Review Summary: Alestorm release another album.
Alestorm’s music is, always has been, and likely forever will be incredibly dumb.
No Grave but the Sea marks their fifth full-length release, but deviates very little in style or substance from its predecessors. As always, it’s a raucous power metal romp through every pirate trope and stereotype in the book, featuring gang chants and fiddle solos galore. Chock-full of energetic, headbang-worthy drinking songs about plundering the high seas and murdering bartenders,
No Grave but the Sea, like all of Alestorm’s previous work, clearly achieves exactly what it set out to do - and absolutely nothing more.
Individual tracks range from endearingly stupid to brain-rottingly stupid. “Alestorm” and “Pegleg Potion” clearly distinguish themselves as the best tracks on the record, boasting catchy hooks and engaging, melodic leads. “Alestorm” features some surprisingly effective harsh vocals, though this element is revisited only sparingly. On the other end of the spectrum, “Man the Pumps” is so utterly hookless and charmless that it borders on painful. The remaining six tracks offer little in the way of memorability, though alcohol and the abuse thereof seem to be a running theme.
Christopher Bowes’ campy, novelty vocals work well considering the subject matter, but offer little range or diversity. He delivers an identical performance in every verse and chorus, content to perform the exact same song for the umpteenth time. Though often oozing with charisma, Bowes’ monotonous vocals become grating fairly quickly - he’s clearly got a good sense of humor, but little else.
Ever impervious to the winds of change, Alestorm have released another record with the same fundamental flaws and strengths as any of its predecessors.
Captain Morgan’s Revenge: Part 5 is a good time, but its complete lack of substance and originality prevent it from being anything more. One-dimensional in vocals, songwriting, and instrumentation, its's undoubtedly Alestorm. Do with that what you may.
