Running Wild
Port Royal

THE REVIEW

How cool it must have been to be a pirate! Roaming the seas, drinking in the dirtiest taverns of South America, traveling on your own galleon with a proud look towards the waves, dreaming of the richest treasures, boarding enemy galleons with the sound of swords and cannon fire! Much better than sitting in boring salons discussing the political and worldly events of the moment, with wigs 2 meters high and pompous behavior! A somewhat dangerous profession, but exciting.

Nearly three centuries later, it seems that no one remained to keep the interest in pirates alive. But then, at the end of the '80s, a group of four rowdy individuals, led by Rolf Kasparek, known to everyone as Rock 'N Rolf, formed Running Wild, a band that after two excellent albums of Speed/Heavy Metal played almost as if they were pupils of Accept, moved to unknown routes at the time, with a pirate style transition, both in music, lyrics, and appearance. I said "unknown at the time", precisely because until 1988 (the year "Under Jolly Roger" was released), no band had ever dared to talk about piracy; at the time, more anti-conformist or satanic themes were popular, themes that quickly gained traction especially in the early eighties. This band knew how to exploit this particular feature properly, which made them, along with a few other Heavy Metal bands, withstand the '90s without sinking into dissolution or mediocre albums, as happened to other bands that, after achieving fame in the '80s, faced a "catastrophe" in the following decade, mainly dictated by the grunge movement and many other genres that quickly took hold.

In 1988, Running Wild came out with one of their best works, in my opinion, in their discography, "Port Royal". No change in sound, nothing seems to change after the previous work "Under Jolly Roger", although an excellent bass and drum work should be noted, which makes this album one of the most successful of the German combo in the '90s. After the short and fun "Intro" we immediately face the title track, which from the start shows us the main riff of what will be the song, as catchy as it is simple in its approach, but we must be careful not to confuse simplicity with mediocrity, this track is a little gem of HM from start to finish! With "Raging Fire" it's like having an AOR piece, so exciting it makes you want to shout in the middle of a stadium, as well-studied in every little detail. "Into The Arena" is one of the tracks where the perfect drumming I mentioned earlier stands out the most, the guitars almost seem to be in the background, as powerful as the drumming is. Moreover, this track contains one of the album's most beautiful pre-choruses in my opinion. With "Uaschitschun" things start to slow down, and after a short guitar intro, the track takes off with lighter tones but the guitar riff doesn't seem to lose the aggression of previous tracks. Note the beautiful lyrics, which narrate the atrocities committed by the white man against the Indians. "Final Gates" is a beautiful instrumental, where the bass expresses itself fully, dictating together with the drums mid-tempo followed by full-fledged "Running Wild" gallops. Impossible not to appreciate it. "Conquistadores" starts after a pleasant bass intro, explodes in all its power, with a great riff to its advantage and a drum performance that calling it excellent is an understatement, and a truly catchy chorus, certainly one of the most accomplished songs on the album. "Blown To Kingdom Come" is a mid-tempo as only the Germans know how to do, so heavy in terms of guitars, but well-structured until it explodes into the beautiful chorus. It might not convince you at first listen, but it is a great track. "Warchild", although being one of the fastest songs on the album and having an almost excellent bass work, has never fully convinced me, as it has always reminded me of that "Raw Ride" present in "Under Jolly Roger". Let's say it passes quietly without leaving a mark. "Mutiny" is without a doubt one of the hits of the album, with a wonderful bass work, and well-studied pauses that lead us to the refrain, which will remain in the listener's head for a long time, as catchy as it is. "Calico Jack" closes this album, and it does so without a problem. After a brief guitar intro, the track explodes with riffs blazing at full speed and an unstoppable drum that lead us to a refrain that calling it fast is an understatement, but what more could we expect from the Germans? The track, therefore, one of the longest on the album, almost 6 minutes, turns out to be an appropriate choice to put the word end to "Port Royal".

Obviously, much of the credit for this album goes to Rock 'N Rolf, who with his raw but effective voice, gives "Port Royal" an ancient flavor, but not one of déjà vu, because the music of Running Wild is also this. A discovery that, step by step, proves to be more and more stunning. For all lovers of classic Heavy Metal, albums of this caliber are life, for others who want to approach this type of music, be assured that you will not be disappointed.

Yo-ho!