I made a minor departure from my usual album
selection methods this time around. Ordinarily I review either a random album
or an album selected (randomly or otherwise) from the ‘new to me’ section of my
collection. When I see a live show, this latter approach usually allows me to
review the album the band is touring to support at the same time as I review
the show.
This next album is the band’s most recent, but
it came out in 2017 and long ago it went into the main stacks since the band
never came to town when it was ‘new to me’. So I granted myself a little
deviation – some common law if you will – from the selection method and pulled
down their most recent record. The result is a review of both their studio
efforts and their recent show. First, the album but scroll down for the concert
review.
Disc 1317 is… No Grave But The Sea
Artist:
Alestorm
Year of Release: 2017
What’s up with the
Cover?
Metal albums are generally the best for cover art, and Alestorm is one of the
best. Here we have a skeletal pirate, refusing to rest easy in his watery
grave. Some less animated skeletons are behind him as well as a chest full of
precious booty, but I suspect he won’t be parting with it easily. The treasure,
that is. Maybe the skeletons too, assuming he values their company.
How I Came to Know
It: For the last year or two
I’ve been exploring a sub-genre of heavy metal called ‘folk metal’. I stumbled
upon Alestorm while on this journey.
How It Stacks Up: Alestorm has five albums, of which I have two;
this one and 2014’s “Sunset on the Golden Age.” I’m on the lookout for two
more, but for now I rank “No Grave But The Sea” as the best.
Ratings: 4 stars
There is a moment in Monty Python’s Life of
Brian where in order for Brian to join the People’s Front of Judea he has
to really hate the Romans. Well, in order for you to enjoy “No Grave but
the Sea” you have to really like songs about pirates. Because Alestorm
sings songs about pirates a lot.
If you’ve
never encountered Alestorm, they are a bunch of guys who perform songs that are
a blend of Celtic folk-rock music and European power metal. Think Dropkick
Murphys crossed with Iron Maiden. It is infectious, anthemic, fist-pumping fun.
The songs jump and thump along, driven by lead
singer (and keytar player) Christopher Bowes who is also the principle
songwriter. Bowes has a barroom growl to his vocals and his Scottish accent rolls
along with the perfect amount of “yo-ho-yo” that these songs call for. The rest
of the band pitch in and there is plenty of unison singing where called for
(which is often).
The keytar plays the role of both violin and
bagpipes and any other Celtic instrument you might need. The band grounds this
delightful tomfoolery with the snap of some grade A heavy metal drumming and the
soar and precision necessary for any power metal to be successful.
On earlier records (which are also pretty much
entirely about pirate themes) Alestorm is a bit heavier, but with “No Grave But
the Sea” they deliver their most melodic and accessible record. This doesn’t
take away from any of its power; songs like “Alestorm” and “Treasure
Island” both have serious ferocity in them. It is just that the Celtic
melodies are artfully employed to give that ferocity layers and dynamics.
But surely the songs couldn’t all be
about pirates. Well, assuming you associate pirates with sea battles, looting,
plundering and drinking then…yes, they are all about pirates. Just reading that
you might be inclined to dismiss Alestorm, or think you’ll tire of hearing that
many songs about the same thing. I beseech you not to do this, because this stuff
is a very good time.
On “Alestorm” (yes, they do a song
named after themselves) they deliver their manifesto with full unison braggadocio
on display:
“Rum, beer, quests and mead
These are the things that a
pirate needs
Raise the flag, and let’s set sail
Under the sign of the storm of
ale.”
Other songs are variations on the theme. “Bar
Und Imbiss” features the band entering a tavern to eat sausages, drink beers,
shoot, plunder and run off with the proprietor’s wife. “Mexico” unconscionably
rhymes “the alcohol is free” with a “the alcohol is free.” You forgive
it because it is evident the excess is deliberate.
Nothing compares, however, with the full-blown
combination of vulgarity and bombast that is “Fucked with an Anchor.”
This one is a rare pleasure, and while my own propriety forestalls me from
quoting the exceptionally rude lyrics, I will give full points for the creative
rhyming of “anchor” and “wanker” the song manages.
If you don’t mind vulgarity (by which I mean
you don’t mind it a lot) then I encourage you to give the song a listen
and have a good laugh. If that sort of thing offends you then consider this
your trigger warning.
In addition to being some of the best writing the
band’s managed over their five full length records, “No Grave But the Sea” is
also easily Alestorm’s most well produced record. It is sharp and clear
throughout but never losing the energy that makes the band work. It has the
energy of a live record, and the crispness of the studio wrapped up in one
tight little package.
I’d be tempted to give this record five stars,
but honestly, what did I learn about myself? I already liked pirates.
Best tracks: No Grave but The Sea, Mexico, Alestorm, Fucked with
An Anchor, Treasure Island
The Concert: November 17, 2019
at the Upstairs Lounge, Victoria, BC
My first challenge on deciding to go a power
metal show on a Sunday night was what to wear. Ordinarily you don’t want to get
fancy for a metal concert. Jeans and a tour shirt of either the band you’re
seeing or something in the same genre, and that’s it. With Alestorm I had a
funny feeling it might be a bit more extravagant, so I risked skin-tight zipper
pants with my lace up boots on the outside. And a shirt from the Iron Maiden
tour I saw earlier in the year – can’t get too crazy.
Apparently you can, because while most people
stuck with jeans, tour shirts and leather, there were a goodly number of people
in full pirate regalia. One guy even came in a shark onesie. As we waited to
get in, one pirate even went up and down the line giving out party favours. “Who
wants a pirate hat? Who wants an eye patch?” God love the enthusiasm of the
metal community.
Scimitar
Before we even got in, the first of two opening
acts, Scimitar, was already playing. This was a good sign, because it meant the
show would start on time, rather than the old trick of driving the audience to
drink before any entertainment begins.
The band, which is a local Victoria product,
were also excellent. They played tight and the lead singer held a commanding
presence on the stage. If you’ll pardon the pun, Scimitar was very much in Alestorm’s
wheelhouse, mixing folk melodies with power metal, with a bit of black metal
thump thrown in. They were good, and I’m going to check them out further in
coming days.
During Scimitar’s show the mosh pit got going
very early with some seriously big dudes seriously shoving each other around
for fun. I demurred, being both too small and too old for that particular mosh
pit. Horns up and rock out and all that, but even pirates flee a superior
force.
I chose the path of discretion – and also a
pretty good spot to see the show on a raised dais. Good sightlines in Upstairs
are rare, and even worse since they reconfigured the place a few years ago. It
is disappointing, because it used to be one of my favourite venues for live
shows because of both the sound quality and the set up. Now it is the law of
the jungle trying to find a good – and safe – place to see the band. More on
that later.
Scimitar also gave voice to why the merch
table behind my perch looked so bare. It was the tour’s last stop in North
America and all of the merch for both Aephanemer and Alestorm were sold out.
This lack of merch at Victoria shows has fast
become one of my pet peeves, and I’m beginning to suspect a conspiracy of bands
that would rather not ship an extra box over to Vancouver Island. Plus, I
really wanted an Alestorm tour shirt, damn it.
Aephanemer
Back to the show, where the next band up was
French melodic death metal crossover Aephanemer. Their name is a combination of
French words that mean “ephemeral” and “wilted” and besides that, just sounds cool.
So did the band. Frontwoman Marion Bascoul was
awesome, growling away with power and menace even as she flashed a toothy smile
that let you know that, yes, she too was having a great time.
In fact, Aephanemer had a great positive
energy to go with all that furious energy, and lead guitarist Martin Hamiche
could really wail on the solos.
Alestorm
After a slightly longer-than-reasonable delay
(and two rousing chants from waiting fans of “Alestorm! Alestorm!)
Alestorm took the stage.
There are some bands where you get pretty much
what you expected, and Alestorm is one of them. These guys are basically a moveable
party that brings their own soundtrack. One band member had a hat reading “Oh
Wow” and another wore a tank top with giant letters admonishing the crowd
to “Get the Fack Up”. The crowd obliged.
Most importantly, the band could play. They
were crisp and tight, and the songs sounded just like the album except with a
bit of extra oomph. A couple of times it felt like the vocals were a bit low in
the mix, but it was a minor gripe; for the most part it was solid.
The crowd also were fully into it, and while
it wasn’t quite Frank Turner level in terms of their song knowledge they knew when
to enthusiastically shout out the chorus. The songs were mostly from “No Grave
But the Sea” with older favourites from their back catalogue mixed in. It was a
set designed to please the crowd, and it pleased me; I couldn’t think of a
track that I missed hearing.
The whole show had a bit of crazy mixed in. Mid-way
through a mountain of a man joined the band on the stage who apparently went by
the name of “Beef Guy” (with a ball cap emblazoned with “BEEF GUY”, in case you
forgot). Beef Guy drank two beers in about 15 seconds total and then assisted
the band in singing their cover version of Taio Cruz’s “Hangover” It was
brilliant.
At one point Christopher Bowes had the dance
floor separate into two halves and run at each other with arms extended as if
they were airplanes. No one was apparently hurt and all the (mostly) drunk concert
goers thought it was a jolly good time.
They ended the show with “Fucked with an
Anchor” and audience and band spent the final few minutes good-naturedly
giving each other the finger.
The only downside of the show was more of a
function of the bad layout at Upstairs than any ill-will. There are simply not
enough good places to stand and see the show, and while we got there early for
a good spot, it is a constant struggle to hold your own against legions of
people slipping in front of you to get a better view. I’m pretty chill about
this overall, but all the bumping and jostling can affect even the most stalwart
extrovert.
Given this is a common bar concert phenomenon,
I think it needs a name. I’ve decided to call it…bishoping. No, not the
practice of altering your horse’s teeth to make it appear younger (yes, that’s
a thing). In this case the metaphor relates to the chess piece. First, because
it usually involves a 45-degree angle slide between two people to move in front
of them. Second, because when executed without the necessary grace and
diplomacy, it can make you look like a dick.
Would I go see Alestorm again? Absolutely, but
only if it were at a different venue; preferably one with more chairs for us
old guys with stiff backs and bad knees.
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