As for the band, the same rings true; They’re progressive, comprised entirely of Germans, and good for a release every couple of years (again, what).

Since we share so much in common, it only seems fair I review their new album Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic/Cenozoic. I’m blown away no one claimed this album first, especially following the masterpiece they released in 2018; Phanerozoic I: Paleozoic. Then again, everything I have ever heard from them can be called “great” at worst and “masterpiece” at best.

To say expectations were high for the new affair would be an understatement. The opening track, “Triassic” starts off very well with the guitar melody creeping its way into your brain amongst mostly subdued instrumentals. That bassadilla (patent pending) sounds brilliant, too. It’s an 8-and-a-half-minute opener which is essentially one big vocal hook. This isn’t an easy task to pull off without boring the listener, but nothing The Ocean does is easy (except your mom).

Possibly the best track on this entire album is the next one, which is called “Jurassic I Cretaceous.” It’s about 13 minutes and is basically two tracks in one. When it switches directions about halfway, I thought the vocals sounded a lot like Jonas Renske of Katatonia. Well, they actually sound exactly like him… because it is him. His vocals fit this track perfectly as it reminds me quite a bit of his band’s latter era work (which I criminally underrated earlier this year). Near the end, the vocals transition back to Loïc, who does his usual masterful job. The first two tracks are definitely standouts.

After those, there is a series of shorter tracks nestled in the middle, including an instrumental interlude called “Oligocene.” “Eocene” and “Miocene I Pliocene” surround that short interlude. While all of these tracks are important to the flow of the album, the others at the beginning and end of the track listing are far more important to the overall vibe, such as track 7, “Pleistocene.”

Speaking of; “Pleistocene” might be the most death metal The Ocean has ever been, at least to these ears. The track has an unhinged, about to fly off the rails, suffocating quality with harsh vocals and blast beats, specifically with about two minutes left. The build up to it is spellbinding. Dare I say it’s like drowning… in The Ocean (har har)?

The next track is the closer called “Holocene.” There’s a great chorus, but possibly the best part is that the refrain from the opening track is repeated near the end. It’s very well-done and it bookends the album beautifully.

The verdict is probably pretty clear. By the time this is posted, hopefully my bundle will have arrived. This is not their heaviest album. No, not by a long shot. In fact, it is possibly their least heavy. It’s more keyboard driven, but not to an overbearing degree. It’s catchy, passionate, and inventive all the way through. Album of the year material all the way through.

Three years later, The Ocean (a.k.a. The Ocean Collective due to the vast array of members / musicians that have swept through their ranks during the bands 12 year tenure) led by guitarist / song writer Robin Staps, having a stable line up since 2009 and hailing from Berlin, Germany have released their latest record, Pelagial (pronounced “puh-ley-jee-uhl”). So what possessed me to even consider bothering this time around? Basically an online buzz that I could no longer ignore, so I lashed out, made a purchase and what a welcoming surprise.

Originally intended solely as an instrumental record, with an epic, score like concept of a journey through the various depth zones of ironically enough, the ocean itself, from top to bottom. Somewhere along the writing and recording, it was decided to place a few vocals on a handful of songs eventually resulting in an entire record full.

Commencing with the short instrumental “Epipelagic”, bubbling water soundscapes (which can be heard throughout the entire duration of the record, a quality pair of cans are highly recommended) piano and strings provide a quite soothing introduction and feeling of submergence that blends into the second track “Mesopelagic: Into The Uncanny”. The first of many that don’t specifically follow any standard song structure or formula. An emotive and moving intro riff and strings pull you in, vocalist Loïc Rossetti’s cleans arrive and along with the music we’re taken through peaks and valleys with an occasional roar from Loïc until the final build up and taken further down on a fantastic vocal and up tempo beat leading into “Bathyalpelagic I: Impasses”, which initially gives the feeling of being surrounded by whales and other sea life.

With its guitar noodling from Staps and second guitarist Jonathan Nido and percussive rolls and fills courtesy of drummer Luc Hess,” Bathyalpelagic II: The Wish In Dreams” immediately makes you check if Mastodon have found their way onto your player. A number of these moments rear their head throughout the record. The Ocean’s logo / album title on the cover even brings the mighty Georgian’s to mind. “Bathyalpelagic III: Disequilibrated” is just sheer chaotic, brutal madness like you’ve got the bends. “Abyssopelagic I: Boundless Vasts” begins with a reprisal of the main riff and intro segments of “Mesopelagi”c for approximately one minute before slowing down to a heavy march. Around the two minute mark we’re treated to an almost brief Katatonia like moment.

Almost ballad like, “Abyssopelagic II: Signals Of Anxiety” is a wonderful track and given my previous initial reaction to The Ocean’s then new vocalist Loïc Rossetti on Heliocentric a couple of years ago, he has really taken me by surprise on this record, coming leaps and bounds in performance on cleans and roaring bellows, although at times a little forced. Glimmers of his accent can be heard on the pronunciation of certain words on a number of tracks giving it something extra special and an overall unique performance.

“Hadopelagic II: Let Them Believe” is by far my personal favorite track, starting with some impressive snare work from Luc and again the peaks and valleys are ever present throughout this 9mins 7secs epic (the longest on offer) with some exceptional building and explosions of riffs, crooning and roaring yet expressive vocal lines, especially around 7mins 6secs, Loïc’s roar and the explosive music is absolutely spine tingling.

Ending with “Benthic: The Origin Of Our Wishes”, with an almost reprisal of “Hadopelagic II: Omen Of The Deep” but in a lower key, Loïc roaring and screaming in guttural tones backed by an absolute crawl, this brooding, heavy, Neurosis like track (see 1min 39secs and tell me you don’t think of the Oakland veterans?) gives the feeling of the crushing weight of you guessed it, the ocean, now upon you at the very bottom of the dark abyss signalling the end of your journey, and what a journey.

It is worth noting that the aforementioned intentions of putting this out as an instrumental piece weren’t shelved. A second disc accompanies the release consisting of exactly that with an alternate mix, do yourself a favor and ensure you listen to this, again with headphones and you will reap the benefits of this fantastic piece of music composed to be heard as one piece however the tracks do stand on their own on the first disc. The strings, ocean soundscapes and electronic samples (borrowed from classic submarine films such as Das Boot) that are covered up by the vocals come to the forefront, most noticeable on “Abyssopelagic II: Signals Of Anxiety” where the chorus normally comes in on the first disc. There is also apparently a limited edition around with a DVD of accompanying visuals and a 5.1 mix. Produced and mixed by famed Swede Jens Bogren and Staps, if The Ocean can create such a surprising and amazing piece of work as both of these discs after failing to get my attention previously, they most certainly now have it. This record is up there for me in 2013 along with Helm’s Vol. 3… ‘Panthalassa’ (must be something in the water?) and I can’t wait to hear what lies beneath The Ocean for their next release.

Musically, the album feels somehow heavier than Heliocentric. “The sound is more dense and maybe a tad more raw, which suits the songs perfectly”, comments guitar player Jonathan Nido. The album covers a similar sonic and dynamic range as Heliocentric, also including a number of calm, acoustic moments – but these are for the most part orchestrated with guitars, and not so much with piano and string section. The focus is on the heavy songs: “The album is a pretty big production, and still has a very earthy, organic feel to it”, comments Staps. “We have spent a great deal of time on the basic sound this time around, drums, bass, guitars and vocals… and at this stage I am pretty confident that this will pay off in the end!”

As far as the concepts behind Anthropocentric are concerned, the focus is on man and his place in the universe: at the center, as many fundamental Christians still claim today, or more likely a dust particle in its periphery? All lyrics are circling around this question. “Anthropocentric will continue the critique of christianity, inspired by the questions that Dostoyevsky asked and some of the answers that Friedrich Nietzsche and Richard Dawkins gave”, comments Staps.

At the base of the album are three songs with the titles “The Grand Inquisitor I, II and III”. These songs have been inspired by the chapter of the same title in Fjodor Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamasov: a conversation between the brothers Ivan, an atheist, and Alyoscha, a monk. Ivan tells Alyoscha the story of a Second Coming of Christ in 16th century Sevilla. According to this parable, Jesus is arrested by the Catholic inquisition. The grand inquisitor who interrogates Jesus casts a new light on the legend of the temptation of Christ: he reproaches Jesus with having betrayed humanity and having deprived man of salvation by giving him freedom. The conversation between Ivan and Alyoscha mirrors, to some degree, the conversation between the grand inquisitor and Christ and raises more questions than it answers. “This long dialogue, which for the most part is rather a monologue of Ivan, is so complex and recondite that one could easily find inspiration for 10 concept albums about Christianity in it”, comments Staps.

Only 6 guest musicians are appearing on the album, all classical musicians, most of whom are guesting on the final track of the album. Anthropocentric is an album by The Ocean’s consolidated nucleus. “It is the first album where all members have actively partaken in the songwriting”, comments Staps.

The track listing for Anthropocentric is as follows:
1. Anthropocentric
2. The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov baseness
3. She Was The Universe
4. For He That Wavereth…
5. The Grand Inquisitor II: Roots & Locusts
6. The Grand Inquisitor III: A Tiny Grain of Faith
7. Sewers Of The Soul
8. Wille Zum Untergang
9. Heaven TV
10. The Almightiness Contradiction
11. The Grand Inquisitor IV: Exclusion From Redemption

The last track is a bonus track which will only appear on the vinyl and the limited European deluxe digipak version.

THE OCEAN to tour with Dillinger Escape Plan and Cancer Bats through Europe!
THE OCEAN will join Dillinger Escape Plan for their upcoming full European tour, which kicks off in Paris on October 1st, 2010, and is ending with an appearance at the DAMNATION FESTIVAL 2010 at Leeds University on November 6, 2010.

THE OCEAN guitarist Robin Staps comments: “We are very excited about this tour and honoured to support one of the most exciting and daring bands in heavy music on their upcoming full European tour!”

THE OCEAN
Tour w/ The Dillinger Escape Plan and Cancer Bats
01/10/10 – FR – Paris – Le Trabendo
02/10/10 – NL – Amsterdam – Melkweg Max
03/10/10 – BE – Brussels – VK
04/10/10 – DE – Frankfurt – Batschkapp
05/10/10 – DE – Leipzig – Conne Island
06/10/10 – DE – Hamburg – Markthalle
07/10/10 – DE – Bochum – Matrix
08/10/10 – DE – Berlin – Columbia Club
09/10/10 – PL – Warsaw – Progresja
10/10/10 – CZ – Prague – Abaton
12/10/10 – AT – Wien – Szene
13/10/10 – HU – Budapest – Dürer-Kert
14/10/10 – SK – Bratislava – Randal
15/10/10 – IT – Roncade – New Age
16/10/10 – IT – Cesena – Vidia Club
17/10/10 – FR – Marseille – Escape Julien
19/10/10 – ES – Bilbao – Kafé Antzokia
20/10/10 – ES – Madrid – Sala Heineken
21/10/10 – ES – Barcelona – Razzmatazz 2
22/10/10 – FR – Bordeaux – Rock School Barby
23/10/10 – FR – Nantes – L’Olympic
24/10/10 – FR – Poitiers – Confort Moderne
26/10/10 – FR – Lille – Aeronef
27/10/10 – UK – Southampton – Uni Garden Court
28/10/10 – UK – Birmingham – Academy 2
29/10/10 – UK – Glasgow – Garage
30/10/10 – UK – Manchester – Club Academy
01/11/10 – UK – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms
02/11/10 – UK – Bristol – Academy
03/11/10 – UK – Norwich – Waterfront
04/11/10 – UK – Brighton – Concorde 2
05/11/10 – UK – London – Electric Ballroom
06/11/10 – UK – Leeds – Damnation Festival
End Tour
Tour w/ Humanfly
07/11/10 – UK – Newport – Le Pub
08/11/10 – UK – Leicester – Firebug
09/11/10 – UK – Stoke – Sugarmill
10/11/10 – UK – Dundee – Fat Sam’s

THE OCEAN will release their new album Anthropocentric in November of 2010! It’s the second part of a concept spread over two albums. The first one named Heliocentric has been released in April of this year.

http://www.theoceancollective.com
http://www.myspace.com/theoceancollective

Heliocentric, the follow up to 2007’s Precambrian, finds the band with a new vocalist, Loic Rossetti, and a fresh dose of inspiration adding large doses of melody (including very well sung, yes, SUNG, vocals). The songs find themselves somewhere between the crushing weight of Neurosis and the atmospheric strains of Ulver. The band shifts from rich death growls over two-ton guitars to piano & strings with clean, capable singing. Regardless of the dynamic, the mood throughout the album is one of serious thought, intense conviction and passionate belief. The album is actually the first half of a 2-album concept which takes a philosophical position in critiquing Christianity, tracing it from its origins as a movement 2 millennia ago to more current schools of thought along the lines of Darwin and Dawkins. It’s not a hateful, “let’s bash all the stupid Christians” free-for-all… it’s a much more subdued, honest critique which, honestly, is quite refreshing. Songs like “The Origin Of The Species” (one of the albums longer, more prog-like cuts), “Metaphysics Of The Hangman”, “Ptolemy Was Wrong” (with it’s Wagner-esque brooding heaviness of mood) and “Swallowed By The Earth” showcase the band’s undeniable strength, musical dexterity and ability to create massive tonal waves that will wash over the listener.

The other hand of this concept, Anthropocentric, is scheduled for a Fall 2010 release. Until then, get Heliocentric and allow yourself to be overtaken. Fans of any of the band’s previous efforts, the aforementioned Ulver & Neurosis, as well as Isis, mid-era The Gathering, even Opeth will find something of great value here, methinks.

The concept at the base of both albums is a critique of Christianity from different philosophical and personal angles.

While the songs, art and lyrics of Heliocentric tell the story of the rise of the heliocentric world view and its effects on Christian belief from medieval times to Darwin and Dawkins, “Anthropocentric” challenges the views of creationists and other modern fundamentalists who still believe that the earth is at the center of the universe.

The tracklisting of Heliocentric is as follows:

1. Shamayim

2. Firmament

3. The First Commandment of the Luminaries

4. Ptolemy Was Wrong

5. Metaphysics of the Hangman

6. Catharsis of a Heretic

7. Swallowed by the Earth

8. Epiphany

9. The Origin of Species

10. The Origin of God

Musically, Heliocentric covers the largest range of dynamics and styles to date: “There are a few really calm songs with mainly piano and vocals, as well as some crushing heavy tunes. There is a very special atmosphere to it that pervades the album”, comments guitarist Jonathan Nido.

“Our new vocalist Loic Rossetti has immensely widenened the musical spectrum of this band and there are some songs on the album that even those people who have conceived of this band as being unpredictable and daring would have never imagined”, adds Robin Staps. “But this is exactly what makes it a 150% The Ocean album”.

Heliocentric”continues where the Proterozoic half of the Precambrian album left off, with dense, epic songs and big orchestrations. Anthropocentric is going to be a bit more straight forward rocking and technical, whilst tapping the full dynamic range from acoustic pieces to eclectic heaviness as well.

The albums were mainly recorded in the mountainous isolation of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the highest city of Europe. The band decided to record and mix the album with the band’s house sound engineer Julien Fehlmann: “We wanted to be in control of every single detail, and we have an amazing studio at hand here. Soundwise this is by far the best-sounding album we have done to date”.

The lyrics and snippets of every song of the album can be previewed at:

http://www.theoceancollective.com/heliocentric

http://www.myspace.com/theoceancollective

After many weeks in the dark, The Ocean have finally found a new vocalist. “We are happy to announce Mr. Loïc Rossetti as tour new vocalist. “We are looking forward to weeks and months of intense touring in the future and a new era in the story of our lives!”, comments Robin Staps.

“Having Loïc in the band enables me to do what I’ve always wanted to do with this band. His voice is strong and expressive and his variety of tone and the ease with which he switches between different vocal styles really amazing. There are no limits anymore. His screams are devastating, but his most valuable quality is his singing voice, which we will employ much more on the upcoming album.”

Comments Loïc Rossetti: “Being part of The Ocean is a great honour for me. I can utilize the full spectre of my voice, and the band is pushing me to do so…it’s a great challenge.”

Over the course of the past 6 months, the band has received more than 150 applications from people from all over the world. “Many have recorded vocals for ‘The City in the Sea’ and there was a lot of good stuff coming in. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to try out, we truly appreciate it!”, comments Jonathan Nido.

The addition of Rossetti marks the final step in a recent development within the band: after 8 years of existence, The Ocean has recently been transforming from a collective into a band. This doesn’t mean that there will not be changes of line-up ever again: “I have been playing music long enough to know that people are usually in this for a limited time”, comments Staps, “but the people I am working with now are the people I have always been looking for, and naturally, everyone else is much more involved than ever before.”

The collective is not dead. As a matter of fact, the upcoming album will feature the largest number of additional musicians to date, mainly classical players. The band has spent the better part of the year working feverishly on their upcoming two albums which are due for March and September 2010 releases. More news will follow soon.

“Full of cinematic breadth and orchestral majesty…rhythmic sea changes and powerful riffing.” Revolver Magazine

“ambitious, stirring, and musically stunning. Prepare to be swept away.” Outburn Magazine

“Sounding more epic than a Ridley Scott flick…larger than life, incorporating loads of guitar, strings, percussion…as emotionally draining as any heavy-hitting drama.” TheIndiePit.com

“The Ocean are like High On Fire, Baroness, Om, Wolves In The Throne Room and other bands who have started making heavy music for adults. This isn’t bursts of hatred fired randomly nor is it clichéd imagery tossed about for shock value.” CraveOnline.com

http://www.theoceancollective.com

http://www.myspace.com/theoceancollective

Now on a label that is letting them release a double album (FluXion and Aeolian was supposed to be a double album), The Ocean have delivered a 14 track, 2 disc, 83-minute concept album (complete with lavish accompanying separate CD booklets) “based on supereon comprising the eons of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon. It spans from the formation of Earth around 4500 million years ago to the evolution of abundant macroscopic hard-shelled animals”. (Thanks Wikipedia).

The albums, as per the Precambrian eon are broken up into 2 parts; Hadean/Archean and Proterozoic, then the tracks are each era’s subdivision (Though ‘alternate’ track titles are given). Hadean/Archean is a 5 track, 22-minutes mini album of a more direct, choppy and discordant hardcore that resembles Gojira at times (“Hadean”, “Mesoarchaean”) with angular heaving heft and Mastodon at others (“Eoarchaean”, “Paleoarchaean”, “Neoarchaean”) with eccentric, experimental off the wall riffage. Either way, despite being a solid set of tracks in its own right, it’s merely the appetizer for the simply stunning second disc, Proterozoic.

Featuring a slew of guest such as Caleb Scofield (Cave In, Zozobra, Old Man Gloom), Nate Newton (Converge, Doomriders), Dwid Hellion (Integrity), Tomas Hallbom (Breach), Eric Kalsbeek (Textures) and musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Proterozoic is quite simply the new bench march for the whole post rock, showgazer, Neur-Isis styled genre. It’s that good. The 9 tracks take the expected shimmering heft and introspective girth of the genre and add strings, a piano, orchestration, female vocals, programming, and a saxophone and none of it comes across as gimmicky or pretentious-just artful injection to an otherwise tired genre.

Even with an intro (“Siderian”) and outro (“Cryogenian”) that open and close the album perfectly, the remaining 7 tracks are sheer bliss. Standout moments include, “Rhyacian” with its simply huge mid song peak and backing orchestra as well as the sombre “Orosirian” with its rending strings. “Statherian” brings an almost metal lullaby like state to the proceedings while “Calymmian” gives us a dreamy orchestral density while both “Ecstasian” and “Stenian” (the military drum backed segment at 5:36 is just jaw dropping) start delicately before unloading huge, loping string backed dirges and rumbling transitions into massive grooves and climaxes. To be truthful though, the entire album is such a vast juxtaposition of amazing depth, precision and layered, experimental brilliance as well dramatic heft, each track is a standout really.

Even with quality releases from Rosetta (I actually thought Wake/Life was the very best album of this style this year until I heard Precambrian), Transmission0 and even Neurosis themselves this year, Precambrian is one of those rare albums I can listen to over and over again and stands as a monumental example of the genre and of simply brilliant music.