Bastion's Wake - (Don't) Tell the Bees (Music Video)

A Hymn to Loss: Bastion's Wake Unveil the Epic Heart of Their Storm with "(Don't) Tell the Bees"

Get ready for an immersive experience that is as emotionally profound as it is sonically massive. Bastion's Wake has dropped the official video for "(Don't) Tell the Bees," the emotional centrepiece of their highly acclaimed sophomore concept album, Go Tell The Bees.

This is more than a metal song; it's a testament to resilience, a blend of ancient folklore, and a technical masterclass—all wrapped up in a sound the band perfectly describes as "Prog-power-black metal…with a kiss of doom."

Where Myth Becomes Music

The concept driving the album is the ancient folk ritual of "Telling the Bees," where beekeepers would whisper news of a death to their hives to prevent them from abandoning the family. The album Go Tell The Bees is a conceptual exploration of grief, loss, and the eventual awakening of hope—and this track is where the myth hits hardest.

As the album’s emotional centerpiece, "(Don't) Tell the Bees" features:

• A Classic Core, a Modern Edge: The track carries a familiar heavy metal structure, but it’s twisted and braided with melodic death and black metal influences.

• A Soaring Chorus: The chorus doesn't just repeat; it unfolds. Each return is larger and more resonant than the last, building to an immense emotional climax that is both haunting and transcendent.

• Vocal Transcendence: Sami Hunter’s vocals are the guide, soaring high and ethereal before driving home the raw power and grief at the track's core.

A Monumental Sound, A Personal Vision

Bastion's Wake's sound is famously "huge," with stacks of layers to create that lush, cinematic quality. To handle this magnitude, they enlisted the expertise of a legend: Øystein G Brun of Borknagar and Crosound Studio, Norway.

Brun’s touch was the final, defining polish. He took their intricate details and massive layers, emphasised the raw emotions, and added a lush, analogue finish, resulting in an immersive auditory experience that perfectly balances the album's hard-hitting tracks (like "Willow's Ruse") with its softer moments ("Pathos"). The result is a sound that is both fresh and bewitching, yet somehow wonderfully nostalgic.

But while the sound is world-class, the visual identity remains deeply personal: the video for "(Don't) Tell the Bees" was recorded and edited by Bastion's Wake themselves, offering a direct, powerful look into the band's vision.

Building a Bastion of Metal

Bastion's Wake’s journey is one of inspiring resilience. Starting as a duo in 2016 (Sami's melodic death/doom meets Ray's symphonic power metal), they famously filled the missing human element on stage with "the box"—a programmed backing system that gave them a lush, cinematic sound and a full light/video show.

The family was finally completed with the addition of drummer Rob Westbrook (ex-Pessimist, Cauldron) and his son Ben on bass, forming the powerhouse we hear today. And despite facing personal tragedy with Ray's health scare in 2020, the band is fueled by a combined mix of often vastly different influences to create something entirely new.

Their resilience is matched only by their fan support: their Go Tell The Bees vinyl pressing was Kickstarted at 210% funding!

Don't miss out on the emotional core of this phenomenal album. Check out the official video for "(Don't) Tell the Bees" now and witness the power of a band building their legacy note by crushing note.