Scott Morrow is ALARM’s music editor. Patrick Hajduch is a very important lawyer. Each week they debate the merits of a different album.
Beastwars: “Damn the Sky”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/BEASTWARS_Damn_the_Sky.mp3|titles=Beastwars: “Damn the Sky”]Morrow: Hailing from New Zealand, Beastwars is a four-piece stoner/sludge-metal outfit that specializes in down-tuned guitars, deep grooves, and gruff wailing. The group remains unsigned for now, but after hearing this self-titled album (which you can do for free at Beastwars’ Bandcamp page), it’s only a matter of time before an indiepicks them up. (Hello, Tee Pee?)
The music isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s a fist-pumping, head-banging good time — part Unsane, part old-school Soundgarden, and part High on Fire.
Hajduch: There is a major, major grunge influence at work here. “Lake of Fire” sounds a whole lot like a burlier “School” by Nirvana. The way the vocals interact with these huge riffs carries a definite Pacific Northwest influence. There’s also something about the riffs that remind me of Undertow-era Tool but with more of a classic-metal gallop to them.
I’m definitely shocked at how little exposure this band has gotten. This is a really solid stoner-metal album that should appeal to everybody who even slightly likes this kind of thing.
Morrow: Now we know where grungy metal went to mature: across the ocean to the Pacific Southwest. Being from New Zealand probably doesn’t help for touring, as it must be a pain just to get to Australia (which in itself is a pain in the ass for touring). But the Internet allows for fantastic discoveries, so hopefully they’ll latch on somewhere soon.
As for the quality — absolutely. The album blows away a lot of the mediocre stoner-metal releases that are undeservedly lauded. If only those other bands adopted Beastwars’ mantra of “obey the riff.”
Hajduch: Readers, please head to Beastwars’ Bandcamp page and pick this album up. It’s solid from start to finish, and you will bang your heads; it’s that simple. In conclusion, I’m proud of Scott and I for making it through this review without a reference to Lord of the Rings — except for this one, which doesn’t count.
Morrow: Or Transformers! This one counts, though.