The Ocean is one of those bands that have a name you don't necessarily hear about, but when you find someone familiar with the act, they will swear on all their loved one's names that the band is a very influential group. The Ocean formed back in 2000, and is currently signed to Metal Blade Records to release Anthropocentric, the group's fifth full-length offering. It seems that with every album, the band continues to both evolve, as well as explore the terrains of the style that such acts as Mastodon have been paving the way for. Combining both your typical Sludge material, but taking on a Progressive approach to it with a heavy concentration on the album's atmosphere, and with a little Hardcore in the vein of bands like Between the Buried and Me, this band is easily one of the stronger innovators of this quickly growing atmospheric style coupling.
Many of the tracks on here seem to capture the light atmospheric concepts nicely, often leaving the listener feeling lost within the music. At times, the atmosphere the band manages to pull off musically greatly reflects the title of the band, further enhancing that lost feeling with a vast emptiness, or vast ocean, if you will. Since the band's debut album, it seems they have been looking to perfect, as well as expand their sound, and with Anthropocentrica, it appears they have done so nicely. The main focus of this release is more on the Sludge material, which is usually bridges to a slower paced, and somewhat traditional, Hardcore musical approach of chugging, hammering riffs, that eventually will go into the form of a breakdown. This was the case with the opening title track, "Anthropocentric".
While the heavier aspects of the band are commendable, the slower moments of the album are what really stand out. One of the biggest issues surround the last few releases were the clean vocals not quite being right for the music, but on Anthropocentric, they're spot on. While the title track makes good use of them, it isn't until "She Was the Universe" that they really shine through, as well as showcase how important they wind up being to the final product, aiding nicely to the atmospheric portions of the band, while the rougher style really rounds out the Sludge of many of the songs here, such as "The Grand Inquisitor", which sets for a very impressive little set of songs that show off the band's talent perfectly. "The Grand Inquisitor II - Roots & Locusts" show off, once again, the importance of the clean vocal approach, but with some softer music that goes more along the lines of something one would expect from today's Metalcore scene then anything, but is done so well it won't matter, blending in nicely with the hard hitting mixture of Sludge and Hardcore, later building into a very impressive and powerful closing to the song, though the closing to this little mini-sage, "The Grand Inquisitor III - A Tiny Grain of Faith", winds up being an piece that works with the atmosphere and the band's name, but not for the song, and actually comes off rather obnoxious with the high pitched buzzing, as well as has some nice female vocals attached it that, sadly, wind up drowned out by the obnoxious beeping.
Of course, nothing of this release can compare to the enchanting "Wille Zum Untergang". This instrumental is more of a soft Progressive track if anything, leaving behind much of the Sludge and Progressive elements. The vast atmosphere of the song is enough to sweep the listener away, luring a return to the vast emptiness or oceanic interpretation of the album for a good six minutes before slamming into the Math Metal approach of "Heaven TV", which is a fantastic track in itself that offers a good deal of variety to the already eccentic mix. This, and "The Almightness Contradiction", make for fantastic closing tracks that end Anthropocentiric on a very high note.
The Ocean's fifth full-length, Anthropocentric, is a great album. There really aren't many faults to it, if any, and it shows a great deal of growth from the band. Fans of The Ocean are sure to be pleased with the progression this band has made, and those looking for something a little different, Progressive, or focuses more on angry music, then this may very well be a release that will be embraced with loving arms. The music could have been a little stronger, and the many jumps from one style to another could have used a little more work on the transitions instead of often just being so abrupt at times, but there is no denying the atmosphere that accompanies this release is flawless, leading to one of the more breathtaking of the Progressive releases in this specific niche so far.
|
--
--
--
--
--
