RUNNING WILD — Port Royal (review)

RUNNING WILD — Port Royal album cover Album · 1988 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
666sharon666
Port Royal is the fourth Running Wild album from 1988. The album sees the band continuing with the pirate themes of Under Jolly Roger, but returning with a more fully developed power metal sound compared to that album, which they would stick with over the course of their next half a dozen or so albums, though without ever completely abandoning their traditional heavy metal side.

Much like my experience with their second album Branded and Exiled when put up next to their debut Gates to Purgatory I find Port Royal to be a step back for Running Wild after Under Jolly Roger. While there are several great songs here such as Uaschitschun, Conquistadores and Calico Jack, enough to push my regard for the album up above that of Branded and Exiled and onto the level of Gates to Purgatory, I find that the song-writing isn't as consistent (I find the title track in particular to be a letdown) and that the production is a bit of a detraction from the album's good qualities. What worked on earlier speed metal based releases and even on Under Jolly Roger doesn't suit their new power metal sound all that well. It's still a good album, but there's lost potential that could have made it a great one. 4 stars.
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adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one; it's become one of my favourite RW albums. I get where you're coming from though, but the production in particular doesn't bother me too much considering when it as released, though it is much better after this one.

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