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ALESTORM – “The Thunderfist Chronicles”
ALESTORM – “The Thunderfist Chronicles”
By Colonel Angus
It has been a few years since ALESTORM released the “Seventh Rum of a Seventh Rum” disk (a playful poke at IRON MAIDEN, I’m sure) and here we are with a new album that gives us more of the same but with a few surprises. When I first heard the band, I figured their shtick would wear off fairly quickly and run its course but they have been able to carry on for almost two decades with no real end in sight. “The Thunderfist Chronicles” proves that they still have plenty more material and ideas ahead. While I may not view them as serious from a lyrical standpoint, musically it is a different story. They possess the chops to pull off any genre of metal and do it with a good helping of humor.
The album starts off in great fashion with “Hyperion Omniriff” which has this great epic riffing at the beginning but switches gears for a very “pirate-y” (you have to use that word to describe a lot of this material) chorus. You have to love a chorus with the lyrics “are you a cunt or do you drink rum”. Normally those are pretty cringe-worthy but ALESTORM can pull it off straight-faced and serious. To keep things heavy, the beginning bass riff on “Killed to Death by Piracy” sounds like the intro to a MEGADETH track but make no mistake, they take that sounds and turn it into an unmistakable ALESTORM tune.
One of the first surprises (at least for me) is the modern metal of “Banana”. While it does morph into a more familiar sound, there are some great modern metal elements added, especially at the start. Its parts like these that show a progression within their overall sound and shows they are not afraid to deviate here and there from their core sound. “Frozen Piss 2” has some thrash moments that conjure up images of a pirate mosh pit. Drummer Peter Alcorn puts in a machine-like precision performance throughout the song. To add additional weirdness to the whole affair, they add some female vocals towards the end which seem to fit within this whole ALESTORM sound.
“The Storm” is a great chugging metal track that gets the ALESTORM treatment and is given some epic sections that give it a soundtrack-like feel. After so much material that is less than straight-forward, this tune stands out and it is a nice little detour from the rest of the tunes. But alas, we get back into true ALESTORM territory with “Mountains of the Deep” which refer to the siren’s boobs. While the lyrics smack of high school male poetry, the sincerity in which the words are sung somehow give it some respectability. It is the shortest track on offer here and just barely exceeds the two and half minute mark, so in reality, it is over before you really perk up and say “What did they just sing?!?!?!”
The press material states that “Goblins Ahoy!” is a cover by a band called NEKROGOBLIKON. I have not heard of either but I can tell you that whatever they did to the track, they certainly made it their own because it does not feel out of place within their own material. There are so many parts to the song that it really takes you on a roller coaster ride of metal styles yet still anchors (yep, this is purposely a nautical reference I used to fit the pirate theme) into an ALESTORM sound.
All of this leads to the colossus on the record “Mega-Supreme Treasure of the Eternal Thunderfist”. This seventeen plus minute metal workout throws everything but the kitchen sink in to create an epic to end all epics. Sure, they came close with the title track of “Sunset on the Golden Age” but this new one has that beat by a longshot. It’s epic but moves along to each individual part so that just when you thought you had it figured out, they switch gears and add something new. This tune works especially as the finish to the record because anything afterwards would get overshadowed.
If you are already a fan, I think you will find that ALESTORM stays consistent but still manages to throw the listener a few surprises along the way. “The Thunderfist Chronicles” manages to build on their legacy without venturing too far away from what made them the band they are today. My recommendation is that you hoist the Jolly Roger, throw a patch over one eye, and raise a pint while headbanging to “The Thunderfist Chronicles”. You’ll thank me later!
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