ALESTORM VS. SWASHBUCKLE
Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 10:00am by Vince NeilsteinIt’s hard to believe there are two new Pirate Metal bands breaking in 2009, but here we are in June and both Alestorm and Swashbuckle have already toured the U.S. extensively. We’ve gotten 3 irate reader emails demanding we post the new Alestorm video “Keelhauled,” so here it is; and it’s pretty fucking bad-ass.
For reference, the new Swashbuckle video is posted after the jump. While both videos are pretty cool, I’m feelin’ the Alestorm track way more than I am the Swashbuckle track. The Alestorm track sounds like true, beer-swiggin’, raping and pillaging Scottish Pirate Metal, while the Swashbuckle track sounds like tongue-in-cheek thrash played by guys dressed up as pirates from… New Jersey. You be the judge, and tell us what you think in the comments.
-VN
Alestorm – “Keelhauled”
Swashbuckle – “Cruise Ship Terror”
i have interviewed and hung out with the guys in Alestorm, and i can tell you theyr cool guys that just want to have a good time making Pirate Metal…. but heres the crazy thing about music if you dont like it you dont have to listen to it….
You know what makes this band better? One word…keytar…
ever hear of Running Wild? first pirate metal band
Under Jolly Roger is definitely a great listen.
Running Wild is the shit. Personally, I love all 3 Pirate Metal bands, but Running Wild is where it’s at.
Alestorm is the better of the two. Scotland > NJ.
To be clear, the Scotland > NJ was just a joke. Alestorm is a kick ass band anyway, and the frontman plays a keytar. It really makes the band.
Alestorm are far fuckin’ better… seen them live and they kick so much ass. Chris is a great frontman. Only thing I dont like ’bout are those powermetal shitlike sounding keyboard solos in couple songs. But everything besides that kicks ass… good to hear they made a video…
the powermetal shitlike sounding keyboards are the biggest difference between the two. I think Swashbuckle is funnier, and I love that thrashy sound, so even though they sound less “piratey” I think I like them a little better. Where each band is from should make no difference.
WEAK.
Oh my God. That Alestorm song is amazing. How have I not heard of this before? This was a good way to wake up this morning.
And Shwashbuckle just seems like a thrash band that dresses up like pirates.
Pirate metal? Come the fuck on people..this shit is retarded. What’s next? Civil war metal?
see: Clutch
Ya exactly. Fucking garbage.
Confederatecore?
You might be on to something there…
let’s hope not… although I think Iced Earth or some other crappy power metal band may already have gotten in on this
Well, Iced Earth covered Civil War metal with those three songs about Gettysburg. They’re pretty awesome songs!
see….
Anything to make a buck.
Any band that relies this heavily on a gimmick cannot be taken seriously as an actual band. I mean, a lot of people love GWAR’s first album, but I don’t think you’ll see it mentioned along side any of the great metal albums of the last 20 years. Albums like this are a novelty and a usually soon discarded as such.
Not sure these guys are trying to be taken seriously.
you may have a point there…for me, I don’t like to mix music and comedy, intentional or otherwise.
Actually, I’ve seen the second and third GWAR album pop up on some “Top Thrash Albums” list every now and then.
This reminds me of Flogging Molly but really really bad.
Accordions are piratical, keytars? Not so much. I’d say the superlative pirate metal band is yet to emerge.
Alestorm are boring garbage. I saw them open for Tyr, and the novelty wore off very quickly after only one song. The key-tar is just ridiculous.
Alestorm is a great fucking band.
The Confederatecore comment a few posts above gave me a good laugh.
Alestorm all the way. Swashbuckle are fun, but aren’t quite as pirate-y, besides the costumes and the occasional ‘yo-ho.’
Both are utter shit…ugh…
I liked the last Alestorm album but can’t get past the cheese factor to really, really like it. It would be cool to see them take the pirate theme to a more serious level, sort of like Amon Amarth has done for Viking metal. Alestorm is sort of stuck in the Disneyland version of pirate lore, the yo-ho-ho, bottle of rum lyrics feel kind of tired…fun at first, but tired.
Hmmm…As friggin sweet as pirates are, Alestorm is novel, but no thanks. Shwashbuckle sounds alright, though not as, well, interesting.
durka durka breakdowns is turrible rawr
Seriously, if you guys don’t like this then do you not like Turisas either? To each his own, I suppose, but I think there’s certainly a place for bands like this that obviously do not take themselves seriously.
Swashbuckle are derivative though.
Both are fantastic bands, but no one will ever make pirate metal like Running Wild.
I dont really give a crap about either of these bands but…….I think Confederate core may be one of the best words my ears have ever heard, that was a great post.
Alestorm ftw, funnest gig I’ve ever been to :D
The singer from Swashbuckle looks like Joe Fleishaker from the Troma movies.
This shit is funny but I’m not a big fan of gimmick bands. I’d go see both these bands live, but the music is a joke.
Alestorm fucking rocks.
To all the morons claiming it’s “gimmick” metal – the fuck do you think ANY type of metal related to the corpsepaint shit is? Nothing but what someone could claim as a “gimmick”. Especially the (mainly American) bands who have books of lyrics about Satanism, but whose band members couldn’t tell the difference between theistic Satanism and LaVey satanism – all the evil lyrics and the whole play on death is nothing but a gimmick.
Double-standards and blinders ftl.
Alestorm is crappy gimmick metal, black faux-satanist metal is crappy gimmick metal. Hoorah, no double standards.
Same goes for pretty much any band that wears costumes/masks or has a one track mind in regards to their lyrical focus whether it be pseudo-satanic posturing or an obsession with ancient egypt (that’s right Nile, I said it…)
So because a band runs with something, that immediately makes them shitty gimmick metal?
Well, I guess not everyone can have broad horizons for musical tastes…
alestorm=piratier
swashbuckle=metaler
“Emerging in 2009″? I saw Alestorm in February last year, and their second album is out already.
Alestorm are way better. End of.
Love it!
I can see Swashbuckle opening for GWAR in the near future
Alestorm is a the better band.
but Swashbuckle’s music vid is more badass.