Silverbones
Wild Waves

September 2016
Released: 2016, StormSpell Records
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: JP

September 19th is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, (Yes, it is a real thing, check out the website) and since I was enjoying the new album RAPID FORAY by the original pirate-medallions Running Wild, I thought I would also review a pirate metal album by a relatively new crew of pirate metallers, Silverbones.



I’m not at all surprised that this Italian Power Metal band is signed to the illustrious StormSpell Records. This kind of thing is EXACTLY up their alley and it is not even a first for the label as they singed another superb pirate Metal band, Blazon Stone. Silverbones have recently launched their debut foray into the wild world entitled WILD WAVES. The cover art is superb and even before listening to the music an experienced Running Wild Fan can read that bands influence in the song titles alone.



The album starts with a longish, instrumental introduction called ‘Cry Of Freedom’, including the almost mandatory sound of crashing waves. Silverbones have really incorporated all the elements of the sub-genre into their sound seamlessly and flawlessly. The pounding double-kick drums, the trilling, lilting guitar lines, bouncy melodies, big gang-choruses with all hands on deck for huge sing-along songs. Every song could easily be a head-banging, fist-raising anthem in the live concert environment. The songs are conventional in their structure, basic songs derived from good simple riffs all driven along at a fairly fast pace some where between anthemic and all-out speed. There are few breaks in the action like the brief acoustic introduction to Queen Anne’s Revenge but for the most part it is a pretty wild stormride.



The curious thing about Pirate Metal is that, unlike Viking Metal, it can be traced to a single source of origin. Sure there were the rare scattered songs about pirates from different bands, but until Running Wild invented the look and sound, it was not really a well defined sub-genre. Accordingly, it is hard not to compare the massive growth in the sub-genre and new bands like Silverbones to the originators. However as a stand-alone band, whatever their source of lyrical and musical inspiration, Silverbones have the quality and power to sail the seven seas of Metal. WILD WAVES is a wild and enjoyable debut!