Storm Seeker – Set The Sails – CD Review

20th March 2025 0 By Jon Deaux

Storm Seeker has just dropped Set the Sails, and if you’re not on board, then get out of the way because this ship isn’t stopping. This is folk metal, pirates, accordions, heavy riffs, and enough energy to make you want to storm a castle.

Right from the first track, these German lunatics make it very clear: this isn’t some gentle, fairytale folk nonsense. This is drinking, fighting, and sailing-into-the-storm music. The title track, Set the Sails, is like getting punched in the face with a hurdy-gurdy—aggressive, anthemic, and impossible to ignore. And new frontman, Sean Graham, sounds like he was born in a tavern brawl. He’s got the pipes, the swagger, and the kind of voice that makes you want to throw back a tankard of whatever’s strongest.

Gouverneur of the Coco Island, is what happens when folk metal and pure chaos have a baby. This song is a riot. It’s catchy, it’s ridiculous, and it’s got one of those choruses that’ll get stuck in your head for weeks. You’ll be humming it at work, at the grocery store, and probably in a jail cell after too many rounds at the pub.

Not every track hits with the same force. Homeward Bound veers a little too much into “let’s all hold hands and sing” territory for my taste, but I get it—sometimes even pirates need a breather. Then there’s Waking of the Flood, which slows things down in a way that actually works. It’s about the 2021 flood disaster, and it’s got weight. These guys aren’t just about drinking songs and sea shanties; they’ve got some real depth when they want to.

Set the Sails is the kind of album that makes you want to grab a cutlass, climb the nearest mast, and scream into the storm. It’s loud, it’s fun, and it’s got just enough rough edges to feel real. If you don’t like it, you probably don’t like fun, and I can’t help you with that.
Score 6/10
Track List

01. Quora Iunor
02. Set the Sails
03. Gouverneur of the Coco Island
04. Homeward Bound
05. Old Maui
06. Don’t Break Yer Bones
07. Jack the Jolly Pirate
08. To Golden Times
09. Stormiest Seas
10. Into the Fray
11. Galway Girl
12. The Lieutenant’s Lament
13. Waking of the Flood

Label – Napalm
Release – 14th March