13 October 2023 - 0 Comments

Beastwars, the acclaimed heavy metal band from Wellington, New Zealand, releases their fifth studio album, Tyranny of Distance, out now via Destroy Records / Universal.

Stream/Purchase Tyranny of Distance HERE

The latest single taken from the release is Beastwars’ interpretation of what frontman Matt Hyde dubs
"Marlon Williams' perfect slice of gothic South Island Americana”, Dark Child.

Listen To Dark Child HERE

Dark Child originally made its debut on Marlon Williams' self-titled 2015 album, marking a breakthrough moment in his career. Hyde shared his thoughts on the song, which has been given the complete Beastwars treatment, stating, “ Sometimes you will hear an artist and know this person has got it going on, you become a fan and follow their journey. However, when I heard this particular song from Marlon Williams, I thought he was on fire. The delivery, the lyrics, it all had a profound effect on me. This song was a pivotal moment for Marlon, from the underground to topping the charts, and he has really never looked back - his great tsunami to wash the past away and build new roads. Classic track, classic artist.”

Tyranny of Distance is a collection of songs sharing the common themes of despair, loneliness and existential frustration, plus a song recounting the story of an illicit drug-fueled party, albeit with a twist. Tyranny of Distance is also a covers album spanning 40 years' of New Zealand music. The Gordons, Superette, Snapper, Marlon Williams, Children's Hour, Nadia Reid, Julia Deans and The 3Ds all have their songs contorted and distorted, riffs extracted and mutated. These are powerful songs in their own right, but Tyranny of Distance gives them fiery new life to become something distinctly "Beastwars".

Earlier this month, as part of the Tyranny Of Distance project, Beastwars unleashed a powerful reimagining of We Light Fire by Julia Deans.

Beastwars Drummer Nathan Hickey, sat down with the iconic Julia Deans to discuss her thoughts on Beastwars' reinterpretation of the track. Their conversation delves deep into the original inspiration behind the song.

Check out the chat between Nathan and Julia Deans as they explore the world of We Light Fire and its transformation in the hands of Beastwars:

The seed of Tyranny of Distance was first planted a few years back when Beastwars singer Matthew Hyde said that he loved the song Dark Child by Marlon Williams and wanted to cover it. The band didn't pursue this idea until 2022, when they were asked to contribute a song to a Soundgarden tribute album for an American label. Beastwars was on hiatus then and hadn’t been in the same room or played music together for over a year. Individually each band member was going through tough times, and the idea of finding the energy to create new original music together was unfathomable.

But the band quickly realised that playing music together was healing, cathartic and most important of all - fun. So the idea of covering Marlon Williams was resurrected and embellished, kicking off the formidable process of shortlisting songs, tracking down artists for their blessing, learning the inspiration behind the songs and, in one case, a hard-fought quest to uncover long-lost lyrics that were indecipherable on the original recording.

Panhead Custom Ales - known for their love of rock music, custom car culture, and long-standing history of supporting Beastwars - were pitched a simple idea "would you pay for the band to record some hot-rodded New Zealand songs?" The answer is Tyranny of Distance.

The recording process took place over nine months. It was overseen by Beastwars drummer Nathan Hickey and longtime collaborator James Goldsmith, who co-produced the previous two Beastwars albums with the final heftiness added by mastering engineer Will Borza (Deftones, ZZ Top).

Christian Pearce, who also plays in Beastwars side projects End Boss and Putrid Future, will join the band on guitar duties while original member Clayton Anderson takes a break from live performances.

Obey the Riff, Long Live the Beast.

Beastwars kick off their Tyranny of Distance tour this weekend in Whanganui and New Plymouth with the mighty Shepherds Reign.

Beastwars Tyranny of Distance Album Release Tour:

Friday 13th October: The Musicians Club, Whanganui w/ Shepherds Reign
Saturday 14th October: Zeal/The Mayfair, New Plymouth w/ Shepherds Reign
Thursday 26th October: Last Place, Hamilton w/ Tusk
Friday 27th October: Galatos, Auckland w/ Ripship
Saturday 28th October: San Fran, Wellington w/ Ripship
Friday 3rd November: The Loons, Lyttelton w/ Night Lunch
Saturday 4th November: Dive, Dunedin w/ Night Lunch

Tickets on sale now from www.beastwarsband.com

Photo Credit: David James

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