Check out our sponsors:

 





Alestorm
Leviathan (EP)
(Napalm)

If there's one thing that can be said about heavy metal in the post Black/Death/Progressive/Symphonic era, it's that it's a serious art form that bows to nobody in artistic merit. This I agree with completely, but there's another aspect of metal that I've always loved, and that's that metal musicians know how to have fun! These days, the fun side is often fufilled by folk metal, and Alestorm is back with "Leviathan",a four song EP that delivers everything folk metal should be...heavy, rocking, somewhat absurd lyricly, and most of all FUN!!!

The disc starts out with Leviathan: A fanciful yarn about a legendary sea-monster, a sort-of sailor's "Grendel". You can almost smell the salt in the sea air listening to this, as the lads give a good representation to a legend that may be ancient, or just ancient-sounding. It matters little...this is heavy-metal story-telling at it's best, in a way not heard since Iron Maiden's classic "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner"

Next up is "Wolves Of The Sea". If I were to play one song for people to show them what Alestorm is all about, it would be this one. The lyrics are cheesy, but fun! I mean, check this out:

"The hook of our captain is looking at you
There's no Peter Pan so what can you do"

This has goteen to be the best misplaced western children's cartoon reference since Helloween sang about "getting a stone" like the "good old Charlie Brown" in "Halloween" 20 years ago!

The third song, Weiber And Wein, is sung in German (I think). I can't understand a word of it, but enjoyed the song none-the-less!

The last song on the EP is Heavy Metal Pirates: This song is pure, unadulterated heavy metal...with no fucking apologies! Check out these lyrics:

"We are Heavy Metal Pirates
Our cutlasses are true
So give us all your treasure
Or soon we'll come for you"

If the cheese factor is too much for you, then you're missing the point, and should probably go back to listening to more serious music, and patting yourself on the back for being such a "serious" music fan. Me, I'll hoist a pint of lager and sing a few more rounds of "Wolves Of The Sea" while having a good bloody time! The Heathen Hippy gives Leviathan four and a half gold dubloons.


Check Out This Fan Video Of "Woves Of The Sea:"


Of course, you can always just buy the CD:




Return to the Album Review Main Page