Review Summary: Once more firing on all cylinders.
Beastwars sound rejuvenated on their latest studio effort,
The Ship // The Sea, ready to once more tear down walls with their massive riffs and fiery vocals. This is also guitarist Christian Pearce’s first album of original material with the band, as he joined in 2023 prior to the release of
Tyranny of Distance, a collection of reimagined covers from fellow Kiwi artists. The guys focused on immediate, punchy grooves this time, adding various embellishments around them. Therefore, a large part of the songs on the record are shorter than usual, clocking in at under four minutes. Right from the first two cuts, “We Don’t Say Fear” and “Guardian of Fire” we can hear the quartet in full gear, toying with crushing progressions, poignant leads and tempo switches. Meanwhile, “Levitate” shares the most dancey rhythm on the LP, offering a round of swinging guitars and prominent clean vocals from Matt Hyde. However, we’re quickly thrown into a hellish sonic pit which lasts for the most part of this journey. The fuzz-drenched guitar riffs on “The Storm”, “You Know They’re Burning the Land” & “The Devil” kick in like bulldozers, whereas the vocal delivery often becomes savage. At various points, Hyde proceeds to scream with such passion his vocal chords were getting ripped out. Rarely can you find someone in the genre who boasts a similar presence and powerful tone.
Another highlight is “Rust”, whose thick bass line drives the song. Around it, an avalanche of riffs create a very dense atmosphere, especially towards the end, where everyone cranks the volume to the maximum. The Southern metal tinged “Blood Will Flow” follows with its pile driving groove and pounding drums. There’s more guitar interplay here, as various leads take the forefront. This pattern continues on “The Howling”, letting the bass roam on the verses, especially. As expected, Matt’s scorching vocals further spice these tunes. The production suits this collection of tracks, maintaining a slight murk without losing the heaviness or details, similar to High on Fire records. Nevertheless, after a number of rough years which saw the band members going through different personal issues, Beastwars are definitely ready to push forward with their sound. The introspective closing number, “Light Leads the Way” seems to reflect on this, while providing a fitting conclusion to
The Ship // The Sea too. Although they have never released a disappointing album, this is their most potent one in over a decade. A must listen for anyone who is into sludge/stoner metal.
