Welcome to our first ever Exploring the Band: Alestorm! During this time we invite the viewers to come on a journey with us while we explore a particular band’s history and discography. Each YouTube video will have a companion blog post here on our website where viewers can follow along, read the notes and checking out the sources and links provided.
Exploring the Band: Alestorm

Origin: Perth, Scotland
Genre: folk/power metal (“pirate” metal)
Lyrical themes: pirates, drinking, adventure, historical events
Current Lineup:
Christopher Bowes – vocals, keytar
Mate Bodor – guitars
Gareth Murdok – bass, backing vocals
Peter Alcorn – drums
Elliot Vernon – keyboards, backing (unclean) vocals
2004

Began in 2004 as Battleheart as an internet band on the Ultimate Metal forums by Gavin Harper and Christopher Bowes.
First Battleheart recordings happened in around this time with Heavy Metal Pirates as one of their first songs.
2006
Battleheart – Self-titled (demo)

Released: April 15, 2006
Metal-Archives: 84%
Metalstorm: 7.1
These songs were re-recorded and released on future albums.
The Korpiklaani song “Journey Man” was covered.
Released on the Ultimate Metal Forum on May 10th, 2006.
June 30th, 2006 – Battleheart played their first gig at Balcony Bar in Dundee.
Terror on the High Seas (Demo)

Released: October 14, 2006
Metal-Archives: 89%
Metalstorm: 7.7
Much higher quality than their previous demo.
All songs were re-recorded for their debut album.
2007
August 8th – Changed their name to Alestorm to not be confused with Battlelore.
August 23rd – The band signs with Napalm Records
2008
Captain Morgan’s Revenge

Released: Jan 25, 2008
Metal Archives: 81%
Metalstorm: 7.8
Recorded September and
Recorded September and October 2007 in Scottland (keyboards) and Germany (everything else)
Only 3 tracks DON’T come from the two previous demos:
- Captain Morgan’s Revenge
- Huntmaster
- Of Treasure
Flower of Scotland is a cover of the unofficial Scottish national anthem by Roy Williamson.
Lasse Lammet does all mixing, producing and engineering. He does all their albums up to the newest.
Heavy metal Pirates was released as a single on April 24th on Napster and iTunes. This was rerecorded during the Captain Morgan’s Revenge studio sessions.
Spent 2008 touring Europe and playing all the festivals including Wacken and Bloodstock.
June 14th – drummer Ian Wilson parted ways with the band due to a busy schedule. He is replaced by Alex Tabisz
September 11th – Ian Wilson rejoins as drummer
September 13th – Founding member Gavin Harper quits the band citing sleepless nights budgeting, personal differences within the band and moving to a new country (Finland).
He is replaced by Tim Shaw who was fired from the band after a brief period with them. Dani Evans switched instruments from bass to guitar, and Gareth Murdock of Waylander joined as the replacement bassist.
Leviathan EP

October 30th
Metal-Archives: 95%
Metalstorm: 7.9
Wolves of the Sea is a cover of the song that represented Latvia in Eurovision 2008.
2009
Black Sails at Midnight

Released: May 27, 2009
Metal-Archives: 68%
Metalstorm: 7.9
Recorded in November of 2008 at LSD Studio
Sold 600 copies in North America in first week
No Quarter is an instrumental track with the band’s rendition of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme in it.
First ever North American tour took place in 2009.
2010
Began recording their third album on Jan 10th.
Ian Wilson quit the band again one day before their biggest show ever. Christopher Bowes explains that the new drummer can play the drums where the previous one (Ian) couldn’t.
March – Peter Alcorn joins the band on drums
Trenches and Mead tour with Sabaton through Europe.
2011
Back Through Time

Released: June 3rd, 2011
Metal-Archives: 80%
Metalstorm: 7.9
1,200 copies sold in USA first week.
The lyrics to Swashbuckle reference the pirate-themed death/thrash metal band Swashbuckled.
The Sunk’n Norweigen is about a bar in River Falls, Wisconson that Chris was invited to drink after a show and liked the atmosphere so much that he wrote the song.
Rumpelkombo is written so Chris Boltendahl from Grave Digger would receive royalties from Alestorm as a reminder of their tour together. Rumpelkombo was a term to insult Alestorm during an interview. Grave Digger is very professional and Alestorm got drunk before all their shows leaving the former band to not like the latter.
Black metal screams and sections on Death Throes of the Terrorsquid.
More intense drumming with blast beats because their previous drummer couldn’t play them.
In October Elliot Vernon joins the band a keyboardist and backing (unclean) vocalist. Chris Bowes is now the lead vocalist and keytarist.
2012
The band partakes in the 70,000 tons of metal cruise.
March 16th – Christopher Bowes announces the creation of Gloryhammer.

Supported Epica on a USA tour with this ridiculous poster.
2013
Filmed Live at the End of the World DVD on January 18th in Melbourne, Australia.
The DVD was released on November 15th
First headlining tour of Europe. And first ever!
November – First ever headline North America tour.
2014
February – began to record their 4th album
Sunset on the Golden Age

Released: August 1st, 2014
Metal-Archives: 92%
Metalstorm: 8
#1 on the UK rock chart
The title references the end of the Golden Age of Piracy 1680-1720.
2015
April – Dani Evans leaves the band without an announced reason. He is replaced by Mate Bondor of Wisdom.
Headlined Piratefest America with Swashbuckle, The Dread Crow of Oddwood and Rainbowdragoneyes.
2017
January – began recording their 5th album at Audiohammer Studios in Orlando, Florida again with Lasse Lammert.
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No Grave but the Sea

Released: May 26, 2017
Metal-Archives: 81%
Metalstorm: 7.6
A version of the album was made called “No Grave but the Sea for Dogs” which replaced all the vocal tracks with dogs barking the lyrics.
2018
September – Alestorm headlines a North American tour with support from Gloryhammer.
Alestorm explored
Thank you for exploring the band Alestorm with us! It was a lot of fun putting this together and we have a lot more of these on the way. So stay tuned and we hope metal continues to be your medicine!