Beesus
The Rise Of Beesus – CD // DD // Vinyl
New Sonic Records // Goodfellas – released December 17, 2015
Reviewed by Zachary “+Norway+” Turner
Lineup:
Touis – Vocals
Pootchie – Guitars/ Chorus Vocals
Mudd – Drums/ Chorus Vocals
Mutt – Bass
Tracklist:
Rise Of Beesus 07:31
6ft Under Box 03:55
Stonerslam 03:16
Waltzer 03:38
Kusa 06:53
Zenza 03:26
Sonic Doom/Stoner Youth 06:21
Mata La Vergüenza 04:41
Beesus In Dope 07:40
…And 02:28
Review:
BEESUS are a rock band from Rome, Italy. This album is a strange mix of 90’s influences like; Grunge/Alternative Metal and Stoner Rock and even some Doom Metal. They have their guitar’s gain almost all the way up, making them buzz… Kind of like a bee.
You can hear the influence of a band they name in the first word and last word title of their seventh song, Sonic Youth. The album is a strange mix of Alice in Chains, John Corabi led Motley Crue, Sonic Youth, and Hobo Magic. Which doesn’t sound like it would sound good or work but here it really does.
Track-by-Track:
Rise Of Beesus 07:31 – The album starts with feedback, buzzing, and distant moaning. Then suddenly the rise begins. “I saw the prophet, who called his name, by a strange language I’ve never, never heard”. The world of the song becomes darker and soon the almost chant of “He’s here” makes it even stranger.
6ft Under Box 03:55 – The crunchy beginning sets up the atmosphere of this song. The vocals and music almost sound like it is coming from a box, there is no reverb, and even the vocals seem dry and crushed. The tracks builds to a neck breaking Shout out loud lyrics “6 Feet Under Box” which is accompanied with a powerful Riff that would knockout Mike Tyson in his heyday with its strength and power!
Stonerslam 03:16 – The reverb is back and with a grove. We are told; “so stand up crowd and start to dance, because your fears are near the end” even though we are barley into the album and song giving a somewhat false sense of ease but soon we are told to; “Create and destroy, well, you can, at Stonerslam” and to; “stand up sisters, stand up brothers, all together, altogether, stand up people, stand up now, and all together let’s start to dance” ending in feedback into
Waltzer 03:38 – This song is a heavy groove too and as the song progresses he tells us repeatedly; “I’m not enough fool, to be your slave, I’m not enough freak, to know your faith/to like our pain, ‘Cause I won’t be lost, I won’t be sold” and finally “I won’t be yours”
Kusa 06:53 – This is a heavy track in more ways than one… The lyrics, like; “Your choosing wrong ways, won’t take you so far away, (it always seems so easy), meanwhile she’s falling down” and musically, there is a constant bass plucking that is on the edge of being too distorted plodding along under the whole track. There are also little sound effects like breathing and a higher pitched note in the distance.
Kusa is Japanese for Grass or Herb. 草
Beesus is currently Touring Europe!
Zenza 03:26 – I’ll quote the singer on what this track is “uncontrolled madness” It sounds like everyone is just jamming away and rocking out. The way that the vocals are; main on the left (and a little on the right) and a second vocal joining on the right (and sometimes on the left) This track is just a wild ride.
“Zenza is just a name of a guy we know” says the band.
Sonic Doom/Stoner Youth 06:21 – This title shows what a few of the influences are for the band and album; Sonic Youth, Doom, and Stoner. The track mixes those three well; There is a sense of doom,there is the sound of stoner rock, and an influence of the musical stylings of Sonic Youth. (Stoner and Doom take the most focus though.
Mata La Vergüenza 04:41 – This is one of, if not the, most metal tracks on the album. Well the song is bookended by the two most metal parts on the album. In the middle it goes slow while the vocalist says that; “We only have to forgive the blame we only have to play this game, we only have to kill the shame” and finally “now we need to find some better place”
Spanish for Kills The Shame
Beesus In Dope 07:40 – This track sounds like a very strange mix of Black Sabbath and Alice in Chains. There is a slow and heavy groove and little lyrics. “Some drifting life, no time for dying, 4 single men, one single soul, We’re in dope, Forget your pain, trust in her powers, let her get inside, your body and mind, We’re in dope”
…And 02:28 – Is another crazy track that is a weird bonus track that sounds like a nightmare soundscape with yelled vocals and a late Nirvana song with heaver instruments.
Final Thoughts:
Even though most of the influences are from the 90s Beesus has made a modern sounding record. Could that be because everything is recorded so cleanly without compression?
This album is definitely a rise, and it is a great first album. Pick it up HERE
Links:
https://beesus.bandcamp.com/album/the-rise-of-beesus
Beesus
Sgt. Beesus and the Lonely Ass Gangbang! – CD // DD // Vinyl
New Sonic Records // Goodfellas – released March 2nd, 2018 on Digital Download
Vinyl // CD are available for Pre-Orders Now!
Reviewed by Zachary “+Norway+” Turner
Lineup:
Touis – Vocals
Pootchie – Guitars / Chorus Vocals
Mudd – Drums / Chorus Vocals
Johnny – Bass
Tracklist:
Intro 0:12
El Dude 3:34
Dubblegum Boom Metla 4:47
Nuña y Freña 9:25
Reichl 3:24
I Don’t Wanna Be 3:37
Junk Around 3:55
Beaux 9:56
Outro 0:14
Review:
Earlier this year the band made a Pledge Music page to promote and raise money for there second album. It is now closed (of course) and, luckily, reached 101% of its goal. It had some interesting options like, a cover song of your choice, a in your house performance, and an executive producer credit. Sadly the website doesn’t tell you how much of each option was bought so I can’t tell you what got bought the most. But anyway to the review…
Beesus’ second album has more of a venom and late 80s grunge, noise rock feel. The production and playing on this album has tightened up. There is also a more punk feel and the fuzz is still present but is toned down.
For a couple of songs the band have introduced a vocoder. It makes it’s entrance in “I Don’t Wanna Be” and it’s exit is “Beaux”.
The “Intro” and “Outro” are a strange mix of keys and maybe a garage door opening.
“El Dude” starts with a lot of noise and a solid bass riff. It also sounds like it could be the first part to a later track (I Don’t Wanna Be).
“Dubblegum Boom Metla” has four movements the first part which is medium passed and has a repeating riff and speeds up as it gets to the the second which is faster and then it speeds up and suddenly slows to the background screaming and slow churning fuzzy guitars. It then speeds up again, back to the second pace, but only briefly and then it fades out.
“Nuña y Freña” is somewhat of a throwback to their first album kind of like “Kusa”.
“Reichl” is the roughest and noisiest of the main tracks. “Take the cure, my man” is repeated many times throughout the song. Sonic Youth will definitely approve!
“I Don’t Wanna” be is a mix of stoner, punk, and a few moments of rapid, almost rapped vocals. This is the first track with the vocoder. It is in the background emphasizing some of the vocals.
“Junk Around” has the most affects added to it. Strangely enough it is also the most punk of the tracks. There is “You’ll succumb to me.” and “On your knees” are the phrases for this song.
In “Beaux”, the vocoder returns. It is more prominent. This song is also the slowest, and longest, on the album. Has a well executed sludgy feel to it.
Final Thoughts:
“Sgt. Beesus and the lonely ass Gangbang!” is definitely an improvement on their first album and I am excited to hear some of those cover songs if anyone bought that perk.
