ALBUM REVIEW: The Triumph Of Piracy – Rumahoy
First setting sail in 2012, Pagan pirate-metallers RUMAHOY are lead by Captain Yarrface on vocals and have completed their first album The Triumph Of Piracy. This album also marks their debut on Napalm Records. Scouring the land, Captain Yarrface built up his crew from the finest men he could find: Bootsman Walktheplank on guitar, Cainboy Treasurequest on bass, and Swashbuckling Pete on drums.
AHOY! Opens the album with a cheery jingle, then Captain Yarrface introduces himself and RUMAHOY in a gruff half-spoken half-sung manner. The following three verses introduce the rest of the crew with a short introduction, the remainder of the song is devoted to rum and treasure-fuelled quests. A very grand introduction brings in the next song, Quest For Heritage, which shows off RUMAHOY’s slightly heavier side with more growly vocals and heavier riffs. The repeated refrain “Fight! Kill! Die!” alongside “Digging for rum, drinking some rum” keeping true to pirate themes and lend themselves to singing along, although is perhaps too simplistic.
Forest Party leans more towards the mythical side of lore, drinking with witches, and goblin men but this cheerful drinking song is pleasantly bouncy. Described is a wonderful scene in the woods, with dancing around a fire and drinking until sunrise. The vocals switch between a clean vocal line, and a gruff, deeper voice. Forest Party is one of the best songs on the album, with a cheerful melody and lyrics that flow well together.
The Haitian Slam is a bouncy, fast paced tune with a comical chorus that is great fun to sing along to. It opens with the sound of rain, accompanied by Caribbean sounding percussion. It develops into fast paced guitars which continue alongside the vocals, only breaking at the chorus which is light-hearted chanting. Huffman The Pirate King is a story describing the legacy of The Pirate King who inspires lowly pirates in their plundering ways “he is the man and pirate we want to be”, no one can argue RUMAHOY aren’t educational. The theme is perhaps too limited as such becoming repetitive by this stage in the album. Coupled with uncomplicated lyrics – which aren’t in themselves a bad thing – it becomes monotonous and lacking an original interpretation on piracy.
Mixing a modern phenomenon with pirate ways, Netflix And Yarr is a lament about failing to find crew members and wenches. In line with the sorrowful subject matter, musically it’s a sombre tune. The gruff vocals are accompanied on the chorus by a collection of voices which adds to the melancholy tone. A guitar solo surprises listeners two-thirds in, a step away from the more straightforward guitar riffs found in pirate chants, towards more technical playing. The album draws to a close on title track The Triumph Of Piracy, which is again more melancholy than the rest of the album, both musically and lyrically, but picks up the pace during the choruses which include some more gravelly vocals. It is a very reflective track, looking at pirate’s life as a whole but ultimately becomes a request to join their ranks.
RUMAHOY‘s debut album is nine bouncy tunes, full of energy and tales of piracy. They are slightly heavier than some of the other pirate metal bands around, having developed their own form of Pagan pirate-metal that includes jovial lyrics and drinking chants. There are some more solemn songs on the album, showcasing their array of talents for writing not just drinking songs, but more meaningful expressions of grief. However, a development in subject matter to more than drinking rum and fighting would give depth and add replay value to the songs.
Rating: 6/10
The Triumph Of Piracy is set for release 9 February 2018 via Napalm Records.
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