Any conversation about the incredibly niche and extremely popular genre of ‘pirate metal’ consistently brings forward the usual suspects of the genre: Alestorm, Swashbuckle & Redrum. However, no conversation about the genre is complete without the inclusion of one of the genre’s biggest names – a band of beer-drenched, rowdy, Aussies known as Lagerstein. Wherever the Lagerstein ship comes in to harbour a huge party is not far behind, and tonight the ship docked in Brisbane, albeit all the way back from 2019, bringing with it all the alcohol-fuelled debauchery you’d expect from a boisterous crew of pirates.
Taken from their headline show in, you guessed it, Brisbane from their mammoth world tour in support of latest album 25/7, the band blast through old and new songs alike to create the perfect balance of Pirate Metal debauchery. Opening with a medley by the band before blasting into Raise Your Steins & Slocken The Rum, they sound fantastic, but the crowd seems quiet so far. Until they partake in a ‘Shoey Off’ splitting the crown into Port & Starboard sides.
Dig, Bury, Drink & Pirate Music Piracy blend together perfectly back to back to show the newer material can stand up against the older stuff. Shoey Song is as you’d expect from the alcohol loving members as Captain Gregaaarrr and the band lose guitarist Neil Rummy Rackers during German Fun Times. Wench My Thirst, Down The Hatch & Off The Map are a bit of a downer as the sound of the band isn’t their best during these songs. But as soon as Pina Colada Paradise kicks in the band are back on top form as they use their lullaby to make the crowd feel like they’ve slowed down.
Until, of course, Drink The Rum bolts them back to action. Drink ‘Til We Die is the acoustic/accordion combination that seals the deal that Lagerstein can switch their sound at the tip of a hat.
Until, of course, Drink The Rum bolts them back to action. Drink ‘Til We Die is the acoustic/accordion combination that seals the deal that Lagerstein can switch their sound at the tip of a hat.
The last few songs, while very good in their own right, just don’t hit the mark for me personally, as the crowd doesn’t seem into it, but the band give it their all but kind of flounder. While it’s a very good live album, which are hard to find, it’s few let down spaces don’t ruin it, but don’t make it as brilliant than what it should have been. But if you’re a fan of the band or even the genre, it’s a recommended listen as the Aussie pirates stick to their guns to bring a very good effort. 7/10
The Circle - Metamorphosis (Self Released) [Paul Scoble]
The Circle are a German duo made up of Stanley Robertson (Composition and Guitar) and Alex Wirt (Bass), on this their first recording they are joined by session vocalist Asim Searah. The style of music on offer here is a mix of Progressive Death Metal, Progressive Black Metal and Progressive Metal.
The album opens with Chapter I Angst which is mainly like early noughties Symphonic Black Metal. The track feels very bombastic and dramatic, it has that huge, massively produced sound that Dimmu Borgir loved around the turn of the century. It sounds huge, but doesn’t really go anywhere. The problem with this style is that it’s very staccato in how the pacing works, so although there are a lot of drum beats, the tempo is very slow and in this case plodding. Chapter II Despair is much better; it’s an uptempo piece of Progressive Melodic Death Metal.
The Circle are a German duo made up of Stanley Robertson (Composition and Guitar) and Alex Wirt (Bass), on this their first recording they are joined by session vocalist Asim Searah. The style of music on offer here is a mix of Progressive Death Metal, Progressive Black Metal and Progressive Metal.
The album opens with Chapter I Angst which is mainly like early noughties Symphonic Black Metal. The track feels very bombastic and dramatic, it has that huge, massively produced sound that Dimmu Borgir loved around the turn of the century. It sounds huge, but doesn’t really go anywhere. The problem with this style is that it’s very staccato in how the pacing works, so although there are a lot of drum beats, the tempo is very slow and in this case plodding. Chapter II Despair is much better; it’s an uptempo piece of Progressive Melodic Death Metal.
The track features some very fast tempos, maybe a little bit reminiscent of Fleshgod Apocalypse, some really good clean vocals, a soft spoken word section and some very impressive, florid neo-classical guitar solos. Next comes Chapter III Wrath which vacillates between the fast but actually slow and plodding style of symphonic metal, and the faster (and much better) fast Melodic Death Metal style, there are some more very good clean vocals, more lovely guitar solos and the addition of some very effective violin parts.
The final track (yes, you’ve guessed it) Chapter IV Salvation opens with a very nice and expansive section of Progressive Metal, the violin is back and it’s all really good. Then that plodding and slow style comes in again to put the kibosh on all the lovely expansiveness. The song then vacillates between those two styles till the end of the song and album. So, definitely some very good Progressive Extreme metal, mixed in with some that has a problem with pacing. However, there is an issue with the album as a whole. Did you notice how short my description of the album is? Just the four songs?
The whole time I’ve been listening to this album (I tend to give albums between ten and fifteen listens before writing a review), I was assuming it was an EP. The ‘album’ has a run time of just over twenty seven minutes; 27 minutes and four songs? That’s an EP. Ok if this was a Hardcore, Grindcore or Crossover Thrash album that would be just about acceptable, but for Progressive Metal this is just too short. I’m currently reviewing a recording that is being sold as an EP, that is longer and has more songs than this ‘album’. This needs another couple of songs to make it album length, if I had paid full price for this, I’d be feeling cheated. There is some very good material on this album, but it is let down by the tempo issues I mentioned earlier, and the short run time. It’s a shame, as the good material is very good and deserves to be heard. 6/10
Vexillum - When Good Men Go To War (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]
The final track (yes, you’ve guessed it) Chapter IV Salvation opens with a very nice and expansive section of Progressive Metal, the violin is back and it’s all really good. Then that plodding and slow style comes in again to put the kibosh on all the lovely expansiveness. The song then vacillates between those two styles till the end of the song and album. So, definitely some very good Progressive Extreme metal, mixed in with some that has a problem with pacing. However, there is an issue with the album as a whole. Did you notice how short my description of the album is? Just the four songs?
The whole time I’ve been listening to this album (I tend to give albums between ten and fifteen listens before writing a review), I was assuming it was an EP. The ‘album’ has a run time of just over twenty seven minutes; 27 minutes and four songs? That’s an EP. Ok if this was a Hardcore, Grindcore or Crossover Thrash album that would be just about acceptable, but for Progressive Metal this is just too short. I’m currently reviewing a recording that is being sold as an EP, that is longer and has more songs than this ‘album’. This needs another couple of songs to make it album length, if I had paid full price for this, I’d be feeling cheated. There is some very good material on this album, but it is let down by the tempo issues I mentioned earlier, and the short run time. It’s a shame, as the good material is very good and deserves to be heard. 6/10
Mädhouse – Bad Habits (ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records) [Paul Hutchings]
This sophomore album from Austrian sleaze merchants Mädhouse contains 15 songs that are about as misogynistic as one would expect from a band whose influences sit clearly in the hair metal of the 1980s. If you like Motley Crüe, Poison and the likes, there is no doubt that you will enjoy this release.
In all honesty, I’d forgotten that sleaze was still a genre that was alive. It’s the type of music that was I found okay 35 years ago whilst musical tastes were forming; hell, the Crüe’s Theatre Of Pain show in Cardiff in 1985 remains one of the most astonishing gigs I have ever attended. Today, not so much.
Bad Habits is big, brash and arrogant. It is exactly as you would expect it to be. First Lick Then Stick, Itch To Scratch, Fake It Til You Make It, the song titles are about as predictable as you’d expect.
It is all strut and roll, but at least the band appear to be able to play and there is a big production that gives Bad Habits a huge sound. The guitar work is decent, with some fiery solos and thick riffs thrown into the pot. This is a damn sight better than the god awful parody bollocks of Steel Panther for a start.
The band have ridiculous names, with lead singer Tommy Lovelace and guitarist Mikky Stixx taking the plaudits. Regardless, the new line-up has delivered an album that will no doubt please their fans. There was plenty of excitement on a couple of sites I searched. For me, this just is not an album I would reach for, but it is performed well, and objectively, I cannot actually fault it. 7/10
Vexillum - When Good Men Go To War (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]
Vexillum? Never 'eard of 'em! (other than the Roman war banner they are named after) But apparently they are a power/symphonic/folk metal band from Italy. This is their fourth album and it continues their Vexillum saga for the first time since 2015's Unum, it's a conceptual fantasy sage that has been part of the bands releases since 2011's The Wandering Notes, so much like tourmates/fellow Italians Rhapsody (Of Fire), this is long running storyline that is driven by grandiose power metal. As well as Rhapsody (Of Fire) you can also pick out the Blind Guardian and Falconer influences from the use of folk styles that admittedly are a little harder to pick out on this record due to it's darker tone.
Like Blind Guardian's more recent records When Good Men Go To War opens with a 10 minute epic, Enlight The Bivouac a cinematic start to the record full of Nick MacVicar's (professional piper and cèilidh dance teacher) pipes and flutes in addition to the power metal instrumentation. Anyone would think that this song was by Germans Grave Digger, a band who are a little obsessed with Scottish folklore, these Romans laying siege to the Celts with their own musical history, though the Roman history comes back on Sons Of The Wolf and the powerful Last Bearer's Son. Despite my ignorance to the band there is clearly a lot to be excited about on this release. Lovers of folk/power metal will enjoy Vexillum's fourth concept album. 7/10
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