The rise of a single name is a privilege that few things can truly compare to. We’re fortunately inundated with loads of names out there that are constantly seeking to climb the ranks of the underground to have their voice heard in a dense cacophony of others, yet there are always those that stand out more so than others. Sometimes, though, we’re given a name that constantly delivers and still somehow manages to feel like a well-kept secret given the talent that is more than worthy of bursting forth to a far wider audience. As one of the best examples of such, it’s with their newest album that Beastwars displays the next stage in their evolution, a progression that is singularly fascinating to witness.

Understandably, it’s not easy to become ubiquitous with your sound. It requires time, lots of effort, and, as you might imagine, more than enough talent to stay constant with your progression as musicians to showcase a lot of what you’re capable of. It’s the sort of thing that even the finest bands can struggle to achieve for any number of reasons, but that doesn’t stop really anybody, of course. Over the years, Beastwars has been constantly improving their craft to become one of the premier acts in all of stoner metal and it’s with the arrival of their sixth full-length album, “The Ship // The Sea”, that the New Zealand act has only furthered their mastery of the sound. Armed with themes that center around the all-powerful ocean that takes as much as it gives, the songwriting excellence of Beastwars is in full swing throughout all ten tracks to make them just as overflowing with riffs as they are intoxicating and compelling. The raw heaviness of this record speaks volumes as the brilliantly dynamic nature of Beastwars is constantly in full swing to make “The Ship // The Sea” something that demands your full attention for fear of some delectable detail fly right by you. It’s expansive and downright invigorating for all that it offers, and there’s no way to deny the magnitude of stupendous quality that stoner metal has been given here by the return of Beastwars.

It would be a stretch to say that what Beastwars has done here is of a sort that redefines stoner metal here, but it’s damn near impossible for me to look upon all that has been accomplished throughout the whole of “The Ship // The Sea” and not be compelled to fall before such awesome might. This is a record that’s the culmination of years of domination in a scene that has always been in need of more talent, and it’s only fitting that Beastwars would be the ones to answer the call once again six years after their last opus.

“The Ship // The Sea” releases on November 7th via Destroy Records!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “The Ship // The Sea” on Bandcamp here.

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