Nautical rockers Rusty Shipp have returned with LP #4. Capsized Empire finds the boys picking up where they left off with 2022's Dark Side of the Ocean in title -- Cosmic Inuendo, Vol. II -- and in story. The physical media for Capsized Empire features some original artwork and an entire story for the album. Each song is mentioned within the story, but it's in a cool narrative-based way, instead of just shoehorning them in to fit. This narrative goes deep here, and the provided story goes a long way to help explain what's happening. Outside of the overarching narrative, there is a secondary theme of addressing the evilness of man and responding to this darker issue in a different way in each song.

The album kicks off with a brief instrumental, but after that, the opening trio strikes with three of the best songs released by the band. "All Aboard!" absolutely rips and takes me back to the days of Mortal Ghost. Grungy, punk-inspired rock music, soaked in enough reverb to make the surf rock bands of the 60's proud, sets the tone. "Espionage," their most recent single, takes that energy and picks it up just a step. The riff here (and guitar solo towards the end) are both fantastic. Almost upstaging the raucous rock sound is the nicely placed Monty Python reference that leads into the following track, "They're living like hell thinking it's Heaven's want to come to their aid, but they'll burn me at the stake -- no one expects the Spanish Inquisition." The traditional sea shanty, "Spanish Ladies," ends this opening set in a really nice fashion. Rusty Shipp is no stranger to a sea shanty, but this one adds some gained up guitars and lots of distortion, giving this shanty the feel of a rocking Shipp tune. Small musical interludes with spoken word story sections also accompany this album. "Black Market Jam," "The Curse of Robert Williams," and "Counsel of the Sea Lords" all help to progress the story forward (with different characters narrating) and fill in the gaps of what's happening. Other interlude tracks, like "Don't You Greive" and "Upside Down Kingdom," are more like short songs but fulfill a similar role.

Some of the tracks are very clearly sung from different perspectives. "Tough Guys," for instance, comes from the perspective of the story's pirates. You can hear this from the lyrical and vocal approach taken. The verses are sung very differently, and the lyrics are simplistic and comically silly. However, when Russ comes in on the chorus, the tone changes. This album also sees a return to Paul McCartney. Mortal Ghost featured an excellent cover of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter," but Capsized Empire contains a much deeper cut -- "1882," by Paul McCartney and Wings. While this cover doesn't have the same energy and zest as "Helter Skelter," it's done well and actually fits the album's story and theme perfectly. It's a great addition. The album ends very similarly to how it begins. "Sinners in the Hands" has the same feel to "All Aboard!" and finishes things out on a high note, both musically and lyrically. The final words sung in Capsized Empire are simply, "His grace is infinite as His love."

Rusty Shipp went big. Capsized Empire is 17 tracks and right at an hour in length. On top of that undertaking is a deep, multifaceted story. It's an ambitious project with a lot for the listener to digest. This very well could be their best album musically since Mortal Ghost. It's also the most detailed from a lyrical/story perspective and leaves a lot to unpack. There's a lot to enjoy here: Absolute rocking songs like "All Aboard!" and "Espionage" are clear highlights. "Aquamoto" provides a fantastic surf rock instrumental better than anything we've heard previously. Another outstanding cover song is also included in the mix. On top of that, the physical media package is very fun and engaging. While their musical style and themes can be a bit limiting, the band (and their Captain) is trying to push boundaries with this release and stretch themselves further. The new album is unlikely to make new fans if the band's "schtick" has not been your thing in the past. However, current fans of what Russ and the crew bring to the table should get a healthy dose of what they already love. This is easily one of my favorite albums of 2025. I'd highly recommend setting sail with Capsized Empire today!

- Review date: 6/26/25, written by Michael Weaver of Jesusfreakhideout.com

 

 Record Label: None
 Album length: 17 tracks: 59 minutes, 8 seconds
 Street Date: June 27, 2025
 Buy It: iTunes
 Buy It: Amazon Music

1. What The Tide Washed In (0:40)
2. All Aboard! (4:29)
3. Espionage (4:03)
4. Spanish Ladies (4:12)
5. On The Docks (4:23)
6. Black Market Jam (1:23)
7. Neck Breaker (4:13)
8. The Curse Of Robert Williams (1:44)
9. Tough Guys (4:22)
10. Aquamoto (2:14)
11. Don't You Grieve Us (1:46)
12. 1882 (5:53)
13. Nefarious (5:26)
14. Scallywags (5:36)
15. Counsel Of Sea Lords (1:31)
16. Upside Down Kingdom (1:14)
17. Sinners In The Hands (5:59)