Genre: Traditional and traditional-style sea shanteys
Rating: PG
Target Audience: Grownups, older kids, folks who prefer sugar and lime in their grog rather than sand and gunpowder

As a fan of pirate music, I often find myself amongst the villainous and off-key. Pirate music is commonly gritty, sinister, and more concerned with setting a swashbuckling mood than achieving musical perfection – and God love ‘em for it! That said, once in a while it’s good to rise up from the bilges, sober up, maybe take a bath, and listen to some artists that have opted for a different, more polished musical endeavor. And that’s where Bounding Main is time and again a favorite amongst so many shanty-fans.

Kraken Up is Bounding Main’s fourth album, and carries a quality and tone that will come as no surprise to those familiar with their previous work. Primarily a capella, light-hearted, sometimes goofy and sometimes gorgeous – this is the Bounding Main that fans know and so fervently love (Bounding Mainiacs are indeed some of the most loyal fans I’ve seen amongst the pirate community.) The album begins with Dogger Bank, a song that seems to be in English, but has all the apparent intelligibility of a Yahoo Serious Festival. Twigger? Juvee Ju? Shangaroo??? The liner notes claim this is a traditional piece using actual sailing lingo, and I’ll have to take their word for it. The song itself – confusing wordage notwithstanding – is a joy to listen to with strong female lead vocals and deeper backup vocals keeping the pace.

This CD is a mixture of traditional and original sea music, with a couple of cover songs thrown in. Day of the Clipper is a Schooner Fare classic with the added bonus of being a collaborative effort between Bounding Main and The Jolly Rogers, who bring their instrumentals and piratey vocals to the mix. Rolling Up, Rolling Down, by Jack Forbes, is unique not only in its subject matter of modern mariners, but it also has a fantastic beat (rare, but not unheard of in a capella.)

The album’s traditional selection includes the beautiful Le Capitaine De Sait-Malo which, like Dogger Bank, might sound like jibberish, but is actually something called “french.” Saltpeter Shanty has a fine strength about it, and David’s deep lead vocals – as always – contrasts extraordinarily well with the rest of the group’s backups. Sloop John B, which is partly traditional, partly original, is another beautiful piece that captures Bounding Main at its lyrical best, while also showcasing Gina’s ability to inject an extra emotional punch when she takes lead.

Original tunes feature the work of several of Bounding Main. Call of the Sea, Night Watchman’s Lament, and Green Eyed Girl are all new works, but it’s Barbershop Shanty that truly stands apart. Sounding more like a show-tune onstage than a signature Bounding Main piece, it tells of the struggles of a 5’3″ captain with a less-than-commanding voice. Eventually he learns that while he can’t necessarily command, he can sing a fine shanty – whether or not that qualifies as a happy ending we’ll leave to the listeners

Bounding Main is one of those groups that I hardly need review – the vast majority of readers probably already own their CDs, and will (and certainly SHOULD) rush out to buy Kraken Up. Granted, it contains not one direct pirate reference, but it features plenty of nautical appeal, and is certainly a joy on the ears.

Do I even need to review this album? I mean, seriously – all I need to do is say, “Pirate Christmas CD” and then add, “by The Bilge Pumps,” and then I’d guess most readers will immediately do the math and go running (to or from the album may vary from reader to reader )

OK, maybe some of you aren’t already familiar with The Bilge Pumps (seriously? I mean, don’t you even listen to Bilgemunky Radio?), so perhaps I should elaborate. The Bilge Pumps are a pirate shanty/comedy group. Their music is appropriately rough, swaggerly, and peppered with the sorts of off-taste comments you sorta-wish-the-kids-hadn’t-heard-but-maybe-it-went-over-their-heads-and-besides-they-have-to-grow-up-someday. Yeah, that sort of band. And on their new album A Pirate’s Christmas Wish they lend their trademark tastes and talents to re-imagine this classic holdiay through 20+ songs of good tidings and villainy. By and large, this means parodies – A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas, Carol of the Beers, Johnny the Steampunk Pirate, etc. These are the songs you grew up to, and while you won’t be able to immediately sing along to the new, salty lyrics, you can at least hum along as you swig your eggnog (the more rum mixed in the better.)

The music is largely a capella, with sporadic accompaniment from drums, guitar, steel drums (for that tropical Christmas flavor) and even a kazoo. Jokes and offhand comments are also mixed in for good measure. This is not an album of orchestral Christmas music subtly turned towards piratey, but rather a pirate comedy album with a Christmas theme. This is an important distinction, because if you think you’re going to sneak this album into your church’s holiday party mix for a private joke, you’d better be prepared for a quick getaway (unless it’s a pirate church, in which case you’re golden.)

As with their other albums, A Pirate’s Christmas Wish is a bit goofy, and a lot unpolished. Mostly these qualities are put to good effect, although “I Saw Fannie Punching Santa Claus” is a little over the top in the silliness department, and “Blue Christmas” seems like something created on a drunken dare. “Deck the Halls”, however, is a wonderful mix of steel drums and scratchy pirate singing that truly conjures a group of caroling buccaneers. “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” is another high point with tighter singing, and a fun mix of drums and jingle bells. “A Pirate’s Christmas Wish”, being the album’s title track and the only wholly original track (all others being parodies) is for me the best of the bunch, with fun “yo ho’s”, a great beat, and humorous, holiday appropriate lyrics.

Every year I see more and more pirate insertion into the holiday season – pirate stockings, pirate ornaments, pirate nutcrackers, and so on. But pirate Christmas songs are still few and far between. The Bilge Pumps have done a real service with this album, not only giving us an easy gift idea for any crew Secret Santa programs, but also providing us some fine tunes for any holiday pirate gatherings.

For those of us who focus primarily on Pirate-Core style music, meaning that which bends&blends the pirate genre into new and exciting directions, it’s sometimes important – and refreshing – to revisit the roots of the genre. However, sea shanties as often performed can often come across rather soft and bland compared to the gritty villainy found on more theatrical pirate CDs, which is why the likes of Tugboat Bromberg fill such a nice gap. Tugboat performs what I can only call “minimalist” pirate music – mostly just himself and a guitar. His voice isn’t exactly sinister, but it has just enough scratch to reach a “casually crusty” point that sounds right at home with pirate material.

Here There Be Pirates is, I believe, the first of these two albums to have been released. While a live performance, the audio quality is very good and background noise seems virtually nonexistant save for those points where Tugboat or his MC are addressing the crowd directly. The disc begins with a couple of traditional favorites; Santy Anno and Jolly Rovin’ Tar. Both are performed in the traditional manner, although Santy Anno does have a few slightly altered lyrics to make it a little more “piratey.” The Mermaid is third on the CD, although it’s not the same traditional song more commonly found on folk albums – rather, this is a song of a single sailor who falls for a mermaid, and must learn to contend with the fact that while a mermaid is indeed half gorgeous lady, she’s also very much half fish.

Pirate’s Dream is one of Tugboat’s original songs, and has a laid-back islander pace about the ideal pirate life, full of sunsets and treasure. The album hosts two Captain Bogg & Salty covers, being What it’s Really Like on a Ship and Scallywag, both of which are performed admirably – Scallywag in particular, as Tugboat manages to make this song his own (no small feat considering the uniquely strong character of the original version.)

Here There be Pirates goes on to include several other traditional songs, including Old Dun Cow, Yarmouth Town, and more. The Derelict of course makes an appearance, and Tugboat sings it in a jolly, sinister, catchy manner. The album concludes with a comfy, somber version of Leave Her Johnny, making for a perfect sendoff.

Tugboat Bromberg’s second pirate album, Scallywag, is studio recorded, and seems just a tad sharper for it. It too features a variety of traditional covers, beginning with Jolly Rovin’ Tar and The Mermaid – both were previously featured on the earlier disc, but these are indeed different recordings, and take on a slightly different character thanks to the studio venue. Billy Bones is a cover of a Skip Henderson favorite, and again Tugboat’s scratchy voice does a fine job of capturing this often immitated but seldom duplicated song. The album continues with a number of traditional songs. Bully in the Alley is easy on the ears if a little sober sounding for a song about being plastered. Spanish Ladies has a nicely rough edge to it, and also features an accompanying harmonica (not sure if that’s period, but it’s still a nice touch.) Captain Kidd is one of only two pirate-specific songs on the album (Billy Bones being the other), and it’s an oddly upbeat version considering the somber nature of the lyrics – peppy gallows music.

Of the two albums, Here There Be Pirates is definitely my favorite. I don’t often lean towards live albums, but in this case the quality is high and it has just a bit more to offer those of us with pirate-specific tastes. However, fans of crusty shanties shouldn’t discount Scallywag, as it has plenty to offer in its own right.

Traditional covers include The Coasts of High Barbary, being a bit more rolling and energetic than is commonly heard, as well as a new rendition of Jolly Rogers’ favorite Pay Me. But as is always the case with the Rogers, it’s in the original content that this album truly shines. Pirate Ship Midnight is a rousing recruiting song, while Devil’s Reach is ripe with adventuresome villainy – guitars and vocals combine to tell a tale that is piratey to the very core. Spirit of the Outlaw, however, may begin (and end) with piracy, but in between it journeys through the ages to explore other sorts of devilry, including highwaymen, gunslingers, and gangsters.

It wouldn’t be The Jolly Rogers without at least some naughtiness. Twisting in the Valley features a series of tongue twisters and the art of being a “cunning linguist” – and if you’ve not yet read between the lines as to the actual content of this song, I can’t help you. Any Port in a Storm is a little more straightforward, albeit not by much – innuendo abounds, while Prime and Load is quite direct… wait, Prime and Load wasn’t dirty – my bad.

Additional tracks worth mentioning are A Bonny Tale (it’s always good to hear a new song about a kick-ass lady pirate) and Day of the Clipper, which is a gorgeour cover of a Schooner Fare classic. The Tempest also caught my ear, as it’s a strangely upbeat song of death at sea – fun if a bit perplexing (my mind also wrestles with shanty classic The Mermaid, for this same reason.)

While Score! is a pirate album very nearly through and through – indeed, perhaps a bit more piratey than many of their albums which sometimes delve a bit deeper into general shanty turf – it does have one song that takes a different tack entirely. Horror Movie Hero 3: Do the Zombie will delight fans of its two predecessors. For myself, I’m thrilled that they’ve moved on from the fictitious silliness of vampires and such and instead are focusing on the very real threat of zombies. Are YOU prepared for the coming invasion?

Definitely an album worth checking out. Thus far in the Jolly Rogers collection, Cutlass, Cannon and Curves has been my undesputed favorite (meaning most awesomely piratey), but Score! just might be the new king.

So most “real” news outlets mention when they have a vested interest in a story – full disclosure and whatnot. Seems like a good idea, so I think it’s fair to mention that The Brigands bought me breakfast a few months back. Coffee, eggs, bacon… there might have been some sort of bread involved, like an english muffin or toast, but I don’t rightly recall. I probably drank a bit of rum the night before, so memory may be sketchy. But the bacon is remembered, and appreciated. But let me assure you, it doesn’t affect this review in the least…

INNER BUCCANEER IS THE GREATEST CD OF ALL TIME AND YOU SHOULD BUY THREE COPIES RIGHT THIS MINUTE.

Ok, lame jokes aside (but bacon still remembered), Inner Buccaneer is, what now, The Brigands’ fifth album? It’s pretty impressive that a band made up of one father and three sons is cohesive enough to put out even a single fine pirate album, but five? This man shouldn’t be singing pirate music – he should be writing books on how to quelch mutinies.

I should stop messing around and review this album. But seriously, what can I say that you don’t already know? This is The Brigands – if their reputation doesn’t proceed them, then you’ve been living in a cave. Jigs and reels abound on this album, making up a full eight of the thirteen tracks, so strap on your dancing boots and get ready to do high kicks from the barroom tables. Sea songs, however, aren’t forgotten. Hard Pressed is a strong, rousing tale of adventure as a pressed sailor decides he’s ready to reclaim his freedom. It’s really a brilliant and moving song, although the vocals are a little too softly mixed for my taste. One More Day, The Squall, and Warlike Seamen are more appropriately balanced, and also more fully represent The Brigands’ usual style of vocalizing – less like coddled musicians and more like seasoned buccaneers. By this I mean the vocals might want for some polish, but they more than make up for it in salty pirate flair. Nelson’s Blood concludes the album with a bit of a surprise, however, as it begins with a singer that sounds like he’s just had a final drink too many, but then is quickly joined by additional voices and what seems to be an electric guitar. This modern touch seems new territory for The Brigands, and made for a rather epic conclusion to a fine pirate album.

Genre: Pirate folk rock
Rating: PG-13
Target Audience: Pirates. If you don’t love this album, you’re a poser.

A review of The Pirates Charles’ new album Rise almost seems redundant. I mean, it’s The Pirates Charles for crike’s sake! And, as always, this album is full of “almost traditional” music akin to what pirates would have listened to if only they’d thought of it. If you’ve heard their earlier albums, then you know what I mean. And if you’ve ever seen them live, then you know it even moreso.

Actually, the live thing bears some exploration. I’ve been a diehard fan of these guys ever since I first heard LIVE Scallywags. Loved it, loved it, loved it. And yet I was still in no way emotionally or intellectually prepared for seeing the jaw dropping energy that is The Pirates Charles live performance. As Spoo Diggity jumps around the stage, Deeddle rocks his mandolin, Tor shreds his fingers across his flute* – it’s just not an experience that can be conveyed with mere words. Which is why Rise does indeed set a new highwater mark for The Pirates Charles’ CD library – with THIS album, for the very first time, modern recording technology has managed to capture that energy that had previously proven so elusive. And that makes this one of the most powerful CDs in piratedom.

Yes, I’m a Pirates Charles fanboy. But lest you think I’m just mindlessly gushing, let me clarify that my gushing comes straight from the heart (much like Bart Roberts after he took a chestful of grapeshot) – this album will make your boots start jigging (except when they’re stomping), while your brain soundlessly screams, “HOLY FLOCK I’M ON FIRE AND I LOVE IT!!!”

The album begins innocently enough with a Notice of the Disclaimant, being a spoken reading of crimes and such while the rowdy crowd drinks in the background. Drain your rum now, because a brief silence follows before the album suddenly and mercilessly breaks into full speed with Mutiny of the H.M.S. Bounty. If you ignored my advice about the rum, whatever remained in your mug is now splattered across the wall (or your dance partner) as you’re now swinging your arms and legs about in reckless abandon. The album continues with other legendary tracks such as Rise of the Buccaneers, Farewell to Nova Scotia, One Mo’ Bottle o’ Rum, Rye Whiskey, and others – the pace may vary, but the insane levels of piratey awesomeness remain consistently stellar.

And that’s the magic of this album. Generally speaking, pirate and sea music can be very fun. It can be melodic, comical, or haunting. It can make you dance a happy jig. But music that captures the pirate spirit like a rabid genie in a bottle is a rare beast indeed. Rise won’t make you dance, rather, it will make your heart swell with pride as your boots stomp holes into the deck. Your head will move to the music while you recklessly swing your mug or your flintlocks in the air (and hopefully avoid cracking your neighbor’s skull.) Outside observers might think what you’re doing is dancing, but you’ll know this is something significantly more primal.

Buy the CD. Just go buy it already.

*if you giggled and your name is Doglock, go sit in the corner

The thing about the band Marooned is that you should never listen to them while drinking rum. It’s not that they aren’t piratey – it’s just that alcohol can promote depression, and so can Marooned. Slow and somber, mostly a capella songs of death and despair, it’s best to stay sober lest you start blubbering into your mug. But even if you prefer your rum cut with the salty bitterness of your own tears, at least take a moment to hide the rope and razorblades.

The album begins with Hoist the Colors, a song you likely recognize from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Remember that scene where thousands of people are waiting in line to get executed, and so they all start singing? That scene that ends with a little boy getting his neck snapped at the end of a noose (classic Disney moment)? Well, this is the song that Marooned begins their album Better Than Live with, and it nicely epitomizes the CD. Strong yet soothing, like a demented lullaby, Marooned combines male and female vocals to lull you to nappy time where you will dream of oppression, torment, and a magical land where landlubbers mock you (Detroit.) It’s odd and strange, and thus not to be missed.

The album continues with a mix of traditional shanties, some tracks that I believe might be from the renfaire side of the puddle, and even one or two more pirate-specific songs (including everyone’s favorite pirate anthem, The Derelict.) Of the traditional songs, Man O’ War for me stands out the most in that it’s a rare moment of Marooned sounding upbeat. It’s indeed a happy tale of how grand it would be to serve aboard a mighty warship. But *if* being the operative word, I suppose the singer does not actually serve on such a vessel, and most likely works in taxidermy. Which brings us right back to depressing again. Spanish Ladies, in contrast, is a song that is often considered peppy and festive, but Marooned leaves their indelible mark as they recreate the classical tune into one that is strong yet utterly somber.

Also worth mentioning is True Love – a song that I’m not strictly familiar with, so it might be original, or it might be one of the millions of traditional songs I’ve not yet stumbled upon in my rum-addled stupor. Whatever its origins, this is a song of utter grace and beauty. Female vocals spin a tale of loss and longing as a woman stares seaward awaiting her love’s return (but this is Marooned, so I’m certain he never will. Also, the tax man just reclaimed her cottage.)

All this talk of depression might have you believing this album is best avoided – and if you suffer from mental or emotional instability, steer clear at all costs. But anyone with a healthy outlook on life and an ear for emotionally charged sea songs would do well to check it out. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t address one greivance I have with the album, and this is regarding many of the songs which feature two lead males singing in unison [tasteless gay joke omitted]. A few tracks, in fact, feature this vocal duo (Cuckoo’s Nest, Watches, The Dutchman) which sounds less like two lead singers and more like a single vocalist with some weird reverb issues. To me the two voices don’t blend well, and result in a distraction from the songs’ more favorable qualities.

I’ve never seen Marooned perform live, so I can’t state for a fact that this album is indeed “Better Than Live.” But it is a fine album that stands in stark contrast to the mounting selection of pirate rock, upbeat shanties, and rum-swilling party songs. This is a CD unafraid of tackling the innermost demons of shipboard and seagoing life. These are the songs you’ll sing softly through your tears as you find yourself shackled and hanging by your ankles in a Spanish prison, or while huddling from the cold in a drafty dockside tavern, your eyes burned from your skull by a captain with no sense of humor. So give it a spin, drink some rum water, and be glad that the dark days have not yet arrived.

There’s just something about pirate metal. While musically they couldn’t be further removed from actual historical pirates, there’s something in their dress/manner/attitude that makes you believe they “get it.” Blackbeard might have drunkenly sang the songs of the folk singer, but I’d bet gold dust that he’d rather party with the metal-heads. I myself have a special relationship with pirate metal – namely in that it’s the only genre of pirate music that I often need to evaluate/appreciate without ever actually understanding the lyrics. It’s a common trait amongst metal bands to yell and growl unintelligibly – and while it’s not my place to fault them for it, I do find it a bit hard to relate to at times. And this is why I’m particularly appreciative when a band such as Skull Branded Pirates comes along – metal that rocks, but lyrics I can follow.

The Legend of Salty Jim begins with the instrumental track Sail to War. Slow and epic, it takes on the spirit of a movie soundtrack; inviting images of warships before the battle to dance through your head. This track merges directly into Cross Skull Thieves, a song that brings us up to speed with what to expect for the bulk of the album – highly energized electric guitars and drums are joined by a Dio-esque lead singer as he weaves his piratey lyrics of our favorite things (plundering, pillaging, and other salty endeavors.) The pace is fast and aggressive, while also seeming (to this non-expert in metal) pleasantly retro. Cross Skull Thieves sets a tone that is largely echoed throughout the majority of the album’s tracks – all very fun and very good, although also somewhat sounding alike. The magic, however, is in the lyrics for those willing to listen closely. And even from a strictly instrumental perspective there are a couple of standouts. Far Beyond Forever, for example, takes on a slower opening with gently rolling guitars. These are soon joined by vocals that convey a slow strength in a tale that never quite defines itself, but rather cleverly skirts from drinking and dancing to battle and madness. As the subjects change, so does the pace as the music gradually grows faster and faster – by the song’s conclusion it’s classic Skull Branded Pirates through and through.

Throughout the album a number of piratey and pirate-friendly subjects are covered. Hempen Jig would seem self explanatory, while The Stormed & Cursed Seas advises the listener to buck up and face the storm (after all, going down with the ship is better than being stabbed in the back.) So far, pretty standard material. But the CD’s title track, The Legend of Salty Jim – The Lobster King, takes a marvelously surprising tack as it tells the tale of a man-sized lobster who’s battled, befriended, and then made into a battle steed by the singer. The visuals of a pirate riding a giant lobster through the town with cannons mounted to its face are indeed priceless (and make for a fun song as well.)

Perhaps the most noteworthy song of the album is Blackbeard’s Last Stand. Slow and methodical, it accurately recounts the tale of Teach’s defeat at the hands of Maynard and crew. This of course has been done before, although never – to my knowledge – in the form of a metal song. But what’s more, the song transforms itself from a mere narrative into a full-on musical dramatization, with Blackbeard and Maynard each singing their own lines. This, I believe, is a musical first.

The Legend of Salty Jim is a metal album from stem ta stern. Fans of metal and pirate-core alike will find much to love about this album. The Skull Branded Pirates have a truly unique sound amongst the pirate genres, and thus may add some fine variety to any collection.

Some folks have an inner child, some have an inner pirate. And despite her album’s title of “My Inner Pirate,” I strongly suspect Willoughby Caught actually has both – the only question is which one drinks the rum and which one gets to hold the musket.

My Inner Pirate features a variety of traditional, original, and quasi-original pirate tunes, mostly sung in a fun, light-hearted manner. Some, such as Calico Jack and Salmagundi, come across as pirate-acceptable kid’s song, while Drink Like a Pirate takes on a more adult theme in both content and tone. Most of the songs, however, manage to walk the fence between these two extremes in a manner that’s both kid-friendly as well as piratey.

While some of the album’s tracks do appear to be genuinely original, far more are piratey adaptations of traditional songs. Blackbeard’s Final Battle is a variation on Blow the Man Down, The Pyrate’s Way a variation on Pay Me, You Owe Me, and both Pyrate Pete’s Rum AND The Ballad of Grace O’Malley are variations on Wild Rover. While this sort of partially original music to me generally falls flat (I much prefer a fully original composition) the results are still quite decent (although having two tracks with the same origins on the same album does feel a bit repetative.

All told, My Inner Pirate is a decent album of relatively gentle pirate music. It offers a very traditional variety of folk songs altered just enough to set it apart as a bit more piratey than the fully traditional versions often performed by other shanty artists.

Genre: Pirate Rock
Rating: R
Target Audience: Grease monkeys, pool hall junkies, and garage rockers that wish they were pirates.

Rather than settle with “Watered-down Rock Scurvy” or “Cut with Baking Soda Rock Scurvy”, the pirate-core band Brine&Bastards has selected nothing short of “Pure Rock Scurvy” for their second album (following Set Sail for Sodomy.) Something of a mini-album featuring only six songs, it nonetheless holds its own as a worthy addition to today’s growing genre of pirate rock.

As with its predecessor, the album begins with an instrumental piece that’s definitive Brine&Bastards. Never Chase A Dog into a Dead-end Alley features tried and true sea shanty tunes re-envisioned through electric guitars and yelling crowds. It’s quick paced, invigorating, and an excellent lead-in to the album’s second song, Drunken Sailor. Again a traditional piece, nothing is changed in the lyrics from what you’d commonly find in traditional versions, but the modern, punk-style vocals and music make this song entirely atypical. While many pirate bands choose to alter the lyrics (most notably by changing the song to “Drunken Pirate”) in order to make it more piratey, Brine&Bastards instead let their musical stylings convey the piracy on its own – and it pays off in every sense.

Shallow Grave is the album’s first original track, being a rollicking tune with a catchy beat and valuable lesson about not sharing secrets with pirates (a dangerous thing to do, as most pirates prefer to silence any potential loose lips.) The Fog follows, and takes a heavier approach to its music as it tells a tale of pirate ghosts.

Shallow Grave and The Fog are both decent songs, but Brine&Bastards are a band that’s at its best when it’s at its worst – meaning depraved. Taste of the East is easily the star of the album, and does not refer to Chinese takeout (well, not in the culinary sense.) Brilliant, quirky, memorable and fun, this is a song about the gift that keeps on giving. It’s a delightfully upbeat song about prostitutes and the STDs they often share with wayward sailors.

The album concludes with F.T.W. (F*ck This World), which might lack the usual pirate references, but certainly carries plenty of pirattitude or, at the very least, profanity. I suppose it could be considered a dedication to a skanky ex, with an oft-repeated message that’s as simple as it is powerful (in short, f*ck this world.)

Pure Rock Scurvy is a fine, fun album for anyone who enjoys some swagger in their rock. It leans a bit more on the rock side than many pirate-core bands, with the instrumentals almost entirely based modern influences than channeling traditional sea shanties. But the lyrics are piratey through and through, and should be well appreciated by those who enjoy the rockier side of pirate-core.