Since the mid-'00s, the jaunty pirate metal troupe Alestorm have brayed about hoisting pints of rum, plundering the high seas, and indulging in tavern debauchery. If this sounds like nothing more than novelty music, think again: The members of the Scotland-formed band are serious about winking at the buccaneer lifestyle—witness the chugging hard rock sea shanty "No Grave but the Sea," which boasts lively horn and fiddle—and honing their musicianship. On "Magnetic North," they unleash furious metalcore riffage; "Black Sails At Midnight" hews toward punishing '80s thrash metal; and "Wenches & Mead" is accordion-peppered punk.