Bastion’s Wake – Go Tell the Bees

Bastion’s Wake come out of Delaware with a mix that doesn’t quite sit in one lane: part melodic death, part doom, part symphonic metal, all built around Sami’s vocal and Ray’s guitar writing. What started as a duo playing with programmed backlines has grown into a full band, but the songs still feel like they were written with pictures in mind, not just pits.

Go Tell the Bees leans into that. “Motanka” opens on rain and distant guitar, more of a scene-setter, then “Willow’s Ruse” walks straight into it with tremolo-heavy leads, live drums and Sami sitting on top of the mix, clear and forceful without going full operatic. It feels like the opening chapter of a story, closer to fantasy drama than straight genre workout.

“(Don’t) Tell the Bees” is where the concept sharpens. The guitars press forward, the tempo picks up, and the vocal line rides over it in long phrases that feel like warnings and confessions at the same time. “Tiny Box” scales things down, still heavy but more inward, like the record zooming in on one character instead of the whole world.

“This Is Home” slows the pulse and lets the melody stretch, giving some room to the softer side of Sami’s voice, while “Pathos” starts with piano before crashing back into full band mode, the kind of closing-credit energy that makes sense for sync.

Across the record, Bastion’s Wake stay focused on hooks and riffs, but there’s always a sense of story running underneath: grief, rebuilding, and the quiet panic of trying to carry all of it.