New Music

Rusty Timbers of Lagerstein: My 7 Favourite Swashbuckling Sailing Anthems

Sep 17, 2022

7 min read

Next weekend, Aussie pirate metal act Lagerstein will set sail upon the seven seas East Coast of Australia for their Rock This Cruise Tour - departing berths in Melbourne (Sept 23), Sydney (Sept 24) and Brisbane on their new date September 29 alongside the already sold out voyage on Sept 30th.

'I’m On A Boat' – The Lonely Island

Get your towels ready, it’s about to go down! The Lonely Island’s high-quality nonsense aligns closely with many of my own musical ambitions... to write songs that walk the line between being hard-hitting and great fun. If you’ve never had this song in your head then you’ve likely never been on a boat either. We keep their music on regular rotation, whether it’s long drives in the tour bus, or out enjoying some beers. A Lonely Island sesh always gets our crew pumped up for a singalong.

'One Fine Day' – The Offspring

Getting away with mischief always feels good. I could have included half of The Offspring’s back catalogue in this article, but this track, in particular, resonates with us. Starting the day with a tall beer then getting out in the sun. Lagerstein are all sports fans, Captain follows the NRL, Neil the NFL, Beast is a cricket man and I’m into baseball (Go Pittsburgh!). Drinkin’ and playing sports aren’t always the ideal combination, but this song and getting rowdy go hand in hand!

'We Need a Gimmick' – Nekrogoblikon

For those who weren’t aware, before Lagerstein many of us were playing in black metal bands. There was hunger for more levity and playfulness among us and it wasn’t long after the conversation began that a pirate metal band materialised. ‘We Need a Gimmick’ is fun and heavy, Nekrogoblikon are unapologetically silly and we have huge respect for their dedication to the goblin life. We feel that Lagerstein comes from a similar place, “We know what this is, no need to lie” we are pirates at heart. While the costumes may come off, the pirate life mentality is always on.

'Sail' – Awolnation

To paraphrase Jack Sparrow “What a ship really is, is freedom”. Sometimes you gotta just sail away (actually, Enya’s 'Orinoco Flow' could have made this list on a day when the water was calm). The notion of leaving it all behind and taking to the seas has been romanticised by all walks of human life. For me, Awolnation’s darker lyrical twist on the concept is still a celebration of that. The modern synth and reverbed drums make this a jam that we can all get on board for.

'Keelhauled' – Alestorm

Punishing a scoundrel in the most ‘Pirate’ way possible, raking them along the barnacled hull of an aquatic vessel. It sounds pretty brutal but this track is an absolute banger, it possesses all the signature Pirate Metal tropes, accordion, violin, punky drums, lyrics that you'd normally only hear on ‘Talk like a pirate day’. With a bottle of rum and a “Yo, Ho, Ho!” it’s a tune that every pirate will sing along to, from deckhand to quartermaster.

'Dig, Bury, Drink' – Lagerstein

One of our very own, it’s a crowd favourite. There’s no safer place to store your booze than on a tropical island deep under the sand. When you’re done digging it up, that first sip of dark spiced rum is even more satiating. This track is as fun to perform as it is to sing and dance to, we have even had fans turn up to shows with plastic shovels doing a dig-dance in the mosh pit! You’d love to see it :D

'The Odyssey' – Symphony X

Ready for adventure? This 24-minute mammoth by Symphony X has it all - vengeful Greek Gods, dangerous mythical beings, hope, love, treachery and triumph (oh, and blazing double-kicks, ripping guitars and soaring vocals). The song retells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca and the 20 years of trials that kept him from his home. Don’t mess with Poseidon if you want safe passage for your vessel, rough seas make for poor drinking!