Beastwars - Album Review: The Death Of All Things
There’s a real primal feel to the new Beastwars album, The Death Of All Things. Beastwars cut their own sonic path again and this release follows in the footsteps of their previous albums, both of which rated well in the New Zealand album charts. The Death Of All Things is sure to gain the four-piece Wellington band even more critical acclaim and devoted fans both here and abroad.
Sounding a bit similar to Kings Destroy and often-referenced Kyuss, Beastwars also explores a Neurosis-like style throughout the album. Stonking riffs and ground-shaking rhythms will put you into a head-banging trance but things are even slower and moodier than their first two albums, with longer track times giving you more meat to sink your teeth into.
Call To The Mountain kicks things off with some Southern groove sounding metal that’s sure to please. James Woods’ mighty bass opens Devils Of Last Night and there’s a ‘Bullet The Blue Sky’ feel to this track in the quieter moments. Although generally sticking to the tried and true three-chord progression, Some Sell Their Souls has a masterful wall of sound at the end that makes it the pick of the litter.
Slowing things down a bit, the super earthy guitar tone and impressive low end of Witches is sure to charm. Not to be outdone, Clayton Anderson‘s augmented chord progressions in Black Days makes this track standout for all the right reasons. Holy Man is another good example of the bands mastery of many sub-genres with the down under sludge flavour of Disappear being particularly tasty.
As interludes go, The Devil Took Her is an excellent one with pristine acoustic guitar and violin perfectly complimenting Matt Hyde’s medieval-sounding vocals. Clearly Beastwars has the musical scope to deliver on more than just straightforward metal. Also displaying many of the bands strengths the self-titled track, The Death of All Things, closes out the album on a good note.
It’s not all beer and skittles though. Certain songs could have benefited from some multi-tracked guitars in the breakdowns and Nathan Hickey’s powerful drumming is inhibited by a touch too much reverb on the cymbals. Unusual mixing techniques don’t always work, but overall this is a well-recorded album that captures the bands solid and gritty performances perfectly.
The Death Of All Things continues Beastwars’ fine tradition of slaying your eardrums with some of the best stoner metal around.
3/5
About Beastwars
Two years on from their internationally acclaimed, self-titled debut, Beastwars return on 20 April 2013 with Blood Becomes Fire. The new album serves witness to the end of days, told through the eyes of a dying traveler from another time. It is a work inspired by eternal themes. "It's a reflection on mortality, death and disease. Sooner or later they come for all of us and we've all screamed to the gods for answers, not that they've ever come."
On Blood Becomes Fire Beastwars hammer the story home with concussive force. "It’s a heavy album, both sonically and lyrically, but what solidifies it are the really triumphant 'fuck yeah' riffs. To us, this music is like getting psyched up to go into battle. You could be at war with someone else or yourself.”
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