8.5/10

You might think that a band who refers to itself purveyors of “Pirate Metal”, are less than a serious endeavour, but one listen to Aurum Aetus Piraticus and you’d stand corrected. This four piece outfit hails from Calgary, Canada, and along with Germans Running Wild are about the only bands I can think of whose musical subject matter is solely based on nautical themes. The harsh vocals and lyrics, which paint a vivid, even historical picture, remind me a lot of Nile, only drawing their portrait on the sea, as opposed to Egyptian sands. They tell bleak tales of harsh sea life, bloody battles, despair and an overall unglamorous lifestyle. Blending mid-paced metal riffery, Celtic, gypsy, progressive, black/death metal and thrash metal elements, these Canadians are unique, to say the least. Sonically, their performance is mature and defies their youth (the band averages 20 years of age). The album title, translates to The Golden Age Of Piracy, and given the right label taking notice, could be the golden age of Verbal Deception. I’d be shocked and disappointed if these guys were still an ‘Indie’ band a year of two from now. In the meantime check them out at www.verbaldeception.com.