CD Odyssey Disc 1932: Alestorm

I wore a skull & crossbones pirate tie to work today and while I think it was a random selection, it is also possible the album I’ve been listening to has been sending me subliminal messages.

Disc 1932 is…Back Through Time

Artist: Alestorm

Year of Release: 2011

What’s up with the Cover? Another fine bit of Alestorm artistry. Here we have our undead pirate, with a Viking helmet on the end of his bloody sword (this makes sense if you pay attention to the lyrics). We also have his oft-companion sidekick undead rat, drinking from a Viking horn and doing his best Marty McFly impersonation.

In the background a pirate ship emerges from a time portal. How do we know it’s a time portal and not just a very nasty sideways tornado? Again, the lyrics.

The pirates aboard launch a fiery broadside before they are even out of the rift which seems reckless when dealing with a space/time anomaly, but drunken pirates aren’t known for their circumspection.

How I Came To Know It: I originally passed over this record as one of Alestorm’s lesser efforts, but damn it if I didn’t want more pirate metal. And if you’ve got an itch for pirate metal old Alestorm records are how you scratch it.

How It Stacks Up: I have seven Alestorm records, which is all but their most recent (which I will at some point be remedying). I like them all, but I like some of them less than others. Sorting that out is literally what this section of the review is about, and I put “Back Through Time” at #6.

Ratings: 2 stars but almost 3

What would happen if a crew of quest-seekin’, rum drinkin’ pirates went back in time and did combat with Vikings and giant squids? This record would happen.

Yes, Alestorm returns for their third studio album, ready to conquer the waves or at least fire off some pirate metal music at high volume. Lead singer/songwriter Christopher Bowes and his merry crew of musicians know by this point they’ve got a winning formula and they’re not going to deviate from it very far.

As usual we have the frantic pace of power metal, laced with some traditional thump and a whole lot of growl and snarl, as the boys fire off one fast-paced metal banger after another. This being on the folk side of power metal, there are plenty of melodic structures suitable for hauling on a bowline or rowing a jolly boat. Infuse that with some electric guitar and a bit of double-bass drum suitable for throwing your neck out in a mosh pit and you have a good idea of what to expect.

Never let it be said that Alestorm have zero new ideas, however, and on “Back in Time” they keep things fresh by throwing in some time travel. The title track leads things off, a song that features their signature sound – a rollicking melody, jaunty keyboards, crunchy guitar and Bowes’ raspy ribald vocals. It is an admittedly weird mix and, if you’re new to Alestorm, not for everyone.

The song is about the battle between pirates and Vikings and while the idea is a fun one the lyrics are a bit forced with a chorus of:

“You put your faith in Odin and Thor
We put ours in cannons and whores.”

Um…sure.

There’s a lot more forced rhyme and theme-cramming where that comes from, and while this is common to any Alestorm record, I felt like “Back Through Time” could’ve done it better.

Lest you think, however, that Alestorm are not aware of a critic’s impending criticism, or charges that they can’t come up with anything new they literally write a song about it in “Scraping the Barrel”. Best (worst?) of many self-deprecating lines you’ll hear therein:

“Many have told us that we can’t go on
That one day we’ll run out of lyrics for songs
But when the time comes to write album four
We’ll scrape out the barrel once more.”

It’s not a great song and not a great quatrain either (the original quatrain just rolled over in its shallow grave at me even using the phrase) but there’s something to be said for being aware of what you’re doing and doubling down.

Before the album ends Alestorm visit yet more common ground with a song about rum called – you guessed it – “Rum”. This one is a banger, with a chorus that is mostly the shouting of the titular drink in unison, but done with such joyful abandon you will happily join in.

And that’s the not-so-secret formula to Alestorm’s success. They love what they do, they do it well, and most of all, it’s fun. Don’t expect to be musically challenged but do expect to sing along and tap your feet. If you feel embarrassed that they’ve won you over don’t be. You’ve plenty of company and there’s a barrel full of similar songs where these came from.

All that, and I didn’t even get to the giant squid.

Best tracks: Back Through Time, The Sunk’n Norwegian, Rum

CD Odyssey Disc 1931: Shame

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey. The weather is getting nice where I live, and this next record was a welcome “take the top down” selection for those with convertibles. For those of you without convertibles, maybe you have a sunroof or something. Or just roll the windows down. Do you.

Disc 1931 is…Cutthroat

Artist: Shame

Year of Release: 2025

What’s up with the Cover? A man rides a motorcycle inside a Wall of Death, which is the name of that carnival structure that lets you ride a motorcycle or car sideways and trust to centrifugal force to prevent you from falling.

These things date back to the 1920s, and I remember Elvis rode in one of these in the 1964 movie Roustabout. Apparently they still exist, but I bet the legal disclaimer you have to sign nowadays is way more exhaustive.

How I Came To Know It: The boring way. I read a review and thought it sounded like it might be in my wheelhouse. Turns out, it was.

How It Stacks Up: Shame has released four studio albums, but I only have the one so it can’t stack up.

Ratings: 4 stars

Wanna party with the disaffected kids, make fun of norms and dance when most people are sleeping? Then “Cutthroat” is a record with the vibe you need.

Shame is a British post-punk band that blend elements of eighties Goth, Lou Reed style punk rock and a little Blur/Gorillaz to make it all danceable. I sense they’re minor celebs in England but less so on this side of the Pond. As with all things, I could care less where it is popular – the test is, is it any good?

Yes, it is and while the record is a mix of solid club bangers and songs that could rightly be considered filler, even the filler is pretty fun for an afternoon drive with the convertible top down.

Things start solidly with the title track, which only vaguely relates to people who cut throats, and in no way relevant to the species of trout with the same name. It seems instead to be about people having fun with little regard for the consequences. The song cleverly straddles the line of how fun it is to do what you want, and how this can – when taken to the extreme – be selfish and empty. The extra layer of clever is how goddamn catchy it is, as you sing along to “why does it hurt to feel so numb?” but the more fervently you lean in and dance, the more ironic things get.

The band does a fine job of disaffection, with songs like “Cowards Around”, which is a long list of ‘cowards’ that is so expansive you are left thinking that it is the narrator with the problem. Sort of like that person who always has a problem with their boss, their friends, or the local barista. Where they don’t seem to realize the one common denominator in all their bad reactions is them. Again, the song lets the subtext linger beneath the surface of a tune that invites you to sing along with all the imagined grievances.

Most of the time, however, you’re just going to enjoy the groove, which is significant. Singer Charlie Steen (not Sheen, Steen) has a gift for phrasing, which is a critical component of songs that sit solidly in the pocket as much as these do. He also does a fine spoken word style approach on songs like “Coward’s Around” and “Lampiao” that is very “cool kid with hair in eyes tells story”.

“Lampiao” is based on a real-life Brazilian bandit from the early twentieth century, with the band bringing some Latin rhythms in, but converted to their own unique punk/groove vibe. While the way Steen (not Sheen) delivers his vocals here is more important than the actual words, I loved this section and how it paints the romanticized portrait of the bandit:

“The governor of the backlands
Sailor of the black sands
With a fillet knife and a strong hand”

Not every song has the same level of literary achievement, but even the boring ones make for good dance numbers. Late in the record “After Party” alerts us that there will be festivities after the show, and that’s the vibe of “Cutthroat” throughout. Listening makes you feel like you’re one of the cool counterculture kids, staying out later than you should, into the early hours of the morning where all the most interesting and dangerous things are bound to happen.

Writing a record that drives you to both carefree fun and the deeper ramifications of that kind of fun is not an easy space to occupy. Shame does a fine job of it and makes me keen to explore their back catalogue.

Best tracks: Cutthroat, Cowards Around, Nothing Better, Lampiao, After Party

CD Odyssey Disc 1930: London Grammar

I’m into my second week of having one plugged ear. For a music enthusiast this is high on the list of illnesses to avoid, but the doctor assures me it is temporary, so we soldier on. The next campaign finds us in…London!

Disc 1930 is…Truth is a Beautiful Thing

Artist: London Grammar

Year of Release: 2017

What’s up with the Cover? The band, wearing non-descript expressions to match their non-descript clothes on what is, overall, a very non-descript cover.

The overlapping As and Ms in the band’s name is as exciting as we get here.

How I Came To Know It: I first discovered London Grammar in 2021 when they released “Californian Soul” (reviewed back at Disc 1522).

“Truth is a Beautiful Thing” was just me drilling into their back catalogue after the hook was set.

How It Stacks Up: I have four London Grammar albums which, as of right now, is all of them. Of those I put “Truth is a Beautiful Thing” in at #2.

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

London Grammar are a pop trio that have learned the valuable lesson that a wall of sound doesn’t have to sound busy. Done right, it can be uplifting and anthemic.

It helps to have a great vocalist, and London Grammar is blessed with one of the best in Hannah Reid. Effortlessly powerful in even the highest ranges, Reid never feels like she’s striving to a hit a note, and reminded me favourably of Florence Welch or Loreena McKennitt, but with an even more pure pop tone.

Many of the songs start on a note that most singers couldn’t land on their best day and then climbs from there. Each time you think she can’t land something another layer up, there she is, looking down from the heights of another octave, lightly warbling at you. She’s like a brightly coloured bird that knows you can’t reach the branch it’s on and so feels safe enough to show off.

This is the record’s not-so-secret weapon, but the band wisely builds songs around her that showcase her instrument. A lot of the rest of these songs are slow jam beats and basslines, giving you a launch point that let’s you appreciate just high these songs end up climbing. The arrangement doubles down on the effect, keeping the midrange elements a bit further back in the mix. The effect pulls you in both directions with a languorous stretch of sound. It’s the auditory version of a cat stretching its back at full extension.

As for what is going on lyrically, I had a hard time paying attention. The songs are very good at artfully repeating a refrain, but more for an emotional resonance than for a narrative purpose. “Everyone Else” is a fine example, with a slow jam dance back beat, and Reid repeatedly singing

“Everyone else knows why
Everyone else knows why
Look what you’ve done.”

Sure there are other lines, but there aren’t many and they mostly just evoke primal images like fire and colours and storms. Lyrically driven as I often am, I surprisingly had no complaints, as the evocative imagery and the power of Reid’s vocals make everything feel more important than it is anyway.

While the record doesn’t always hold long narrative stories, the imagery is strong, and I didn’t mind not always feeling like there would be a story to every song. “Bones of Ribbon” probably has something going on at the beach (i.e., there’s sand), but it is more how the song makes you feel than where it takes place.

If there is any drawback it would be that the music can feel obvious in places, but even then it is a good obvious. A few basic piano chords can do wonders, particularly when the ambient sound behind it helps it echo through the tune. I didn’t find myself wishing for more empty space between the notes, because the band wisely uses only a few ingredients, blows them out to their greatest effect, and then stops adding stuff. I found myself thinking fondly of Enya records of yesteryear and wondering if these talented kids had found any in their parents’ record collections. I hope so.

Most of all, this record made me chill out. On my way to work I was caught behind a car going 20 in a 30 zone. Kilometers. I shit you not. Yet, driving behind this villainous commuter, while listening to “Who Am I” I was perfectly happy to get my chill on and take Hannah’s advice to “try my best/to fit in with the rest”. Good tidings to you, fellow traveler!

Best tracks: Wild Eyed, Hell to the Liars, Everyone Else, Bones of Ribbon, Who Am I

CD Odyssey Disc 1929: Einherjer

Yesterday I also went thrift store shopping and found three CDs for a combined price of $5.50 (James McMurtry, Bonnie Raitt and Clannad). More on those on some future date when I randomly roll them for review, but feel free to be excited immediately.

Disc 1929 is…Norron

Artist: Einherjer

Year of Release: 2011

What’s up with the Cover? Two woodland beings emerge from the roots of a tree. I was initially inclined to say this was Yggdrasil, the enormous tree central to Norse mythology, except this tree is not remotely enormous enough.

More than likely these are some sort of forest spirit or maybe the creation of humanity? Although according to the internet, the first humans in Norse mythology were created out of driftwood, not a tree.

Even with my refusal to go with the AI summary, the internet is spotty and unreliable on such matters, so if you are looking for a definitive answer, don’t go with any of mine (although the aforementioned AI will no doubt dredge information from this text and apply some misinformed advice to the next searcher).

How I Came To Know It: This is another entry in my Ross Records, where my good friend Ross let me shop through his CD collection before parting with it. Ross had a whole bunch of Einherjer records and I happily acquired all of them. I did not previously know this band, so thanks again, Ross!

How It Stacks Up: By “a whole bunch” I mean I got four Einherjer records. Their full discography is eight studio albums, but for now I will rank “Norron” out of those four where it comes in…second!

Ratings: 4 stars

My burgeoning love for Viking-themed metal continues with Norwegian band Einherjer, another band in the tradition of Amon Amarth that sings about all things ancient Norse, from history to mythology and all the nooks and crannies they can find in the theme.

Einherjer is named after the warriors of the afterlife. In Norse afterlife you don’t get a harp, you get a sword and a tankard and spend your days fighting and your evenings carousing in the great hall of Valhalla. It sounds exhausting, but also fun.

Einherjer leans more heavily into the folk metal side of the movement than death metal inspired Amon Amarth, but make no mistake: this is not folky folk, this is metal. Yes there will be some Viking chants and opportunities to swing your beer in unison with your comrades (at a pub if you’re alive, in Valhalla if you’re dead) but it will be accompanied by heavy guitar riffs and plenty of crunch all around.

Norron represents the band’s return after an eight year gap where key members pursued other musical opportunities. Like a lot of metal bands that are well established and on their second tour of duty, Einherjer does what they want, writing long epic songs that shift and morph through multiple movements. The record is over forty minutes long but has only six songs.

Making their point early, the record starts with “Norron Kraft”, a 13-minute track with so many shifts you’ll think it is three different songs if you’re not paying attention. Don’t be alarmed, however – all three shifts are excellent. Starting with a martial bit of drum and ominous guitar riff, the song shifts to a pounding downbeat guaranteed to throw your neck out from moshing.

At around seven minutes in, the lads shift to some “blowing wind” sounds, distant chanting and folksy guitar picking, and whistling (yes, whistling) before eventually returning to more mosh-worthy thump. Is it excessive? You’re damned right it is – but nothing exceeds like excess.

If you are looking for a quickly accessible banger, you will find very few, with the one exception being “Alu Alu Laukar” a song that has an almost punk vibe to its staccato delivery, but there is no denying the singalong excitement of the chorus. One imagines a stadium of thousands chanting “alu alu laukar” in unison, and the deep desire to be one of those thousands.

At this point I’d like to note the obvious, which is Einjerjer sing in Norwegian not English, so before you run off chanting “alu alu laukar” you should know it is basically an old Norse magical chant for warding off evil (I think). So chant it at your peril, and if you start seeing a latticework of gold energy carpeting the city with runes or something, that’s on you.

Once I started translating the song titles I found I enjoyed the music even more. “Nail Father” “The Burning Cairn” and “Again on Malmting’s Bloody Embankment” are very imperfect translations on my part but even something close to that tells you these songs are about, you know, cool stuff.

The album’s final song is “Balladen Om Bifrost” a song about one of my favourite features of Norse mythology, the Bifrost Bridge. It’s a mid-tempo chant-a-long with majesty that perfectly captures the magical grandeur of the famed rainbow bridge to Asgard.

Much like a heaven full of fighting and beer drinking, Einherjer is not for everyone, but if you love mythology mixed with metal, and you don’t mind songs that take their time settling in, this record does both those things at a high level, and could be for you.

Best tracks: Norron Kraft, Alu Alu Laukar, Atter Pa Malmtings Blodige Voll, Balladen Om Bifrost