After signing to Napalm Records in 2007, their debut album Captain Morgan's Revenge, was released on 25 January 2008. Black Sails at Midnight, the band's second album, was released on 27 May 2009. The band's third album, Back Through Time, was released on 3 June 2011. The fourth album from the band, Sunset on the Golden Age, was released in August 2014. Their fifth album No Grave But the Sea was released on 26 May 2017. Their sixth and latest album, Curse of the Crystal Coconut, was released on 29 May 2020.
The band was founded in 2004 as Battleheart, a studio project by Christopher Bowes and Gavin Harper. Originally intended as a standard power metal band, the success of song "Heavy Metal Pirates" convinced the band to permanently adopt a pirate theme and incorporate folk metal elements into their music. Gavin and Christopher recorded & released two independent demos in 2006, which were received well by the local metal community. The band began to perform live in 2006, with a lineup consisting of Bowes (vocals and keytar), Harper (guitars), Dani Evans (bass) and Doug Swierczek (drums). Doug Swierczek eventually left the band later that year and was replaced by Ian Wilson. After a period of inactivity, in late 2007 Battleheart sent their demos to Napalm Records, and the band was promptly offered a record deal.
After being signed by Napalm Records, the band changed their name from Battleheart to Alestorm. Their debut album, Captain Morgan's Revenge, was released in early 2008.
By September 2008, original guitarist Gavin Harper had left the band. Tim Shaw was Harper's replacement, but after a brief period of touring, was fired from the band. To fill the guitarist position, Dani Evans switched instruments from bass to guitar, and Gareth Murdock of Waylander joined as the replacement bassist. The band's 2nd album Black Sails at Midnight was released in May 2009. In March 2010, Ian Wilson left the band and was replaced with a new drummer named Peter Alcorn. Alestorm's third album, Back Through Time, was Alcorn's first appearance on an Alestorm album. In October 2011, Elliot Vernon joined the band as keyboard player and performing screamed / death metal vocals.
The band released their fourth record entitled "Sunset on the Golden Age" on 1 August 2014, reaching the #1 position in the UK Rock Chart.
In October 2016, Christopher Bowes announced during a concert on the Super Smashed Turbo Tour that the band planned to begin recording a fifth studio album in January 2017. The fifth record, entitled "No Grave But the Sea", was released on 26 May 2017.
On 8 January 2020, the band announced the title of their sixth studio album, "Curse of the Crystal Coconut". This was released on May 29th, 2020. Prior to its release, Alestorm released the singles "Treasure Chest Party Quest", "Tortuga" (feat. Captain Yarrface of Rumahoy) and "Fannybaws".
Alestorm is generally classified as pirate metal, folk metal, power metal, heavy metal, and hard rock. The band refer to themselves as "True Scottish Pirate Metal" and are identifiable by the pirate-themed lyrics in their songs. Alestorm's music utilizes the upbeat epic style of power metal with many orchestrations commonly found in folk metal. Album recordings feature heavy use of real trumpets and trombones, whilst implementing accordion synths, fiddle and tin whistle to convey a pirate sea shanty feel. Alestorm uses factors of absurdity to bring a jocular feel to their music, incorporating irreverent lyrical themes while retaining a tenuous connection to pirates.
They have also been known to experiment with different metal genres, going from songs that are predominantly thrash metal ("Black Sails at Midnight") to a switch to a black metal sonority mid-song ("Death Throes of the Terrorsquid"). The band's later albums have begun to incorporate more screamed vocals by keyboard player Elliot Vernon, adding hints of metalcore ("Magnetic North") and death metal ("1741 – The Battle of Cartagena") to the band's sound.
Official bio:
Avast, ye landlubbers! From the deepest darkest depths of the Caribbean comes Alestorm, a drunken band of pirates on an epic quest to drink your beer, steal your rum, and be the greatest damn band that ever did sail the seven seas!
From humble beginnings playing shows to farm animals in a field somewhere in Eastern Scotland, Alestorm have evolved into an international party machine hellbent on conquering album charts and festival stages throughout the world, with their infectious brand of 'Pirate Metal' and their dashing good looks.
Somehow they've managed to convince hundreds of thousands of people from New Zealand to Argentina to Lithuania and everywhere in between (except Paraguay), that it's cool to wear a pirate hat and sing stupid songs about getting drunk and stealing ships. So prepare your spleens, because Alestorm are coming to kick ass and chew gum. And they're all out of ass.
Also, they have a giant inflatable duck. Does your band have a giant inflatable duck? No. I didn't think so.
Magnetic North
Alestorm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the night swarmed all around
With no moon to guide or passage north
This corpse of mine may never be found
Thirty days, into this dead mans quest
In search of riches in a time-lost treasure chest
Through oceans never seen, through fog as thick as night
Far beyond the ice and snow
Our voyage carries on
For blood and gold, we sold our souls
Redemption lies at Magnetic North
Set the course for Magnetic North
Beyond the snow to Magnetic North
On the quest for Magnetic North
We will die at Magnetic North
Sold a lie, condemned to die
Empty promise encased in ice
One by one, our time has come
Death awaits before the sun
The snow fell hard on a frozen sea
As the sun rose to the sky
Trapped forever in the sea of ice
This is the place where we will die
Far beyond the ice and snow
Our voyage carries on
For blood and gold, we sold our souls
Redemption lies at Magnetic North
Set the course for Magnetic North
Beyond the snow to Magnetic North
On the quest for Magnetic North
We will die at Magnetic North
The song "Magnetic North" by Alestorm is a tale of adventure and tragedy. The lyrics tell the story of a group of sailors on a quest for treasure, sailing through unforgiving waters with no moon to light the way. As they travel further into the cold and desolate north, they find themselves trapped in a sea of ice, doomed to perish in this icy wasteland. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and hopelessness as the sailors come to terms with their impending doom.
The song also highlights the greed and folly of man. The sailors are driven by their lust for riches, willing to risk everything, including their lives, to achieve their goal. The song warns of the consequences of such pursuits, where the search for wealth can blind one to the dangers that lie ahead.
Overall, "Magnetic North" is a powerful song that tells a compelling story of adventure, greed, and tragedy. The lyrics are masterfully written and convey a range of emotions, from desperation to horror to despair.
Line by Line Meaning
The snow fell hard on a frozen sea
The snowstorm was severe on the icy body of water.
As the night swarmed all around
The darkness enveloped everything in its path.
With no moon to guide or passage north
The celestial body wasn't present to show the path or direction to head.
This corpse of mine may never be found
The dead body may remain lost in the unforgiving terrain.
Thirty days, into this dead mans quest
After an entire month on this journey, undertaken by a now-deceased person,
In search of riches in a time-lost treasure chest
The crew was hunting for wealth and valuable items that were lost in history.
Through oceans never seen, through fog as thick as night
Their path was unknown, through waters uncharted and shrouded in dense fog.
To the northern wastelands, onwards we must fight
Their goal was in the hostile, barren expanse of the North, which they had to reach with determination.
Far beyond the ice and snow
Their journey took them beyond the cold tundra and snow-covered terrain.
Our voyage carries on
Their journey still continues, undeterred by the challenges faced so far.
For blood and gold, we sold our souls
They sacrificed everything, including their morality, for the sake of wealth and riches.
Redemption lies at Magnetic North
The possibility of salvation or atonement lies at their destination in Magnetic North.
Set the course for Magnetic North
They must navigate towards the North on their ship.
Beyond the snow to Magnetic North
Their journey will take them beyond the frozen snow to reach their goal.
On the quest for Magnetic North
Their objective is to reach Magnetic North.
We will die at Magnetic North
Their journey will end in the harsh, unforgiving conditions of Magnetic North, leading to death.
Sold a lie, condemned to die
They fell for a dishonest scheme, which may lead to their downfall.
Empty promise encased in ice
The deceitful assurance they received is now trapped in the frozen wasteland.
One by one, our time has come
Their fate is inexorable, and they have to face it, each one at a time.
Death awaits before the sun
Their demise is imminent before sunrise, in the harsh northern wilderness.
As the sun rose to the sky
The morning sun began to ascend into the heavens.
Trapped forever in the sea of ice
They are permanently stranded in the frozen sea and cannot escape.
This is the place where we will die
Their final resting place is where they are currently trapped.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER BOWES, LASSE LAMMERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alfonsoconde4050
The snow fell hard on a frozen sea
As the night swarmed all around
With no moon to guide our passage north
This corpse of mine may never be found
Thirty days, into this dead mans quest
In search of riches in a time-lost treasure chest
Through oceans never seen, through fog as thick as night
To the northern wastelands, onwards we must fight
Far beyond the ice and snow
Our voyage carries on
For blood and gold, we sold our souls
Redemption lies at Magnetic North
Set the course for Magnetic North
Beyond the snow to Magnetic North
On the quest for Magnetic North
We will die at Magnetic North
Sold a lie, condemned to die
Empty promise encased in ice
One by one, our time has come
Death awaits before the sun
The snow fell hard on a frozen sea
As the sun rose to the sky
Trapped forever in the sea of ice
This is the place where we will die
Far beyond the ice and snow
Our voyage carries on
For blood and gold, we sold our souls
Redemption lies at Magnetic North
Set the course for Magnetic North
Beyond the snow to Magnetic North
On the quest for Magnetic North
We will die at Magnetic North
@napalmrecords
In case you missed it - here's the brand new Alestorm video "Magnetic North"!
(Caution: may require a certain amount of humour to enjoy to its full extent)
@bastardbear4093
Napalm Records better production \o/
@nemesiumsensei664
Napalm Records I don't understand, where are pirates o.O
But it change nothing this song is awesome
@MasterMadaraXD
Napalm Records best version of an idea from Lady Gaga I've ever seen xD
I hope there will be more of videos like that :)
@beefj3rk
Napalm Records lost my shit
@riccardospqr44
When I first saw this video I was quite disappointed, because I didn't unterstand this strange collocation; then, when I discovered the lady gaga video, I realized that this is the best thing that you could ever do. I laughed so fucking much, haha thank you guys for this epic work!
@digitocrepitus5212
After listening to this track many many times I'd always imagined the official video would be an epic adventure of snow-covered pirates with icicles in their beards clinging to the rails as their ship smashes through sheets of ice. I wasn't disappointed, 10/10.
@bodom1011
Same
@bryanmoberg8408
the funny thing...is that video exists for a different Alestorm song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TKyNTwD3Yk&index=11&list=RDf55CqLc6IR0
@SkyrimMaster
If I wasn't confused before, I am now ^