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Walk The Plank

    
       
       
       
     
             
Cutlass are a heavy metal band from the UK formerly known as Pirates Of Metal - the new, re-branded band forming in 2024. As Pirates Of Metal, the band released their debut E.P. 'Cuts From The Deep' in 2022, and two years later as Cutlass, the band have released their debut full length album 'Walk The Plank'...    
             
...featuring eight new songs across a blistering thirty five minutes - the band hardening their sound to move away from the overwhelming "pirate metal" feel of the bands E.P. Now don't get me wrong, the songs on offer still reflect a pirate theme, it's just that the bands sound is now heavier and thrashier, sounding more like a Testament, Iron Maiden, Annihilator ménage a trois rather than an Alestorm, Running Wild one night stand! The bands line-up for the album features vocalist Ewan Mackay, guitarists Alistair Hodgson and Srdjan Bilic (Primitai), and guest drummer Milan Jejina, with Bilic also performing bass duties.    
             
Fresh off the back of a UK tour with fellow British metallers Red Rum and Tailgunner, Cutlass are ready to set sail on a new adventure with their new name and new album - an album that storms into life with the title song 'Walk The Plank'. And an incredible old school sound and feel, the band hitting the accelerator hard after just thirty seconds to race off at a spellbinding pace - the glorious "foot on the monitor" feel of the iconic NWOBHM rising high in the air! And as for that chant style chorus, it's a crowd participation moment for sure, every concert goer screaming "walk the plank, walk the plank, walk the plank, whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh". And maybe everyone did on the bands recent tour! An absolutely red hot start to the album just gets hotter with 'Quest For Treasure', Cutlass maintaining the old school flavour but with a much heavier attitude - yet losing none of the insanely infectious nature of the album so far! The opening brace has been savage, the band meaning business...and business is good!    
             
I tell ya readers, every metaller from here to nineteen eighty and back are gonna be open mouthed right now, the albums first two songs sending shockwaves reverberating all the way round the fucking planet - more than once! The band have grabbed everyone's attention with an electrifying double - a double that quickly becomes a triple with the blistering 'Buried At Sea'. And an opening guitar shred that'd grace any thrash metal album! And the speed here too is faster than the speed of light, Cutlass leaving cosmic rays, blazer jets and the expansion of the universe trailing far, far behind! Jaw dropping doesn't quite cut it as a description for 'Buried At Sea', but it'll have to do for now until I find something more appropriate, 'Walk The Plank (the album) stopping for nothing and no-one - 'Blood In The Water' striding on with just as must gusto as everything heard so far! The astonishing pace and power is mesmerising, the band setting the world on fire with a roaring cacophony of foot to the floor heavy metal, every listener, fan and follower grinning from ear to ear with immense pleasure - pleasure that may become orgasmic if the band keep this up! And pushing us closer to the edge, 'The Kraken' is a monster metal march with immense intensity and a head bang ability higher than ever before! There's just no stopping Cutlass, the bands new name, seemingly giving the band renewed vim, vigour and vitality - the adrenalin rush from every song so far a fucking big one!    
             
There's just no escape from the bands unabashed and unadulterated heavy metal onslaught, the band grabbing attentions even tighter now than when 'Walk The Plank' (the album) began - 'No Escape' maintaining the albums all consuming levels of head bang ability and intensity. Albeit at the slowest pace the band have shown so far - and even though I've said "slow", it's not really slow, it's just slower than everything up to this point! And 'No Escape' features the iconic "metal gallop" that legends Iron Maiden made famous - Cutlass returning their prior pirate metal sound to the fore with 'We Came For The Battle (We Stayed For The Beer)'. And this sound right here is what attracted me to the band two years ago, the jovial nature oozing an immense party feel with every local inn and tavern packed to the rafters, the sound of clinking tankards filling the air as everyone has a great time downing a few beers while rocking out to some great music! And that great music is Cutlass, a new band with a new album - an album that deserves to rewarded with an accolade or two at the end of the year. Now whether that's Album Of The Year, Best Newcomer or Best Debut remains to be seen - so remember to get your votes in readers, 'Walk The Plank' (the album) is deserving of recognition. The album is brought to a close with the longest song on offer, 'Blood For Gold' clocking in at over six minutes in length, a mellow first minute and a half belying the pace, power, thrust and drive to come - 'cause when the band push the pedal to the metal, 'Blood For Gold' storms on with just as much gusto as every other song on 'Walk The Plank' (the album). What an album and what a band - I'm off to listen again, see ya next time my friends!    
             
Overall, a barnstorming array of fast paced, foot to the floor heavy metal with an immense infectious level and sky high head bang ability.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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