Black Sails at Midnight
Alestorm · 2009
91 min · 18 tracks · power metal
A raucous blend of folk and power metal, brimming with swashbuckling tales and infectious melodies.
Top tracks — play these first
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Leviathan — This track encapsulates the album's adventurous spirit, merging powerful riffs with vivid storytelling about sea monsters that reflect the band's playful take on maritime folklore.
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Keelhauled — As one of the standouts, this song combines catchy hooks with a relentless tempo, illustrating the brutal pirate practice of keelhauling through its intense lyrics and energetic instrumentation.
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Wolves of the Sea — Featuring anthemic choruses and a strong sense of camaraderie among pirates, this track showcases Alestorm's ability to create sing-along moments that resonate with their audience during live shows.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album effectively combines folk and metal elements but has moments that feel formulaic within the genre.
What we noticed
- The album features a consistent use of folk instruments alongside electric guitars, creating a layered sound that blends traditional and modern elements.
- Several tracks incorporate call-and-response vocals, enhancing the communal feel typical of sea shanties.
- The pacing varies significantly, with tracks like 'Keelhauled' maintaining high energy while others like 'To the End of Our Days' slow down for dramatic effect.
- Composition 25% of the score
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6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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5/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- dynamic journey with peaks
- raucous sing-alongs with friends
- adventurous late-night escapades
- wave-like pacing for exploration
- spirited anthems of camaraderie
Maybe skip if you
- seeking mellow background sounds
- prefer instant gratification tracks
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Black Sails at Midnight is Alestorm's second studio album, following their debut, Captain Morgan's Revenge, released in 2008. By this point, the band was carving out a unique niche within the folk metal scene, building momentum with their high-energy performances and thematic focus on piracy.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Finntroll· Korpiklaani· Ensiferum
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
Disc 1
- 1 The Quest 4:56
- 2 Leviathan 5:55
- 3 That Famous Ol’ Spiced 4:45
- 4 Keelhauled 3:42
- 5 To the End of Our Days 6:22
- 6 Black Sails at Midnight 3:30
- 7 No Quarter 3:02
- 8 Pirate Song 4:02
- 9 Chronicles of Vengeance 6:24
- 10 Wolves of the Sea 3:33
Disc 2
- 1 Intro 2:03
- 2 Over the Seas 3:44
- 3 The Huntmaster 5:46
- 4 Death Before the Mast 3:47
- 5 Nancy the Tavern Wench 5:28
- 6 Set Sail and Conquer 8:27
- 7 Wenches & Mead 4:58
- 8 Captain Morgan’s Revenge 11:11
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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