The First Years of Piracy
| The First Years of Piracy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 11 November 1991 | |||
| Recorded | July–August 1991 | |||
| Studio | Studio W. Machtsum | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, power metal | |||
| Length | 42:34 | |||
| Label | Noise[1] | |||
| Producer | Rock'n Rolf | |||
| Running Wild chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metal.de | 8/10[2] |
| Rock Hard | 9/10[3] |
The First Years of Piracy is an album by German heavy metal band Running Wild. It is their last album with both bassist Jens Becker and drummer AC. It contains re-recorded versions of songs from the first three albums.
A promo video was made for this version of "Branded and Exiled".
In 2018, the album was included on a box set titled Pieces of Eight: The Singles, Live and Rare 1984 - 1994.[4] In 2022, the album was re-issued along with Ready for Boarding.[5]
Critical reception
Metal.de reviewed the re-release and compared the re-recordings to the originals and said they are "significantly more homogenous, polished, crisper, and faster [...]". They called the song selection good, although they noted that two important tracks were missing: "Genghis Khan" and "Adrian SOS".[2] Powermetal.de also reviewed the re-release and said the album has "a more venomous, crisp, and contemporary sound. They said the ten tracks are the strongest tracks of the band's early years.[6] In a Pieces of Eight review, Inferno said the album sounds too clean and rushed, and ruins the feel of the originals.[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Under Jolly Roger" | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Branded and Exiled" | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Soldiers of Hell" | 3:22 |
| 4. | "Raise Your Fist" | 4:51 |
| 5. | "Walpurgis Night" | 5:20 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Fight the Oppression" | 4:53 |
| 7. | "Marching to Die" | 4:37 |
| 8. | "Raw Ride" | 4:14 |
| 9. | "Diamonds of the Black Chest" | 2:49 |
| 10. | "Prisoner of Our Time" | 4:34 |
| Total length: | 42:34 | |
Personnel
- Rolf Kasparek – vocals, guitar, producer
- Axel Morgan – guitars
- Jens Becker – bass guitar
- AC – drums
- Jan Nemec – mixing
References
- ^ "Compilations & Tributes". Running Wild. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ^ a b Endres, Markus (2 June 2022). "Running Wild - The First Years Of Piracy Review". Metal.de (in German). Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ^ "Review - RUNNING WILD The First Years Of Piracy". Rock Hard (in German). 1991. Archived from the original on 2 July 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
Ausgabe: Rock Hard Vol. 56
- ^ "RUNNING WILD: 'Pieces Of Eight' Limited-Edition Box Set Due In September". Blabbermouth.net. 21 August 2018. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ^ Hellweg, Frank (7 April 2022). "RUNNING WILD: Neuauflage von „Ready For Boarding" und The First Years Of Piracy"". Vampster (in German). Archived from the original on 13 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ^ Rapp, Marcel (24 May 2022). "Review - RUNNING WILD - The First Years Of Piracy (Re-Release)". Powermetal.de (in German). Archived from the original on 13 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ^ Kuusinen, Miika (23 February 2019). "Vain laiskemmanpuoleisille tosirunkkareille – arviossa Running Wildin kokoelmaboksi". Inferno (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 13 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
Julkaistu Infernossa 10/2018