Equilibrium is something that can be exceedingly hard to ascertain for even the most experienced of musicians. There are so many different factors that go into any given body of work that it can be downright effortless for anyone to put some in the spotlight while there are plenty of aspects that find themselves in the background, little more than mere hints of the flavor that they could bring to the table. To find balance is to find yourself a certifiable master of your craft, and that’s something that we don’t really get to see all that often even in better situations as we travel from one band to the next. Surprisingly, it’s my opinion that Alestorm stands as one of the finest names to achieve equilibrium as it’s throughout their career they’ve managed to straddle the line of serious piracy and a damn good time that’s well and truly free-spirited with their latest effort a further testament to that fact.

Despite the reputation that many might give a band like Alestorm, I would argue that this is a band that has managed to achieve a lot and go much further with a concept than I think many of us would have figured over ten years ago. For years now, Alestorm has managed to bring together their own personal brand of folk and power metal with an obvious pirate theme to bring forth some of the most entertaining metal that we’ve seen in recent times with there always being room for fun and general tomfoolery with their finest creations always finding a delicate yet solid balance between the two. With what they delivered within the eight tracks of “The Thunderfist Chronicles”, it’s clear that Alestorm hasn’t lost a single bit of their power, comedic edge, or their sense of mischief. While admittedly going along many of the same lines that they have in previous albums, it’s important to note that Alestorm continuously makes this work feel engaging, dynamic, and organic for what it manages to bring to the table and execute in a fashion that feels nigh on intoxicating. A thrilling adventure that’s as absurd in its contents as it is enthralling for the sights and experiences that it offers at virtually every given turn, it’s the entirety of “The Thunderfist Chronicles” that shows us what Alestorm can still do after terrorizing the seas for almost twenty years with their infectious nature permeating everything that they do with the final results downright electrifying if you allow the energies of Alestorm to simply drown you.

There are many reasons why Alestorm has been a lasting force in a style that has always taken itself far too seriously at times, and every single one of those reasons has time to shine by the time “The Thunderfist Chronicles” comes to a close. The eighth record from a band that still has so many adventures to go on and so many more sights to show us, it’s obvious here that Alestorm has not lost a single drop of their immense aura with the very horizon still their’s for the taking.

LISTEN to “The Thunderfist Chronicles” on YouTube here.

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