Band: Beastmaker

Album: Eye of the Storm

Label: Shadow Kingdom

Genre: Doom Metal

Country: US

Release Date: July 26th, 2019

The year 2014 saw the appearance of the band Beastmaker on the doom metal scene from Fresno, California. Since then, Beastmaker has bombarded the metal world with two full length albums and a whopping twelve EPs (thirteen counting Eye of the Storm). I will confess that I have not listened to Beastmaker prior to checking out this record and have had little, if any, exposure to doom metal in the past, so Eye of the Storm was a unique experience for me. Some of what I find intriguing about this album may not be so notable to someone more familiar with the subgenre.

The record Eye of the Storm is only four songs long. As an EP this is usually expected. The total runtime of the record is rather short (less than twenty minutes long). However, these four tracks pack a lot of substance. Each track kicks off with dramatic instrumental volleys, aside from Celestial Glow, which begins with a sample of what appears to be a few lines from possibly a movie (not sure what the source is) talking about some special mushroom before it kicks off with the bombastic instrumentals. While the instrumentals on this record consist primarily of marching drum beats, crashing cymbals, and heavy guitar riffs some songs, namely Celestial Glow and Shadows feature notes from pianos or keyboards sprinkled atop the harder, more traditional metal instruments. Some of the guitar riffs are played at a fast pace, in addition to being less bass-heavy. Based on the handful of doom metal songs that I listened to after this album, including a few older Beastmaker tunes, this seems to be unusual, but I may be wrong, since, as stated earlier, I’m not too familiar with doom metal. All the vocals are sung cleanly, but the tracks are not driven by vocals, but rather accompanied by them. The singing is melodic and closely follows the melodies played by the guitars. These melodies help cloak the songs in a shroud of melancholy. Compared to the few older Beastmaker songs I ended up listening to, the vocals on Eye of the Storm seem to be more energized rather than laidback. This atmosphere is enhanced by the lyrics, as the vocalist sings of themes of rebirth on Eye of the Storm, the titular track, sadness, mourning, and longing on Shadows and My Only Wish, and the supernatural on Celestial Glow. The music and lyrics evoke the same kind of dark, lonely vibe that the cover art portrays, with its lone, dark, reaper-like figure standing atop a mountain next to the striking lightning and moon. At times it’s almost like wandering through another dimension.

Eye of the Storm is a brief, but otherworldly musical odyssey. The torrents of guitar riffs and drum beats coupled with the melancholic singing are used to craft a beautiful metal storm that should please the ears of metal fans in general. However, the short runtime leaves me wanting to hear a lot more. Still, after hearing Eye of the Storm, I’m glad that Beastmaker has blessed us with this fine work of art.

Rating: 8/10

Tracklist:

Eye of the Storm Shadows My Only Wish Celestial Glow

Total Playing Time: 16:54

Click here to visit Beastmaker’s Bandcamp