a law of diminishing returns. The debut album Captain Morgan's Revenge was just magnificent, Black Sails at Midnight treaded water somewhat other than the rather wonderful "Keelhauled" (and the best song on the album was a cover of "Wolves of the Sea")whilst Back Through Time was thoroughly disappointing (again the most memorable songs were covers.) At this point Alestorm mainman Christopher Bowes went away and made the fabulous Tales from the Kingdom of Fife with his side band Gloryhammer and found his mojo again.
Clearly there is such a thing as n Alestorm formula, i.e. singing about being a pirate over the top of keyboard-driven power metal but this time around the songs are at their best since the first album. Yes, some of them are cliché-ridden but if there's a catchier song released in 2014 than "Drink" then erm…it's "Hangover" but you get what I'm saying. "Magnetic North" is exactly the sort of feelgood fist puncher that is required in these times of austerity and even has a death metal break down in the mid-section. The real plus is the lack of pointless, crappy cover versions in what is Alestorm's beat record for many moons.
Track Listing: 1. Walk the Plank
2. Drink
3. Magnetic North
4. 1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)
5. Mead From Hell
6. Surf Squid Warfare
7. Quest for Ships
8. Wooden Leg!
9. Hangover
10. Sunset on the Golden Age
Added: August 3rd 2014 Reviewer:Simon Bray Score: Related Link:Band Website Hits: 2247 Language: english
Alestorm: Sunset on the Golden Age Posted by Scott Jessup, SoT Staff Writer on 2014-08-03 00:06:30 My Score: I can't remember the last time I had so much fun listening to a metal release as I do with this new release from Alestorm. Now with four albums and one live recording to their name the folk/power metal group have more than proved that they have plenty in the tank, especially when Sunset Of The Golden Age is overall Alestorm's most compelling album to date. So the topics of choice are once again those of high seas adventure and booze as it seems you can never have enough alcohol when you're a pirate, and even when you think you have well you just make room for more.
Alestorm begin with a rather heavy tune "Walk The Plank" as the drums are driving hard and the riffs are potent and inviting. "Drink" would have to be one of Alestorm's finest songs to date, showing they aren't a bunch of pirate metal pussies this is another powerful tune. "Magnetic North" and "1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)" are more fine examples of what Alestorm does so well combining that traditional sound of a time long past with their modern metal, these buoyant tunes are sure to be hits with fans. "1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)" also has some on the darkest vocal inclusions to appear on a Alestorm track. "Hangover" is not only many a pirate's regular companion it's Alestorm taking the original song by Taio Cruz and converting it into something more suited to their style, and with some of the most outrageously funny lyrics (gotta love the pirate rap section) this song is so addictive. The title track "Sunset On The Golden Age" is also the album's epic chocked full of Alestorm goodness. The special edition bonus disc titled Rumplugged features four acoustic versions of earlier Alestorm tracks, which adapt very well and are most enjoyable. But wait there's more with one new song Questing Upon The Poop Deck which is quite good but well placed as an extra.
Every track's a winner on this here album, so the talented crew of Alestorm aren't running low on that pirate inspiration after three previous full length recordings. Now with Sunset Of The Golden Age they have released one of most likeable metal albums of 2014, a top ten contender to be sure.
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According to Napalm Records we should be looking to find the following on Sunset of the Golden Age, "Catchy songs with an abundance of parrots and eye patches showcases the piratical life on the seven seas. A real treasure for pirates and rum-loving landlubbers!" Much of that gumph accurately describes both this and the rest of Alestorm's output, catchy songs and an in-no-way-like-Running Wild love of all things High Seas. The problem facing the band has been somewhat of a law of diminishing returns. The debut album Captain Morgan's Revenge was just magnificent, Black Sails at Midnight treaded water somewhat other than the rather wonderful "Keelhauled" (and the best song on the album was a cover of "Wolves of the Sea")whilst Back Through Time was thoroughly disappointing (again the most memorable songs were covers.) At this point Alestorm mainman Christopher Bowes went away and made the fabulous Tales from the Kingdom of Fife with his side band Gloryhammer and found his mojo again.
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