Review Summary: The final part of this brilliant apocalyptic trilogy...
After shaking the sludge/stoner metal sphere overnight with their uber heavy self-titled debut, as well as consolidating their strengths through its brilliant sequel,
Blood Becomes Fire, Beastwars have become a force to be reckoned with. Now, we have reached the end of this apocalyptic trilogy and
The Death of All Things is finally in our hands. Of course, the band finishes the job in a similar fashion yet it offers some small surprises along the way. Tearing down the walls with ramming riffs, the accompanying thoughtful, nihilistic tales portray the destruction of humanity who’s currently in the hands of greedy bankers, corrupt politicians, religious leaders and fake media whores that half of the globe glorifies. Nevertheless, there is also a reflective side represented by slightly toned down cuts, which bring a welcomed diversity to the table.
Kicking in full power, ‘Call to the Mountain’ is a murky beast that alternates from swinging grooves to pummeling choruses. The drums’ sound is powerful and round, driving the huge riffs all the way. Matt Hyde’s impressive, raucous snarl is just as hellish as always, however, he is more prone than ever to switch from distorted to clean vocals, as evidenced on ‘Devil of Last Night’ or ‘Witches’. These make great use of quiet/loud dynamics, creating a harrowing vibe. The band builds tension through instrumental passages and the moment Hyde joins in, they’re raging. Unpredictable moments like these make the journey even more interesting. Moreover, it suits them; for example, ‘The Devil Took Her’ is a mournful, acoustic ditty that echoes acts such as Angels of Light or Man’s Gin, bringing fresh sounds to the catalog. The appropriate tone is augmented by violins and Matt’s haunting croon.
Lying in between these bipolar extremities are tunes like ‘Holy Man’ or the title track. They jump from one end of the spectrum to the other, leaving room in between apocalyptic outings for thick bass lines where the guitar shares only a few leads or simply feedbacks. This way, the album ended up less dense than its predecessors. There are some melodic riffs alternating with bludgeoning ones and as ‘Black Days’ showcases, they sound really good altogether. The infectious main rhythm brings out the best of their stoner influences, before the doom-tinged bridge breaks the flow. Years later, Hyde doesn’t cease to amaze when screaming his lungs out.
Unfortunately, Beastwars shall remain in limbo for the foreseeable future, as drummer Nato will move in the UK at the end of the promotional tour. It would be a shame if these guys didn't record anything together again, as
The Death of All Things not only showcases some of their strongest material so far, but also started diversifying the output. Regardless of the band’s upcoming decisions, the entire trilogy stands out as one of the best collection of sludge/stoner metal songs released in the last decades.
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