Pirate metal is one of the most glorious and amazing metal subgenres. Unlike many other styles of metal, groups in this genre never take themselves seriously and are very aware of how silly they are. The epicness of the glorified pirate life works incredibly well with the intensity and aggression of metal. All of this makes for one of the most fun subgenres of metal you will ever listen to. The following are my five favorite pirate metal bands.

5. The Dread Crew of Oddwood

This fun little group from San Diego uses exclusively acoustic instruments to produce what they refer to as "Heavy Mahogany." Pulling off listenable acoustic metal is an impressive feat. Doing so with a pirate theme is even better.

4. Swashbuckle

Swashbuckle is a death/thrash metal band from New Jersey with a strong influence from folk metal. The more violent side of the pirate life is expressed here, and while the vocals aren't exactly the best I've ever heard, this band is still quite an enjoyable listen.

3. Lagerstein

This folk/power metal group takes the silliness and party-hard vibe of pirate lifestyle to an extreme degree. It's essentially what would happen if Jack Sparrow formed a metal band. Lagerstein is an undeniably fun band and I look forward to checking out their new album.

2. Running Wild

Legendary power metal band Running Wild haven't completely stuck to the pirate metal style throughout their discography. However, their pirate metal is some of the best you'll find. They are, without a doubt, one of the most energetic and anthemic metal bands of all time.

1. Alestorm

There simply is no competition for Alestorm when it comes to pirate metal. They are unbelievably fun, creative and exciting. While I'm a huge fan of their music, it's not the only reason they are one of my favorite bands. I greatly respect them as a band for consistently producing legitimately high-quality power metal, while maintaining their own unique sound and innovating with every new release. They manage to do all of this, while never taking themselves too seriously. Alestorm is by far the greatest pirate metal band.