With their fourth opus, Running Wild began infecting their music with more melody and better musicianship all around, culminating in the perfect balance of melodic speed metal and hard rocking rhythms. The atmosphere achieved on this self-produced album was remarkable, Tom Steeler did a truly fine job with the mix. Judging by today's standards the sound quality might not be considered superb, the fine-tuned, almost laid back mix of this album is one of the reasons it stands as my personal fave by the band. Another reason is that without exception, every single song on this album is memorable and unique. Catchy historical anthems like the title track, "Conquistadores", "Uaschitschun", and "Mutiny" are the true backbone behind this album, but the songs are balanced with more fiercely rocking numbers like "Raging Fire", "Into the Arena", and "Blown to Kingdom Come". Add the tranquil but glorious instrumental "Final Gates" and the amazing epic album closer "Calico Jack" and you've got yourselves one hell of an album. Where "Under Jolly Roger" may have been the first truly in-your-face pirate song Running Wild did, this album didn't need anything quite so bold. One could tell just be listening to this album that it was entirely pirate metal, the great and majestic atmospheres combined with the melodic riffs managed to capture that feeling which would permeate Running Wild's music forevermore. Absolutely brilliant, metal does not get much better than what is found here. This is my favorite album of 1988, by a landslide (and this is saying a lot, 1988 was one of the greatest years in metal.)

© 2000 pizarro