After two extremely pop-oriented albums produced by oddball Mike Batt, Steeleye Span went through yet another of their many changes of direction. Fiddler Peter Knight left the band--temporarily, as it would turn out--and former members Martin Carthy and John Kirkpatrick briefly re-appeared. Carthy's acoustic guitar and Kirkpatrick's accordion dominate the proceedings, with Maddy Prior taking most of the lead vocals, largely relegating her usual singing partner Tim Hart to harmonies.

The eight lengthy songs--the epic "The Victory" is nearly nine minutes long--sound like they were mostly recorded live without overdubs. This is both a refreshing change of pace from the lushly-orchestrated Mike Batt albums and a perfect setting for the band's modernized take on traditional British folk music. STORM FORCE 10 is one of Steeleye Span's most traditional albums, and also one of their best.