Alestorm's 'Seventh Rum of a Seventh Rum' - Album Review

I was in two minds as to whether I was going to actually bother getting this album. Those of you who read my review of the Scottish folk metal band Alestorm's sixth album Curse of the Crystal Coconut (which can be found here for those unaware) will know that, bar a handful of decent tunes, I did not like it much at all. Gimmicky bands, as Alestorm certainly are and have become more so over the years, often end up having a relatively short shelf life. That being said, though, Alestorm seem to have defied this and seemingly continue to rise in popularity despite largely diminishing returns - whilst my view of the band has generally gone the other way. For me, the band have generally (although with some exceptions) gotten worse over the years. I have been following Alestorm since not long after their 2008 debut album Captain Morgan's Revenge was released. I loved the album after picking it up, and their 2009 follow up Black Sails at Midnight similarly impressed. I think it is easy to forget now, but at the time Alestorm were more of a 'true' folk metal band. There was some humour in their lyrics and a general tongue-in-cheek attitude to their demeanour - but it felt like they were generally trying to be a serious band that had fun and wrote epic, folk-influenced songs. Since then, however, the quality has generally dropped off in my opinion. Both 2011's Back Through Time and 2014's Sunset on the Golden Age (which I reviewed here) contain decent songs, but the over-the-top humour and the band's wish to be seen as a living meme really started to permeate into their music around this time - particularly during the touring cycle for the latter. A third classic album could probably be made by combining the best songs from both albums, but it was clear that the band thought that they could be more successful by being silly. In truth, they are probably right. Jokey power and folk metal has certainly become a big deal over the past decade or so, and the inflatable sword end of the genre does very little for me at all. Alestorm are arguably one of the leaders of the genre, too, which is why I was so surprised when 2016's No Grave But the Sea (which I also reviewed here) was a step in the right direction. For me, the album was easily the band's best since Black Sails at Midnight. It had a few jokey songs, but it also had a handful of great, old-school sounding epic folk metal anthems. I thought that the tide might have turned, but then Curse of the Crystal Coconut came out and showcased the band at their worst. The album still contained a handful of decent tunes, but on the whole it was vacuous, throwaway rubbish that had little to offer. I was not holding out much hope for the band's seventh album, then, but I still decided to pick it up when it was released back in June. Seventh Rum of a Seventh Rum (which is actually quite an amusing title), however, is thankfully better than Curse of the Crystal Coconut. It is not up to the standard of No Grave But the Sea, and it contains some throwaway material, but there are also some really strong songs here - songs which sound like Christopher Bowes and co. have actually thought about them for more than five minutes.

The album opens with one of its strongest cuts, Magellan's Expedition, which has an old-school Alestorm feel - so much so that it could have sat quite nicely on one of the band's early albums. There is very little of the silliness that has plagued their recent work, and instead the song is an epic-sounding slab of folk metal with plenty of keyboard hooks and a wall of guitar riffing thanks to Máté Bodor. A shortened version of the song's chorus opens it up, before a galloping riff and a driving keyboard melody kicks in. Listening to this song reminds me why I loved Alestorm so much back in the late 2000s, as it is a powerful song that manages to evoke its nautical themes effortlessly. If anything, the song sounds better than many of my favourites due to the album's huge-sounding production - and the fact that the current line-up of Alestorm is likely made up of better musicians. Keyboardist Elliot Vernon has made the band a tighter unit, and his occasional harsh vocals add an extra dimension to their sound - with his pre-choruses during this song adding some aggression before the slower-paced, epic chorus kicks in. Alestorm fans have certainly heard songs like this before, but me for I would rather hear something familiar, yet well-written, like this - filled with soaring hooks and intricate melodic instrumental sections - than their latest effort to shock the parents of their 14 year old fans. The Battle of Cape Fear River keeps the quality high as, despite some silly lyrics that sound a bit rushed, the song and arrangement are extremely hooky. This is the sort of silliness that Alestorm has always engaged in, though, and it is nowhere egregious as dross like Shit Boat (No Fans). I can forgive the lame lyrics, though, as the rest of the song is so well written. The main keyboard melody is extremely catchy, and the thrashy riffing gives the song an energy and aggression which is not commonly heard throughout the Alestorm catalogue. Bodor's guitar solo is packed full of melody, too, and the chorus is a fists-in-the-air moment that is certain to go down well live. Things do take a bit of a dive, though, with Cannonball. This is the latest entry in the band's on-going attempt to be as shocking as possible, see Fucked with an Anchor, although only children find lyrics such as those found on Cannonball shocking - as the rest of us just find them somewhat eye-rolling. For me, though, Cannonball is better than some of its siblings as it at least has a huge chorus that is extremely easy to sing along to - despite the lyrical content. It is one of those songs that you have to be careful to not accidentally sing when someone could be listening! The band have certainly written worse songs than this, but there are also plenty of better songs here that do not rely on tired tropes. P.A.R.T.Y. is up next and despite it being a song that I should hate based on my general views on the band's more throwaway numbers I actually quite enjoy it. The lyrics were clearly throw together in about five minutes, but the music is actually well-written - with a strong synth presence that is very memorable and a chorus vocal refrain that is very early 2000s clubland (which works better than it should). It is a silly song, but it adds a different overall vibe to the album, and it will certainly go down well when played live.

Under Blackened Banners gets back, at least in part, to the band's old-school sound - although there is a synth edge that permeates throughout. This is very prevalent early on, with a dancing synth kicking everything off, but generally the song is a strong folk metal romp with lots of Bodor riffing and another big chorus that returns to the shanty-esque melodies which the band have often made use of before. The keyboard melodies are more 'modern' sounding throughout, though. The synth patches sound quite dated, but they are modern in the sense that they are not trying to ape the sounds of accordions or fiddles - so the band's folk metal sound certainly feels modernised here. This is coupled with a handful of riffs that sound somewhat influenced by the modern tech metal/djent scene. This vibe is not prevalent, but some of Bodor's riffs are more angular and deeper-sounding than usual in my opinion - and his guitar solo is another excellent moment of shredded melody. There is also an excellent keyboard solo section, too. Magyarország is another throwback piece, but this time, like the album's opening number, it feels very much in the style of the band's early work. The lyrics again feel quite thrown together, but musically it is another winner for me. Bodor's riffing again is excellent, with some great stop-start patterns - whilst the drumming of Peter Alcorn throughout the verses creates something of a swing feel, which does somewhat create a unique vibe. Again, the band have written better songs than this - but it at least feels like there has been some effort made musically here, and it does stand out thanks to its overall groove and the guitar performance of Bodor. The album's title track follows, and it could well be the most epic-sounding song on the album. The opening riffing is very energetic and packed with hooks, whilst the keyboard work throughout the song adds that heroic folk edge which is sorely missing from some of the band's more recent work. Whilst the guitar riffing stands out throughout the album generally, this is a song that pushes the keyboard work of Bowes and Vernon to the fore. There are lots of hooks throughout, and the flourishes and melodies which link all of the sections together give the track an appropriately epic feel. The chorus is a winner, too, and the song is one of my favourite cuts here thanks to its focus on keyboard hooks and its overall powerful feel. Bite the Hook Hand that Feeds is similar in style, but it does not feel quite as strong. It is a high energy song, with some strong riffing throughout, but the keyboard melodies are not as prevalent this time - and the faster pace of the song reminds me of a couple of the handful of weaker songs on the band's first couple of albums. Plus, I cannot help but feel that the band have used pretty much this exact same chorus before in another song. The melodies sound very familiar, and the overall way that it is has been put together makes me think that I have heard it before. Even the Alestorm songs that I like are generally quite derivative, but this feels more than just derivative - but currently I cannot quite place the melodies.

Return to Tortuga starts the album's home straight, and it is a song that I actually quite like despite it being a sequel to one of the weakest cuts on the last album. The dubstep elements, which sounded horribly dated, have been removed, though, and the song is generally just a decent folk metal anthem with some silly lyrics - and an unwelcome guest vocal from Captain Yarrface, who seems destined to appear on most of the band's albums at this point. Thankfully, though, there is no terrible rapping this time, and his vocal spot is short, which allows the song to generally be a fast-paced folk metal track with a gang vocal-led chorus which is actually fairly heavy for the band - and includes some excellent guitar and keyboard melodies which add some welcome intricacy to the piece. Come to Brazil is next, and it is a very short song that feels like it mixes the punk sound of Wooden Leg with the Crash Bandicoot soundtrack - as there is lots of jungle-sounding percussion throughout that sounds a little silly. The song is very short, so it is hard to get too annoyed with it, but it is easily one of the weakest songs here for me. The lyrics really are terrible, and the music is some of the most brainless punk/metal crossover riffing that has ever been thought up. They have managed to cram in their 'Oh wow!' meme into the lyrics, too, which instantly makes the song even more annoying. It is a poor song that adds very little to the album, but I am sure that some will find it amusing - so perhaps it is me that is missing out. The album then comes to a close with the third part of the Wooden Leg trilogy (as it is currently). The first part was a throwaway punk song and the second part was a lengthy prog epic - which was easily one of the most interesting songs on Curse of the Crystal Coconut. This third part is much less interesting, though, as it does not really do anything different from the last part - with many of the same melodies recycled. Japanese and Spanish singers have been utilised too, but neither of the singers, to me anyway, sound particularly good - with their performances sounding somewhat amateurish. The Spanish singer in particular sounds out of tune for much of his section, which is poor considering that this album is a major label release by a well-known band. For me, the Wooden Leg song series did not need another sequel - particularly one so lacklustre as Wooden Leg - Part III. It adds little to what has come before, and it feels like a limp (no pun intended) end to the album as a result. It is a shame that the album had to end with its two weakest songs, as for me a good chunk of what came before tracks 10 and 11 is pretty good. There are certainly a handful of strong, old-school sounding Alestorm songs here that will please long-time fans - and even some of the sillier songs do not grate on me as much as some of their others do. Seventh Rum of a Seventh Rum is a pretty strong album overall, and is a big improvement on 2020's career low. I still feel like the band are torn between their two sides and cannot always reconcile them, but as long as the quality remains mostly high then I will likely continue to enjoy their albums - providing another Curse of the Crystal Coconut is not being prepared.

The album was released on 24th June 2022 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Battle at Cape Fear River.