Album Review: Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie

Impressions/Thoughts:

Volbeat is a Danish metal band whose music would best be described as a mixture of metal and rockabilly. I had discovered Volbeat when I learned that they were touring near where I lived with one of my favorite bands Anthrax. On this tour Volbeat was the headliner even though they are a much younger band than when compared with Anthrax who’s been in existence two decades longer than Volbeat. I found their music to be intriguing as the combination of metal and rockabilly was very appealing to me, but I couldn’t get over the fact that I can’t understand all the words that the vocalist is singing. My challenge wasn’t due to the vocalist screaming for something, instead it was due to the singer’s accent so that it made it hard to understand the words without the lyrics right in front of you. None the less I took a liking to Volbeat, so when this album was announced to be released this year I had to check it out.

Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie is Volbeat’s fifth consecutive number one album in their home country of Denmark. In comparison to their last album Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies which came out in 2013, I like this album much better.

The Music:

The album opens with “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown”, which has a familiar metal tone with a more traditional rock n’ roll under tone. Its great song and I can see why they chose it for the lead single for the album. The next song, “Marie Laveau”, has a very catchy chorus that I sometimes find myself singing, although I don’t know what most of the lyrics actually are. The next song, which was the second single, "For Evigt" or “The Bliss” as its titled on the North American version. This song has a littler tone than the first two songs, and makes for a very memorable song on the album.

The following song, “The Gates of Babylon”, has an interesting riff that makes it enticing to where the song goes. The chorus actually changes to a higher pitched tone and sounds really catchy. After another song titled “Let it Burn” which doesn’t really deviate from the album as a whole, as it continues to carry the tone onto the next song. “Black Rose”, which features guest singer Danko Jones, is a song that has a different sound and the tones of both singers created an interesting contrast for this song.

“Rebound” is cover song originally made by the American punk band Teenage Bottlerocket, the way the song is performed takes on the personification of the metal and rockabilly combination. It’s a short but sweet song that in its simplicity is really easy to listen to. “Mary Jane Kelly” is a track which seems like it’s in the style of traditional rock n’ roll bands. Lyrically the song is sad with “She’s been lonely and forgotten ever since, But her beauty in the night light will remain”. The song has a lighter tone but also mixes in that somber tone of the lyrics.

“Goodbye Forever” has a good chorus and has a great riff that lends itself to create a very catchy song. After the midpoint of the song, the chorus is taken over by the Harlem Gospel Choir which is a very cool addition to the song. The title track, “Seal the Deal” is a phenomenal song with great soloing and is really rocking. Lead guitarist Rob Caggiano who produced the album gets the opportunity to show off his ability to shred on this song.

“Battleship Chains” is the second cover song on the album, and was written originally and performed by Terry Anderson. Vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen gives a very southern inspired vocal performance in this cover song. After another song that isn’t as memorable, but still has good performances, we get to the closing track of the album. “The Loa’s Crossroad” is a heavier song than most of the other pieces on the album. I enjoyed the riff and the parts of the song were the drums get to shine. I can see this song being a good staple for their live performances. It’s one last hurrah from the album, as it ends on a good note.

Verdict:

Vobeat has refined their musical style when compared their previous albums and is my current favorite Volbeat album. Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie is defiantly an album to check out if you prefer hard rock or more classic rock. For those like myself who prefer a more metal sound, there are a few songs that will appease your tastes. If you like Volbeat it is a must listen to and you will not be disappointed with this effort. If you want to check you more of Volbeat’s music, I recommend you listen to their album Beyond Hell / Above Heaven which came out in 2010.

Top 5 Songs:
1) “Seal The Deal”

2) “The Bliss”

3) “The Devils Bleeding Crown”

4) “Marie Laveau”

5) “The Loa’s Crossroad”