20 Best Metal Albums Of Summer 2017

The battle for the number nineteen slot on this list was a close call between CKY's aptly named comeback disc, The Phoenix, and the new Alestorm record, No Grave But the Sea. After all, both albums are, quite simply, fun, party-hard rock juggernauts that prize providing a good time to all above everything else. And while The Phoenix is a brilliant album and is suffering an injustice by not making the list proper, it at times has tendencies to feel somewhat generic and flat, especially during its latter half.

Meanwhile, that is never a problem you will get from the Scottish pirate metallers Alestorm, who constantly go out of their way to be original, no-holds-barred and memorable.

No Grave But the Sea is no exception to this rule.

Whether it's with the lewd "F*cked with an Anchor", the catchy "Mexico", the riotous "Alestorm" (despite its unnecessary growled verses) or the resonating closer "Treasure Island", No Grave But the Sea constantly discovers ways to worm itself into the ear of the listener. All of these tracks and more are already guaranteed to be smash hits in a live environment, effortlessly continuing the alcohol-infused, lovable antics of every metalhead's favourite cavalcade of filibusters.

Rogueish and in-your-face, No Grave But the Sea is yet another delightful roadtrip into the deranged, swashbuckling world of Alestorm.