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Request SWASHBUCKLE
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Ken Herzog / CMJ New Music Monthly
Swashbuckle
Crewed by the Damned - Bald Freak
Something like a cross between early Anthrax and the recent Rogues Gallery compilation, Swashbuckle might be 2006's most awful-yet-amazing anomaly. Basically, they're from Jersey, they dress up like pirates and half their songs are acoustic chanteys while the rest are genuinely blistering thrash. And somehow, the balance actually works, and the ferocity of the music itself overtakes the conceptual and lyrical absurdity, allowing you to find Swashbuckle amusing but not dismiss them as a complete joke.
Ahoy! >>>KH
Amy Sciarretto / CMJ New Music Report
After Pirates of the Caribbean, who doesn't want to be a pirate? Of course, metal isn't exempt from that desire, thanks to New Jersey's Swashbuckle. Following the footsteps of jokester metal acts like S.O.D. and M.O.D., those scallywags in Swashbuckle serve up a side of much-needed humor alongside their splash 'n' thrash attack. There is a delicate balance between funny and laughable, and Swashbuckle toe the plank. The album is surprisingly well-executed metal: On "Attack" and "X Marks The Spot," both blends of modern death and classic thrash, Swashbuckle wield their guitars like swords, and vocalist Admirable Nobeard snorts and grunts like he's got a bad case of seasickness.
Sargon the Terrible / The Metal Crypt
It had to happen. With the long-lasting success of Running Wild and their pirate themes, I'm surprised more bands have not taken that up. But with the huge media presence of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the dam had to break. Swashbuckle is a US-based band who embark on a journey through the uncharted waters of Pirate Thrash for their first full-length album, Crewed By The Damned, and it's pretty cool.
Swashbuckle mix a lot of acoustic and atmospheric interludes in with some aggressive, go-for-the-throat Thrash. The acoustic bits are actually well done, and they evoke the sounds of pirate themes and ballads well, but there are too many of them, and they needlessly clutter up the album. The real meat are the 8 or so real thrash-fests on here, including rippers like "Walk The Plank," "Dead Men Tell No Lies," "Jolly Roger," and "'X' Marks The Spot." These tunes are all face-shredding thrash attacks with volleying riffs, impressive drumming, and very harsh, almost Death-style vocals. The songs all feature good riffs and heavy-assed chugging to get your head flailing. I like that Swashbuckle is much more old-style than 'modern' Thrash purveyors, and they remain dedicated to riffs and letting the guitars do the work rather than making the drums keep the intensity up. All the instrumentation on this album is really solid, with some deeply impressive drumwork and a level of tightness to the arrangements you don't often see in young bands. Overall, Crewed By The Damned is a solidly entertaining thrash album. It spends too much time on bullshit interludes and acoustic bits, but when it gets down to business, it thrashes the shit out of you. A band to watch.
Jens / Metal.de
Since the success of "Pirates Of The Caribbean," the pirate theme of late resounds throughout the land, and with the exception
of Running Wild releases for more than 20 years, high-quality heavy metal songs with this theme are few & far between.
This might have been the intention of New Jersey's Swashbuckle, who, with
their debut-album Crewed By The Damned present their very own pirate songs as powerful old thrash metal reminiscent of
Testament and Exodus.
That this band is definitive-worthy shows with the opener "Welcome Aboard," to which you can headbang a lot,
after the acoustic intro "Under The Black Flag." "Drink Up" is my personal highlight of the album - a
riff-monster and very melodic boozer with an incredible chorus you simply have to enjoy: "Drink Up!".
In between there are short atmospheric acoustic parts ("Set Sail," "What A Ship Is," "The Wooden
World,") which spread a nice piratical atmosphere, but might start to get somewhat annoying after a couple of listens.
But "Dead Men Tell No Lies," "Upon The Spanish Main," & "Jolly Roger" speed things up again using powerful double bass
drums and shredding guitars; and the chorus of "Walk The Plank" ("High Fives! Plank Dives!"), where the whole band
joins in, invites once more to sing along and to celebrate. The album ends very humorously with "Pirate Jargon" and
"Nautical Nonsense" and leaves not only pain in your neck but also the assurance that this band has a lot of fun
with this theme and their music.
"Crewed By The Damned" is an unusual and completely unique album containing a ludicrous mixture of thrash metal,
authentic pirate shanties and a good portion of humor. Thus, Swashbuckle are definitively on their way up and
probably rule during live performances: "In Yar Face!""
I really look forward to a second album by Swashbuckle and I hope they will gain more success over here in Europe, as well.
- Jens
http://www.metal.de/cdreviews.php4?was=review&id=8106
From: Bilgemunky.com
Pirate metal isn't a new thing - several bands, in fact, have tackled this concept before. But in many cases the only real way you know the music is piratey is by the album cover artwork, and maybe the names of the songs. This is because the untrained ear is unlikely to understand the growls and yells, let alone determine if the lyrics are composed of anything remotely relating to pirates.
No such problem with Swashbuckle. Their music is metal, true enough, but the lyrics - while still throaty growls - remain clear enough that anyone should have no problem understanding the "yo hos" and "bring on the wenches." But Swashbuckle goes one step further and mixes some traditional Spanish guitar and other period sounds into their otherwise tough metal style.
With some deviation, Swashbuckle's Crewed by the Damned alternates style between each song, offering one metal, the next traditional, and the next metal once again (and so on). The metal songs are full of energized guitars and drums, while angry growls yell out all sorts of piratey lyrics ('avast ye', 'drink up me maties', and 'scalliwagg' are all words and phrases heard in some abundance). The music is fast-paced and kick-ass. The non-metal songs spliced between the metal offerings are primarily instrumental, and much less aggressive in tone. They nonetheless offer their own range of styles, with some being quick and peppy, and others slow and contemplative.
Crewed by the Damned could be viewed one of two ways - for the purist metal fan, or the purist traditional aficianado, this is a case of Jekyll and Hyde, mixing the saint and the sinner (which is which depends on your particular taste). But for the more universally inclined, this album offers a fine taste of two vastly different (while dually piratey) genres. It's an interesting experiment, and one that I think pays off. While some of the metal is a bit abrasive, and some of the instrumental a bit tame, the album overall is well crafted, and certainly worth a spin or two.
- Gerard Heidgerken
From: Alternative-Zine.com
Had pirates lived today and made metal music, what would they sound like? Well, in Europe they would probably sound like power metal, as Germany's Running Wild do - and in the colonies? Well, American band Swashbuckle proclaims pirate music for themselves as a combination of old school thrash with some melodic elements and vocals that come on thick and heavy, a la Mastodon
This isn’t some polished melodic effort, from the opener "Welcome Aboard" these guys board the ship with swords raised, fast and brutal, vocals closer to a death growl with the guitars bringing in some needed melody. The lyrics? A lot of planks, mateys and hooks, good thing the guitars feature some great hooks as well, such as the melodic ones in "Drink Up."
The band throws in some great Middle Ages-tinged acoustic numbers such as "Set Sail," a motif which is used several times here, before kicking your head in again with "Walk The Plank." Extra marks for the album's sound - it's not overly produced, but still comes off as clear enough.
Thrash takes a back seat on such tracks as "Dead Men Tell No Lies," which comes off more as a melodic death metal number, with heavier death growling. "'X' Marks The Spot" features some more heavy death touches, as well.
I'm quite certain the whole pirate thing would be the main selling point for Swashbuckle - it's obviously a unique feature to separate them from a bundle of like-minded metal bands, but they work great as a band even without that. Crewed by the Damned contains some very solid musicianship and certainly is a lot of fun. These guys should not walk the plank anytime soon.
- Alon Miasnikov
Ricardo dos Santos / Fenix (Portugal)
SWASHBUCKLE - CREWED BY THE DAMNED (2006) - BALD FREAK MUSIC
FILE UNDER: THRASH / DEATH
Crewed By The Damned is the first album from the North American band Swashbuckle. They present their sound as True Pirate Metal, or 'In Yar Face' Metal, but despite the funny and appealing label, this is nothing more & nothing less than thrash with a strong old-school approach, with slices of death metal, influenced by Testament, Exodus, Malevolent Creation, Darkane, etc, powerful and well-executed, with some funny ideas contributing to the imagery of the lyrics. Acoustic entrances (and some interludes) invite us to the party, and to drink some beers (or rum, Yo ho!) in some Port Royal bar, followed by some power and speed with half-guttural vocals (giving us, perhaps, the moto for the usual fighting scenes after a couple of bottles of rum down the hatch). The pirate-themed lyrics follow bring metal veterans Running Wild to mind. Even the names of the musicians adhere to the imagery. The album cover and band logo are also great and add to the Swasbuckle concept. Give Swashbuckle some credit for trying to make something different in as stagnant a scene as the thrash metal scene, and the metal scene, in general. And besides, they come from the USA and they are not a Nu-Metal band! This gives them extra points! It's an album worth listening to! Yarrr! RDS
From MaximumMetal.com
New Jersey-based pirate thrashers Swashbuckle have, in the last year or so, boarded and commandeered the local music scene, proving to be the most steadfast and stalwart metal band upon the Mid-Atlantic Main. After signing to Bald Freak music in the summer of 2006 and releasing their debut full-length Crewed by the Damned the following autumn, it seems like there is nothing that will stop Swashbuckle’s quest for plunder and glory. Many bands that utilize gimmicks or costumes often do not have the material to back up their image, and come across as, well, drivelswiggers. Aside from putting forth an image that seems natural and comfortable instead of fake and forced, Swashbuckle have the musical talent and ability to produce music of the highest quality, setting themselves apart from the unworthy. In true piratical fashion, Crewed by the Damned launches Swashbuckle’s aural pillaging career with quite a loud splash.
Although Crewed by the Damned doesn’t have a single bad track, several of them stand out as especially well done. “Walk the Plank” is a short, fast, and intense song filled with unrelenting shrieks courtesy of bassist/vocalist Admiral Nobeard as well as the fine riff work of Commodore Redrum and Rowin’ Joe Po. During the chorus, Swashbuckle go into bass-overdrive, as Nobeard seems to rape his instrument with unrelenting force while drummer Captain Crashride goes crazy with his double bass pedal. The song’s conclusion features a gang-vocal chant of “HIGH FIVES! PLANK DIVES!” that would both excite and inspire murderous pirate crews and instill fear into the minds of all who would dare to cross them. If you listen closely to the album’s title track, “Crewed By The Damned,” you can hear the unfortunate demise of Rowin’ Joe Po, as he falls overboard and apparently drowns. There is also a pretty cool lead guitar melody leading into the track, which you don’t see on every Swashbuckle track, as they’re often very rhythm-dominated. The album’s real highlight, however, is the song “Drink Up,” which has in a sense become Swashbuckle’s trademark anthem. From the endearing lead melody that surpasses even the one found in Crewed by the Damned in terms of excellence to the catchy, pirate-to-the-core chorus line, “Drink Up” is one hell of a song. If Swashbuckle ever hit it really big, this song will play a huge part in their ascent to glory.
Aside from all of the thrashing tunes on Crewed by the Damned, Swashbuckle have also inserted many acoustic ditties interspersed throughout the track listing. Among these pieces, the three highlights are clearly the same three acoustic songs that appeared on Swashbuckle’s 2005 demo – “Set Sail,” “What a Ship Is,” and “Paradise Defined.” Each if these songs contain excellent acoustic guitar work, keyboards that provide both melody and atmosphere, and creative percussion on hand drums, tambourines, and the like. All of these acoustic songs sound like real, genuine shanties from a few centuries ago when pirates truly did rule the waters of the Caribbean. Swashbuckle’s ability to reproduce this genuine authenticity, on a primarily metal album, no less, is highly commendable. The foursome would do just as well playing acoustic gigs at Renaissance fairs and the like, although it’s doubtful if that prospect would appeal to their wild pirate nature.
With just one release on a label under their belts, it is clear that Swashbuckle have the ability to become one of America’s next big metal bands. They’ve seamlessly tapped into the thrash metal keg and combined it with the likes of pure piratical power. Although their pirate image should appeal to metal and nautical enthusiasts alike, the strength of their material alone is enough to vault them to nation and perhaps even worldwide notoriety. Crewed by the Damned comes highly recommended to fans of thrash, pirates, or both. And if you’re not already a pirate enthusiast, one listen to “Drink Up” may very well change that. For Swashbuckle, it seems the voyage to ravaging every port upon the Spanish Main has only just begun.
8.5/10
--Veritas 09.26.06
From MetalReviews.com
Not since Running Wild has a band been so devoted to pirates as Swashbuckle. The cover of their debut album, Crewed By The Damned, tells you exactly what you’re in for – a rotting, undead pirate grins at you, its single, baleful eye shrewdly calculating your worth in gold. Swashbuckle play in a style quite rough around the edges, mostly blackened thrash with some touches of death metal thrown in for good measure. It’s straightforward and unselfconscious, with lyrics dealing exclusively with the realm of ships, plunder, grog and wenches.
Although there’s 18 tracks, the majority of them are under three minutes, and the album itself clocks in at just over 42. This brevity works well; Swashbuckle isn’t trying to set The Rime of The Ancient Mariner to music, and the rowdy, party atmosphere of Crewed By The Damned would get tiresome if the album were drawn-out. The raw energy is tempered by short acoustic tracks sprinkled throughout. The opening is played in a style more traditional to Spain, with castanets and Spanish-style horns and guitar. The next acoustic track, Set Sail, is more recognizably English; this trade-off continues throughout the album, and unless I miss my guess, stands as an homage to the two most powerful seafaring nations during the age of piracy, although you won’t find any homages to Sir Francis Drake or the Spanish Armada on the rest of the album.
Humor and high spirits abound on Crewed By The Damned. While the last proper track is a simple acoustic, there are two untitled bonus tracks as well; the first, another acoustic, is overlayed with the sounds of a pirate party, with clinking ale glasses and rough laughter. The last is a thrash metal cover of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song. I don’t think anyone will ever accuse these guys of taking themselves too seriously. Other choice instances include a parrot whistling and proclaiming the expected “Polly wanna cracker!” before someone (presumably its owner) snaps back, “Shut up, ya fuckin’ bird!” at the beginning of Upon The Spanish Main. Other songs use sampled sounds in a slightly more atmospheric way, with the sounds of a condemned man walking the plank and the glugging of the ocean closing over the head of a man overboard.
The music itself is fairly simple and very melody-driven. The songs are meant to be enjoyable and fun rather than showcases of technical skill or progressive songwriting prowess. Mostly mid- to fast-paced, the focus is more on the guitar and vocals than anything else, although the overall balance is fairly even. The vocals, done mostly in a mild midrange growl that sounds at home in thrash or death metal, are understandable enough, at least to catch “hornswagglin’” and “scallywags.” They dip into a more true death style growling very briefly on “X” Marks The Spot, which throws some welcome variety into the mix. The melodies can rightly be described as “rollicking,” with a lot of the sounds typically associated with pirate sea shanties. Even the melodies that would be just as fitting on any other thrash album are bouncing and celebratory, though sharp-edged as a cutlass.
The only complaint to be made is one of lyrical content; while I love pirates as much as the next metalhead (pirates, like Vikings or zombies, are always metal), Swashbuckle’s lyrics are almost random pirate-themed phrases, heavy on the jargon and not really saying all that much. I hope Swashbuckle plan to take a slightly deeper approach in their next album; while Crewed By The Damned is quite enjoyable, piracy has much more interesting stories to tell.
Killing Songs : Welcome Aboard, Drink Up, Dead Men Tell No Lies
Kayla 72 / 100
From Observes From The Satellite
Swashbuckle with Deathamphetamine, Revocation, and Despotic Robot (plus Reverend Grundarr CD-release) [O'Brien's Pub, Allston, 10/29/2006]
Swashbuckle [7/7]: These guys were ready from the get-go, changing into their pirate costumes almost as soon as they got to the venue and not taking too long to get their heavily prop-laded stage set up and ready. However, the stars weren't the oar or the inflatable pirate ship, but Admiral Nobeard and crew as they tore through song after song of Running Wild-flavored brutal thrash and got the crowd churning, both on normal pit dynamics and an actual circle pit (which I took a single mostly non-voluntary turn in, though without injury) around one of the supporting poles in the middle of the floor. We raised our pirate hooks (do the horns, put your pinky back in your fist, then hook the first finger) and got both taunted and praised for buying into the gimmick -- sure, gimmicks are gimmicks, but there ain't nothing wrong with them when they're backed up by pure undiluted AWESOME. It's difficult to describe how cool this set was to someone who wasn't there, other than to tell people to go see this damn band's shows, and buy their damn swag. Their Crewed By The Damned CD is great, and I also scored a "Wooden Legs and Emptied Kegs" shirt -- which another showgoer picked up for his roommate, who recently had to have a leg amputated and chose a peg leg over a normal prosthesis. Now that's fuckin metal.
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