The Classic Metal Album Review:
Title: Port Royal
Artist: Running Wild
Label: Noise Records
Release Date: 1988

Rating: 4 Skulls
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    • Dguy's Review:
    You walk down the dark, damp cobblestone alley, only to find a well-lit house of carousal, boozery, and general debauchery. You pass through the aged and dagger-scarred oaken portal to see dozens of well- and not-so-well-dressed pirates and vagabonds drinking and laughing the night away.

    "Wh-where am I?", you ask one of the "gentlemen".

    He slams down his tankard and hollers, loud enough for all to hear. "You wanna know where you are? Ha ha ha ha! In Port Royal!"

    I was almost appalled to find that in the Classics Review archive, there was not a SINGLE Running Wild review. I felt that this was a disgrace to one of the greatest traditional German heavy metal bands ever, so I took it upon myself to remedy it. Port Royal, their fourth album, is probably my favorite Running Wild release, aside from Gates to Purgatory. This album is true heavy metal in every sense of the word: ripping instrument work, epic-yet-gruff vocals, and GREAT songwriting. The first time I heard this album, I couldn't get half the songs out of my head for days. And this album really has something for everyone. "Into the Arena" is just as fast as anything from their first two albums (and better written), for all the speed freaks out there. "Uaschitschun" is an A+ Maiden-style midpaced rocker, for all the skull-cutted denim-and-leather-bangers reading this. "Conquistadores" is a great, fun mix of both worlds. And hell, if you're even into instrumentals (which I'm normally not), "Final Gates" is certainly for you. I tend to hate metal instrumentals, but this is the second best I've ever heard (seconded only by Iron Maiden's "Transylvania"). If I only had one complaint with Port Royal, it would be the filler. Now don't get me wrong, the second side (I have it on tape) of the album is still good, but I find myself listening to just the first side all the time. And it's not just entire songs that seem like filler, but it's also parts of certain songs. The songs aren't that long to begin with, but it seems like on some of them, they threw in a few boring riffs just to make each song 15 or 20 seconds longer. But it's probably just me; I know for a fact that there are bangers out there who worship every second of this album.

    I suppose that about does it. In conclusion, if you are a fan of:

    1. Traditional heavy metal
    2. Piracy
    3. Carousing/boozing
    4. Thrashing until death

    I highly recommend this album to you. If not . . . well . . . PREPARE TO BE BOARDED. Thrash 'til fucking death!
    4 out of 5

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