Storm Seeker – Guns Don’t Cry

By RingMaster Review on February 23, 2021 • ( 0 )

With muscular winds in their sails and swashbuckling fervour in their roar, German metallers Storm Seeker have just released their second album, and few greater rousing and downright fun incitements have we embraced in recent times. As so many small boys, pretending to prey the high seas under the Jolly Roger was a common source of adventure and thanks to the Düsseldorf pirates, and their sea faring folk metal, we have an excuse to sail shark infested seas again whilst listening to one rather fine collection of songs.

Formed in 2013 by the Abor brothers, lead vocalist/bassist Timothy and guitarist/vocalist Olaf, Storm Seeker sailed the shallows before catching a strong tide with the release of their first EP, Pirate Scum, in 2016. Attention was struck and under greater threat by the band’s debut album, Beneath in the cold, which was unleashed three years later. It was an encounter which established the band’s pirate focused folk metal bred sound with a whole new wave of fans and urged strong praise, one arousing new lands to an incitement which had already been bringing its fair share of plaudits and new deck mates across European venues. Now the quintet is venturing out with new rum soaked adventures and quite simply Guns Don’t Cry is their finest exploit by far and sure to see Storm Seeker foraging new lofty horizons.

Whereas the likes of Alestorm and Swashbuckle devour the senses with feral ferocity, Storm Seeker are more your gentleman pirates yet each track within Guns Don’t Cry demands and grips attention with salty intoxication and sea leathered determination. Their folk breeding has at times an air of bands such as Korpiklaani and Cellar Darling yet with the emotive lures of Sandy McGnomsen, with her cello/nyckelharpa enterprise, and the equally alluring caresses and temptations of Fabi’s hurdy gurdy alone, it is a tempest which quickly sets out its formidable individuality.

Guns Don’t Cry’s first waves are breached by How To Be A Pirate, the opener swinging in with familiar essences but swiftly woven into a lesson of piracy as predacious rhythms prowl. There was no escaping an instinctive sway in hips and flexing of neck muscle to its voyage, backing vocals across the band a magnetic alignment to Timothy’s tones which unsurprisingly carry that specific growl we expect and welcome from seafaring miscreants.

It is a great start to the release but one soon left in the wake of the following Naval Hitchhike. Mischief, tongue in cheek incitement and undiluted fun soaks every track and just brings a broad smile across the second. Rapid fire rhythms and the united lively melodic coaxing of Sandy and Fabi quickly held sway as guitars and bass launched their inviting offensive, the track blossoming in character and temptation as it unveiled its troublesome exploits finding sea going rides with a broad grin.

Every note and syllable builds a theatre of sound, storytelling and temptation; incitement which was too easy to want to get involved in to be good for us but there was no refusing the virulent escapade and drama of Shoot This Ship Down and in turn the frenetic trespass of the album’s title track. The first is aggression and spirit raising infectiousness combined, multi-vocals again a web of manipulation and the cello a rich vein of emotive intimation more than matched in potency buy the hurdy gurdy and Ughar der schrecklich Durstige’s keys. Its successor similarly flies from its moorings with an untamed energy but soon wraps it in melodic tempting, lusty accordion, and wild sonic flames to involve and incite.

From its first breath One more Day had us lost at sea, its dark, snarl lined cello lure across shark infested water irresistible and only more captivating once Sandy’s melancholic call, or it might be Fabi’s as we have yet to work it out with both having ear gripping voices, drew us in deeper. The track is haunting, an emotive siren on ears and a major favourite which is quickly stood beside by the following pair of Compass and Row Row Row, the first another tenebrific sail into the soupy dark which though brief is pure drama with a great vein of trepidation. The second is simply glorious, a low key acoustically nurtured slice of shanty contagion thick in enterprise and personality which again had us lustily involved with its growling lustiness.

Featuring fellow seven seas pursuers Mr. Hurley & die Pulveraffen, Deathwatch Beetle Party is a dark folk romance of someone at sea far too long, and again pure pleasure as instinctive espionage brings doom the way of the vessel, while Maelstrom which has Tanzwut guesting takes the listener on a rousing course through again siren kept landscape courtesy of Sandy’s elegant tones and devouring tempestuous waters

Guns Don’t Cry concludes with firstly Sextant, a track that sees Seeb from Orden Ogan adding his prowess and a final nautical adventure unsurprisingly fraught with danger, drama and anthemic compulsion. It is also a track which emphasizes that for all the fun and mischief, this quintet have the imagination and craft to create fiercely memorable and accomplished encounters; though there is nothing but insatiable fun to have with the closing Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu Strand Bikini, a classic let loose to run riot with no doubt a few bottles of rum in its arms.

It is fair to say that already this year we have devoured some really addictive and thrilling releases and Guns Don’t Cry is right there at the head of the quest, Storm Seeker with a skull and crossbones in hand.

Guns Don’t Cry is out now via NoCut Entertainment; available @ https://nocut.shop/Guns-Dont-Cry