Swashbuckle - We Hate The Sea

#FOR FANS OF: Death/Thrash

New Jersey's favourite thrash metal pirates have always been very hit-or-miss. The review averages for their albums on this very website are indicative of that. Personally, I find them a constant hit - consistently throwing out furious death/thrash assaults every few years, just brutal and hilarious enough to keep fans of both respective genres happy. With their newest EP, the brilliantly titled 'We Hate The Sea', the previously mentioned brutality has been sufficiently boosted, edging far closer to death than thrash metal. Unfortunately, this comes at the price of the expanded song structures previously explored on "Crime Always Pays". As a result, this EP is both a success and a moderate disappointment. The production job is admittedly superb - with the guitars satisfyingly crunching over a ridiculously frenzied drum display. Admiral Nobeard's vocals are wonderfully presented in the mix, and he sounds as energetic as ever, spewing forth a truly snarling performance. 'We Hate The Sea' wastes not one second in clasping the listener's face and thrusting it headlong into a rusty bucket of razor-lined barnacles. The sheer ferocity of the output is indeed a pleasing and satisfying sound - unfortunately, the variation is what suffers as a result. So much so, that the 1-minute mark of "Slaughter on International Waters" feels like a relief from the constant barrage of blast-beats and gang-shouts. The other disappointing aspect of this release is the brevity. I understand that a death/thrash EP from a humorous pirate metal band couldn't possibly extend to "Dark Side of the Moon" length, but reaching just shy of 7 minutes feels like the buyer/downloader has been cheated slightly. As a Swashbuckle fan, this is definitely worth listening through once or twice to understand the direction the band might be headed for. But if you're trying to get into these nautical nutters, start with a full-length album, as this will leave you unfulfilled. Musically, everything is done right. But 'We Hate The Sea' is too short, samey and doesn't let their trademark humour shine through. (Larry Best)

(Get This Right Records - 2014)
Score: 50

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