Hailing from Wellington , New Zealand ,"The Ship//The Sea" is the 5th release from BEASTWARS , doing this review is my first introduction to them and there is definitely lots to like here. So let's hoist anchor, sharpen the harpoons , and start the journey. The record starts with "We Don't Say Fear" which begins with a spoken word /guitar intro that sets the stage very well . As the song kicks in with a chugging riff and Matt Hyde's Troy Sanders from Mastodon  like vocal delivery , fans of sludge will be into it right away. Next track is "Guardian of Fire " which starts with a slow doomy chug , then gets a little atmospheric , with well layered guitars before launching into a bang your head section /groove and mini lead to close it out.

"Levitate" and "The Storm' see Hyde unlocking his inner Ronnie James Dio as the vocal approach shifts a little as the lyrical themes of battle at sea continue. Up next we have "The Storm", and the heavy bass groove is definitely something that stands out here. The songs have a nice ebb and flow to them shifting between aggression and hauntingly melodic as the tales of sea saga are vividly painted in the imagination. "Blood will Flow" and "The Howling" are both groove laden romps that keep the voyage going , and the riff to "The Howling" will keep your head banging for sure. 

The record closes with "The Devil " and "Light Leads the Way" two more solid tunes. So all in all there is a lot to like here. are not re inventing the wheel , but fans of "Blood and Thunder" era Mastodon , High on Fire and Sleep, or sludge in general will without a doubt like this record. If Ahab still wants to hunt the white whale , enlisting our friends from New Zealand would not be a bad idea.