Alestorm - Live At The End Of The World (2013) (8,5/10)

ALESTORM make songs about exactly two different topics only: alcohol and pirates. Sometimes, additional elements such as beautiful barmaids, epic quests or traveling in time try to cover the lack of originality. They don’t take themselves all too serious though and that makes these five guys from England, Northern Ireland and Scotland so sympathetic. Their joyous mixture of rough vocals, epic melodies played by guitars, keyboards and keytars and enthusiastic sing-along passages works best live. While the band looked a little bit chaotic and drunk when I first saw them back in early 2009, they still booze a lot on stage and interact in a very humorous way with the crowd but their musicianship seems to have improved since then and their sound is more structured as well. I really saw an improved performance by the band when I went to another show of them in late 2013 and that’s why I decided to purchase their “Live at the End of the World” package including a live disc and the entire concert on DVD plus a funny documentary and two video clips.

The band takes us on a joy ride over more than ninety minute where they drink rum, cognac and beer on stage, have amusing discussions with the enthusiastic nine hundred fans in Melbourne and perform their greatest hits from the first three albums including slow paced epic pirate ballads such as “Nancy The Tavern Wench”, fast and partially almost thrash metal driven anthems like the fan favorite “Keelhauled” and even symphonic extreme metal parts as “Death Throes Of The Terrorsquid”. Other highlights include funny nonsense speeches as in the introduction to “Pirate Song”, the amusing band presentation in “Set Sail and Conquer” or the peaceful wall of death event during the band anthem “Captain Morgan’s Revenge”. In the end, this concert feels like a crazy party where the band and the crowd booze, cheer and sing together. Even though the band sounds better than in the past, the singer still misses many notes and some instruments get out of rhythm but ALESTORM are not about technical perfection but about having a whole lot of fun in life. That’s why this band really works better on stage than on a simple studio record.

If you are a regular fan, this release will be the highlight in your collection and if you happen to be an occasional or new fan, let me tell you that this release is far more essential than any ALESTORM record because this concert and the following and surprisingly entertaining documentary represent all what this band is about. Switch your brains off, invite some friends and a couple of beautiful women, prepare some great drinks (some recipe suggestions can be read in the credits) and be ready to dance, mosh and sing along while watching or listening to this cool release. The only reason to not purchase this package is in order to save your money to see these guys live on stage in your town and be part of the party. Hurry up though as one never knows for how many years these guys may still be able to tour the world on such a high and wide level due to all their alcohol abuses and epic parties.

(Online December 26, 2013)