Captain Black Beard are a great example of the old saying, “Don’t judge a band by their moniker.” Upon receiving the promo kit for their latest album, Chasing Danger, I braced myself for a Running Wild worship band at best or a gimmick-laden folk metal act at worst. Turns out CBB (for simplicity’s sake) are neither, instead dealing in ’80s AOR nostalgia with a Scandinavian metal twist. Truth be told, I’ve heard their name floated about for years now, and have seen them pop up in my Spotify recommendations from time to time, but never bothered to check ’em out, probably in part due to said moniker. And boy, have I been missing out.
While I can’t speak for CBB’s past six albums (I have quite the back catalog to explore), Chasing Danger serves as the perfect palette cleanse amidst my usual listening diet of death metal, thrash metal, black metal, traditional metal, and repeat. For one, unlike other releases of its respective scene, it doesn’t overstay its welcome (see Heart Line’s Falling Heaven). CBB sandwiches 10 songs in just a little under 40 minutes, and there isn’t a dud to be found in the bunch. That’s right: Even the power ballad rules, but more on that in a bit.
For the most part, the songs on Chasing Danger can be split into one of two categories. For starters, there’s your straightforward old school melodic rockers. Admittedly, CBB’s brand of AOR boasts strong power pop (or rather power POMP) leanings reminiscent of Angel and New England, albeit with a neon-lit ’80s production as opposed to the hazy ’70s. These uber-melodic stylings can be heard on cuts like “When It’s Over” (not to be confused with the Loverboy classic), “Chasing Rainbows”, and “A.I. Lover”, all of which could’ve been hit singles on rock radio in another lifetime. A rocker like “Read Your Mind” is heavy enough for the headbangers, but hooky enough to sneak past your mom, while “Piece of Paradise”, the sole power ballad, nails those dreamy Foreigner vibes.
My favorite songs, however, are the ones that go full throttle: Headbangers of bombastic proportion that see the Captain flooring it, and us hanging on for dear life. Ragers like “Dreams”, “Shine”, “Can’t You See”, and “In Your Arms” perfectly toe the line between Night Ranger at their most coked out and Europe in their Blackmore-worshipping infancy, with hints of fellow Swedish gods 220 Volt and Mindless Sinner scattered about. They’re fast, heavy, and exploding with energy, an album of these songs alone warranting the band’s inclusion on Metal Archives. And while the entire album is strong, packed to the brim with vital performances, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find myself yearning for more of these melodic metal outbursts. Perhaps there’s more on past CBB releases?
If you dig your AOR on the heavier side of things, or perhaps your metal on the softer side, depending on how you size it up, Captain Black Beard have got the goods and then some. Chasing Danger is the ideal soundtrack for picking up chicks, breaking the speed limit, and living life to the fullest. I just hope this Chicago weather gets the memo, because a little sun is all that’s needed to really put this listening experience over the top!
8 out of 10
Label: Mighty Music
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Europe, Night Ranger, H.E.A.T
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