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reviews---------------------------------------------------------] "As you delve ever deeper into the ocean, as you near the chasms and underwater volcanoes and light-despising creatures that lurk at the very bottom of the lowest depths, this underwater world reveals itself as something markedly different than what occurs nearer the surface. The virtual absence of sunlight and the extremes of pressure produce flora and fauna that, through the process of natural selection, come to thrive in an area of the planet uninhabitable by all other beings. When this band chose to take the name "Ocean," it is surely these lowest of all depths which the band had in mind. This Ocean (not to be confused with The Ocean from Europe, which released Fluxion in 2004) is all about extremes of (sound) pressure and the absence of light. Ocean's three-song, 65-minute debut is a stunning slow-motion epic that bridges the gap between Isis and Electric Wizard. It is to Ocean's credit that it manages to concoct a unique synthesis rather than simply move from one style to the next and back again. From Isis, Ocean takes an appreciation for elongated passages of hypnotic slowness, each agonizing step across this vast soundscape painstakingly detailed in texture and density. This is the band's cerebral side. It engages the mind, indulges the intellect, prompts mental voyages to uncharted territories. From Electric Wizard, Ocean takes an appreciation for speaker-shaking feedback, the eternal return of the infinite dirge. This is the band's brute physicality. It hurts the body, attacks the ears, engenders the fetal position. Taken together, Ocean possesses a robust palette upon which to draw. It all amounts to a hypnotic wall of noise, but it is in the intricacies of the construction, in the variations between long, slow, meditative excursions and unforgiving tidal waves of feedback-flanked sludgemurk that the dynamic takes shape. Indeed, it rises to its height during the 13th minute of the second track, "Salt," where the feedback barely cloaks a swirling, droning, Isis-like spectral melody, the music rising to a near-climax before the brakes seize up and the song descends into a despondent ultra-slow section which is striking in its minimalism. Gradually, the guitar layers are accepted back into the milieu, that gorgeous deadly drone is restored, and the song continues to build and collapse, each cycle renewed with a progression that builds upon the previous edifice. Finally, the song trails off into a stark squeal of feedback drone unaccompanied by the grizzly growls, the drums, or the massive layer of rhythm guitars. It's just a plaintive tone that drones for a precious few moments. Even though such a sound would normally offend the ear, within the context of Ocean's music, its beauty is in its simplicity of tone and the intentional underwhelmingness of it, after such a strenuous physiological trip. Simultaneously mesmerizing and punishing, this immersion in the lowest depths discloses an uncommon and provocative musical experience." -9- "Ocean's full-length debut is a three song, hour-long affair that begs the question, “Can a band play so slow as to make time stop?" The three move at their own speed, but they avoid monotony by the subtle use of dynamics and an excellent sense of mood. Doom’s supposed to be grim, and these guys lay that on thick. Here Where Nothing Grows is killer work, similar to Buried at Sea and Indian’s recently released The Unquiet Sky. Recommeneded for those who expect their heads to be caved in by an avalanche of distortion." "That’s how primal this music is, like the forces of nature, unrelenting and unexplainable and unpredictable. Where and why is totally irrelevant. With Ocean, I have genuinely no clue what’s coming next, or how they might have decided on it. Even if there weren’t anything else to speak for it, that would make this album worth having. Luckily, there’s plenty more speak for it – I just can’t always figure out what it’s saying." "Here Where Nothing Grows lacks the singular murky vision of much of its musical kin by creating a more mature sound which edges at times into the cinematic, emotive, and punchy feel of an Art-Rock act like Mogwai. There’s an actual sense of physical weight in the playing as the loosely stringed instruments struggle to lift themselves from the glum gluey mire. The sensation of a disintegrating Sabbath saturates “First Reign.” The brief bursts of increased velocity and the longer strains of doubled up higher guitar are brief respite being the song is dragged back to the lumbering bassy desolation. Like the footsteps of some prehistoric long-necked vegan or the shuddering last breaths of some extended movie death scene, the guitars lurch with a purpose that’s liable to push holes through earth and stone if left to haemorrhage through the amps at any higher volume." "Those lamenting the absence of Buried at Sea ought to look into Ocean. Not to say that this Maine four-piece is a clone, but they have the same mind crushingly heavy sound that rips through the fabric of time and space and turns your brain into a mound of foul smelling jelly. �Monument,� the first of two tracks, follows the �play slow and long� pattern of uber doom, but �Fork Lashing Eye� alternates for a time between the slow and the fast, all the while with wave upon wave of hideous distortion and the type of vocals that would make your average mortal spit blood. But Ocean�s sound is otherworldly, so the band most likely had demonic help in crafting their sound. They�re doom for people who like to spend lazy Sunday afternoons looking at crime scene photos. Awesome stuff." "This Portland , Maine quartet lay the riffs on ultra-thick and create patterns of sludge heaviness with the first song “Monument” (14.03). There is the relentless hypnotic buzz of the guitars and a penchant for producing deceptively simple yet mesmerising, devastating soundscapes. Its not all doom and gloom cuz the second song “Fork lashing eye” (11.36) picks up the pace on the beginning and this gallops along and inject a perfect amount of variation to the demo. They churn out 2 tracks that are both equally bludgeoning and creepy.. Who likes bands such as Grief, Winter, Swans, Neurosis or Sleep should start counting the euros or dollars , cause Ocean deserve everyone's attention as we head into 2006 as their record "Here where nothing grows” gets released on Important! Records. Know the name, buy the disc. It's that simple. Off the record: The devastating Tsunami on Boxing Day in the Indian Ocean caused up to 300,000 deaths is believed to have been caused by a 1000 kilometre-long break of the earth's crust. But we know better, Poseidon was listening to this demo." "This is the most agonizing demo I have ever had the privilege to listen to. The sheer horror and terror in the landscape of silent noise and crushing landslides that they create here is no doubt the reason the best bands come out of the most obscure places. As Ocean hails from the wooded hide away state of Maine, closed in with nothing around but mountains, trees and the deep dark sea to guide you home. Well, with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a shotgun in the other, this would be the soundtrack to one's own suicidal breakdown. So for all those folks that enjoy that happy 'let's get high and bust out some jams', this is not your trip. These motherfuckers lay it on thick and heavy, this isn't stoner doom, this is pure slit your wrists and break out the whiskey before i go, doom. If you ever want the feeling of being trapped in a dark enclosed environment then you found the perfect music to get you thru it all. I mean the demo has 2 songs and it's just over 25 minutes long, this is DOOM!" "This is totally new face on doom / sludge scene and they entered this scene with a really heavy blast in the form of their debut 2-track demo EP. Ocean come from New England area (Maine, to be precise) and are engaged in delivering real ground-breaking mayhem. Only two songs and only 25 minutes of total playing time but it's enough to depict Ocean's strength and hatred unleashed on this innocently looking demo. By the way, worth noting is the packaging of this EP - hand-made leather-like digipack with very stylish inlay card. Bravo! First band association which comes to mind when listening to this short demo is Grief and some of the adjectives which best describe the music featured here may include: heavy, dirty, crushing, depressive, hateful, monumental. 'Monument / Fork Lashing Eye' is thick sludge with doom elements played in snail pace. In other words, something fans of really heavy slow music will definitely love. It's quite surprising that a debut material may sound so mature as if these guys have been playing for many years. The thick guitar layers accompanied by rhythmic, rumbling drums lay foundation for sick and twisted vocals which cut the air as sharp razors. It's just brutal rocking music straight into your face. How long will Ocean remain unsigned? Well, I don't want to be a false prophet but it's just a matter of time, I think. A perfect addition to, for example, Southern Lord roster. I am really anxious to listen to the full-length effort from this band. Fingers crossed." "That night was fucking cold out. And I got to ride in the back of my friends truck on the way over to the show. Gotta love wind chill. It was fun though cause I had about twenty layers on and got a few weird looks. It still amazes me how people will jump at the sight of someone in a mask, even if it's actually a scarf. Anyways, we got to a fairly empty Geno's only a few minutes before Ocean took the stage. The four piece from right here in Portland have a pretty normal doom or sludge sound for the most part, only their songs are really fucking slow, really fucking long and for me very memorable. Dragged out over long hours in a dark hole, banging your head on the wall, maybe taking nitric hits from whipped cream, Ocean's self produced two song EP would make a hell of a fucking sound track. Taking sounds similar to old Isis (pre- "Celestail") and mixing it with something like 5ive and then make it slower, Ocean played for I think over an hour, covering a lot of unreleased material. Apparently they are out in Chicago as I write this recording a 12" which will be released on Important Records, hopefully soon, cause these guys definately rock." "As Ocean mounted the stage there was no reprieve from the sludge as these guys plundered the same turf, only slower�although like a writhing organism, they�d surprise you (that is, if you keep your eyes�and, in this case, ears�on it)�as a riff lulled onward and downward, creating a din that rivaled a helicopter approaching, alluva sudden they�d up the tempo for a minute before bottoming out again on the same doomsday mantra. The songs are long�Jesus, during the first one, Zack from Conifer had time to run out and get a haircut. Credit singer Candy for also punctuating what otherwise would seem like a meditation on the same theme w/ his jaw-wrenching yowls that made his face scrunch up and all the veins pop out on his brow. Reuben plays bass, Lennon, guitar, w/ Will Broadbent of Ogre handling skins (yes, Ocean is in a sense a supergroup) altho� there�s little discernible separation between the instruments as it all comes together in one giant swash of stately titanic glory, much like the ocean itself. In a word: relentless." "You guys fucking buried me. I wanted to lock myself in a dark room and drink a 5th of whiskey, that set was so depressing. I fucking loved it." |
