Sunday 17 April 2016

Beastmaker - Lusus Naturae (Album Review)


Release date: 26th March 2016. Label: Rise Above Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Lusus Naturae – Tracklisting

1. Clouds In The Sky
2. Eyes Are Watching
3. Arachne
4. Skin Crawler
5. Find The Stranger
6. You Must Sin
7. Burnt Offering
8. Mask Of Satan
9. It
10. Astral Corpse
11. Lusus Naturae
12. The Strain

Band Members:

Trevor William Church - vocals, guitars
John Tucker - bass guitar
Andy "Juan Bonham" Saldate - drums

Review:

Beastmaker from California are a brand new acquaintance to me and I was sold from the word go. So more of this please! I guess you can say this trio moves within the sphere of doom, but man the way Beastmaker unleashes their magic breathes new life into a somewhat overcrowded genre. Few new bands can match the old guard in terms of quality and honesty, and that’s one part in which the band excels. Not afraid to show who their influences are, they blend this with their own beautiful ideas. And the resulting concoction brewing in the cauldron, is invigorating and delicious.

Foreboding and punishing with a strong hint of early Black Sabbath, ‘Lusus Naturae’ brings out demons and nightmares from the darkest recesses of your mind. Mid-paced tempo, for the most part, with a full and earth-shattering bass guitar, loud and pounding drums that backs riffs that rips through steel. Adding occult themes for the lyrics and their magic brew is ready and potent as hell.

You should definitely enjoy the entire album, you hear, simply because it is badass! However, there are some tracks that stands out and represents the band the best. Church bells initiates opener ‘Clouds In The Sky’ and you can feel a storm brewing as evil forces approaches. Sludgy, crawling and sinister, it’s the perfect start to ‘Lusus Naturae’. Sticking to the lurking, crawling stance ‘Eyes Are Watching’ is even more foreboding and claustrophobic. The brutal riffs and Trevor’s distorted vocals enhances this greatly. The groove is on in ‘Skin Crawler’. A thumping, pounding bass guitar leads the way as Andy and Trevor weaves their magic around it. Slightly faster tempo, Beastmaker still breaks it down with an eerie, trippy mid-section that only adds to their excellence. Very Sabbath-y, ‘Burnt Offering’ is occult doom at it’s finest. No there are no baying Hammond Organs or seductive female vocals. Instead, the guys let their hair hang down as they belt out a fantastic evil creation. ‘Mask Of Satan’ is the best song of them all which is not a small feat, considering the great music throughout. Chugging riffs play on top of the bass guitar and drums, whose tightness and power can’t be underestimated. Ending in the most bone-chilling fashion, ‘The Strain’ goes slow but aims for the gut and it hits home immediately.

Like I mentioned earlier, Beastmaker are not afraid to show where they come from. The influence of a young and hungry Black Sabbath has the band enveloped, and then some. But the guys sidesteps any trappings of bringing in too much of their influences, simply by writing great songs and having a blast playing. All while making no apologies and rocking their socks off. I’m totally sold on Beastmaker and I urge you to check them out folks. Great stuff, indeed!

Words by Håkan Nyman

Lusus Naturae is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Rise Above Records now.

Links: