I’d love if this had been a really good review. Trust me, I would!

The paradox, you see, is that this debut CD from Scottish Alestorm has made me smile like no other silver disc has in a long time. Why? Because it’s so cheesy funny and charming that you can’t help liking it!

Just to give you an understanding what this sounds like:
You get someone who's inspired by Running Wild, Skyclad and Rhapsody into one rehearsal room.
Heat up with technical prowess.
Spice up with songs about conquering the high seas, curses, wenches and drinking.
Add to that a charming Scottish accent.

I have a lot of respect for concepts, cheesy as they may be. Pirates, puppets, corrupted societies, sci-fi, you name it, just bring it on – AS LONG AS you can not only play and put together nice stories but also sing. And that, I’m afraid, vocalist/keyboard player Chris Bowes can not. He’s overdoing the pirate theme to a degree where it hurts. It just doesn’t sound good. And that, my friends, ruins the experience. Perhaps a clean vocal next time, eh?

Sad but true, but the idea is from the outset more than OK.