Bastion's Wake

*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state. This month’s state is Delaware.*
This is a change of pace from my usual metal fare, but Delaware’s Bastion’s Wake are an enigmatic power/symphonic band that piqued my interest with the fantasy artwork of their first album, ‘Sea Creatures and Sky Pirates’.
The band hail from Delaware City and are comprised of the exotically named ėVė (vocals) and the equally idiosyncratic Derelith October (guitar/throat singing). Bastion’s Wake describe their sound as “cinematic metal” and I wouldn’t argue with that. Their sound is ethereal with music that takes you away to a spiritual plain, to a high land of rich imagination.

The first full length record is a masterpiece of modern metal that twists the energy of metal and melds it with classical mood pieces. The vocals are lush and clear, beautifully toned and breathless. The sound of ėVė singing like a siren to the rocks envelops your soul and strings you up on the winds of passionate power. Songs such as “Claudia” are very cinematic. They are full or orchestrated power and lustful for life.
Allied to the real firepower of ėVė is the most religious of orchestration that you will find outside of European symphonic metal. The guitars soar and the strings/synths break through the sonic stratosphere. There is a melancholia in among the passion and it truly draws you into a fantasy world.
My favorite tracks include the intensely world-weary call of “Alice Dieve“. This is chock full of intricate passages of stellar guitar work and breathless emoting. The vibrant soundscape trickles like spun webs of golden threads and runs its fingers up and down your ears.
Other highlights include the brooding Celtic mystery of “The Secret Garden” and the punching “Fairwell To Midland“.
The band has an enigmatic smile in its music and a taste for romantic mysticism. The album is one of my favorite records of 2019 and I look forward to future releases. All in all, this is a classy, talented group who play their own brand of power metal to perfection. - Metal Nexus

Let’s face it, we live in a day and age where musically……..originality is hard to come by. That’s not saying bands don’t try to break the mold, but we live in a time where almost everything has been done and every genre has been mixed and matched to form a new sub genre. Every now and then you find a band that releases an album that creatively sticks out a little more than some and goes the extra mile. Today we look at Delaware cinematic metal duo Bastion’s Wake and their album “Sea Creatures and Sky Pirates”.
“Sea Creatures and Sky Pirates” is a melding pot of various genres. Low tuned guitars that groove and shred melodic cadences as beautiful string sections and keyboards build an atmosphere that rock the sea like Triton himself. Throughout the album there is definitely a unique, seafaring vibe these guys create that makes it quite the experience. From alternative metal to various flavors of symphonic metal, there is definitely quite the dose of ambience to go around paired with melodic, yet technical guitar solos. Then there is the vocals……where do I begin. If I had to gather up a comparison for the vocals on the album I would say Christina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil) and Layne Staley (Alice In Chains) would be an odd, but spot on comparison. Extremely dense, harmonious vocals with strained, remorseful crooning run the parade and definitely take center stage on this album. The emotional delivery behind the vocals really drive home the sound that Bastion’s Wake have created on this release.

“Sea Creatures and Sky Pirates” is an album made to listen to from front to back. To further dive into the album, the tracks can be broken up into 2 categories: the heavy tracks and the ballads. A good place to start if you are new to the band is lead single “Claudia”. Grooving guitars and emotive vocals push and pull like the crashing waves in the ocean. I could even see Triton himself rocking out to this epic track. The harmony work amongst the vocals is absolutely gorgeous. Ballad “Alice Dieve” is an amazing track with an almost Celtic backdrop and repetitive vocal lines that almost hypnotize the listener. A very somber tune that will have you reaching for the closest box of tissues. One cannot ignore the powerhouse of a closer “The Broken”. Heavy stop-start riffs with its anthemic chorus will have you two-stepping and moshing in the living room. Aggressive vocals coupled with some sparse guttural screams really build the intensity as we listen to the band at their heaviest. A great tune to take the album out on a high note as it bleeds into the mournful and haunting l bonus track “Mothman”.
Be sure to keep tabs on this duo. Bastion’s Wake has a knack for extremely strong songwriting and this album is a testament to that. Be sure to pick up a copy today and catch them at a show near you. You won’t be disappointed, this duo has a lot of good things coming their way if they keep at it with material such as this album. - First Angel Media

Bastion’s Wake–Sea Creatures and Sky Pirates
Cinematic metal heads Bastion’s Wake created quite the soundscape with the release of this album. With over the top theatrics and powerful vocal dynamics, the duo engulf the listener in a world of their own with pirates and metallic mysticism. A truly unique and powerful experience. - First Angel Media

#8. Bastion's Wake - Sea Creatures and Sky Pirates - This two-person band comes together in a genre-bending novel of a CD! While it certainly can play like a concept album, each individual track stands greatly on its own. "Listening" catches you right off the bat, while "The Broken" is definitely a song (anthem?) for everyone to enjoy. - im-musicmagazine

This week on Find Your Muse(ic) we take a look at the song “Claudia” by Delaware’s seafaring beast Bastion’s Wake. Featuring chunky dropped tuned alt metal, enriched guitar melodies, and symphonic elements…it is a welcome change of pace in the world of metal we have today. What will catch the ear most about “Claudia” is the intense harmonious vocals featured in the track. The vocals act almost as another instrument as beautiful 3 part harmonies soar and resound as anguished vocals mourn and croon. “Claudia” is a beautiful and emotionally heavy tune that will have you rocking and racing for the replay button and wanting more. Be sure to check out Bastion’s Wake and get you or hands on their album “Sea Creatures and Sky Pirates” today! - First Angel Media

Bastion’s Wake: Sea Creatures And Sky Pirates (Midland Studio Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Bastion’s Wake is a two-piece unit comprising vocalist ėVė and guitarist Derelith October. Originating from Delaware, they play an operatic, dramatic style of symphonic rock/metal which has moments which genuinely excite. The complex compositions allow ėVė to showcase her strong vocal style, whilst musically this is a combination of numerous styles. Listening opens the album, gothic overtures, big riffs and dramatic sections combining to create a soaring cinematic soundscape. It’s an album that needs multiple listens to appreciate. Claudia for example, has so much happening that repeated spins were needed to appreciate the deftly layered elements. Beneath it all, there lies two talented musicians who merge the heaviness of the riff with the drama of the operatic. The haunting Alice Dieve contrasts completely with the gentle acoustic folk style of Nyarlathotep whilst Fairwell to Midland contains crushingly heavy guitar riffs and spiralling vocals. My first listen left me unimpressed but by the third listen I had been converted. This is an impressive album. 7/10

Massive Destruktion: Mercenaries (Self Released) [Joey Watkins] - Musipedia Of Metal

The Song: Claudia
The song is Claudia. A multilayered track featuring low guitars, Symphonic elements, and densely layered vocals. The song tells the story of the Anne Rice’s child vampire of the same name.
Band biography Based out of Delaware, Bastion’s Wake has come on to a music scene saturated with dad shorts, and brought back the magic and theatre of a live show. With dipping into every style of music, lights, and video shows, they pour every ounce of creativity they can muster into to everything they do. - Buildthescene - 3 Questions & a song

congrats to this weeks top 25 fan voted bands ......
1. Bastion's Wake
2. Post Profit
3. Clockwork Asylum
4. BLUD RED ROSES
5. The Warning
6. Symfinity
7. Despised Mourning
8. Casting Shadows
9. ADELITAS WAY
10. My Own Affliction
11. ELSIE BINX
12. Frank Palangi
13. Bad Analogy
14. Burdens Within
15. Stitched Up Heart
16. City of the Weak
17. Crossing Bard
18. NoppeN
19. DIVIDE THE FALL
20. New Years Day
21. force it
22. Kaleido
23. Becoming Ashes
24. MUTO
25. Icon For Hire - Rockrageradio

This week on Melissa's Local Music Monday, I'll be featuring Wilmington based metal band, Bastion's Wake. Bastions Wake released their first full length album Sea Creatures and Sky Pirates on June 29th, and I'll tell you what, if you are a metal fan, this album is a must listen. Combining ethereal vocal harmonies with heavy guitar riffs and orchestral instruments, Bastions Wake creates a soundscape that you don't hear very often. They will be playing a show this Saturday in our store for their album release, so mark your calendars, this isn't one you're going to want to miss!
#MLMMatRainbow - Rainbow Records