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Alestorm is an English Heavy/Folk Metal band that has been making noise for quite a while following their 2007 debut. I do not know their previous work, so when a new album came out this year I had to know what they sound like. I've read that most fans compare them to Running Wild just because they sing about pirates, and frankly that's the only thing they have in common with the Germans.

While Running Wild play pure Heavy Metal, Alestorm's brand of Heavy Metal has a lot of Folk influences and keyboards. Not only that, but this album is marred with catchy, sing along anthemic choruses that are worthy of Edguy in their prime. But I guess that is their style, and I have to accept that as there are a number of good songs here like: "That Famous Ol' Spiced", the fun "Keelhauled" and the title track. However that does little to hide the fact that there is little metal to be found here and I don't know why I got that impression. Maybe it was because the guitars lack a heavy punch, the drumming is stale, the emphasis on the keyboards or the fact that I am not enamored with this particular style.

I may sound tough here but Black Sails at Midnight is actually a decent studio effort. The songs are fun and catchy but it seems to me that the band made them specifically for a live environment instead for a proper studio album, and in the end that is what I am reviewing here. And while I haven't listened thoroughly to the debut except for a couple of songs, I am willing to bet that they follow the same style. So if you like it, by all means get this album you'll enjoy it a lot more than I did.