The Ocean - Aeolian
Metal Blade - 07/03/06
By Sam Brokenshaw
The Ocean burst onto the scene with Fluxion, following on from the previous album Fogdiver. Fluxion impressed by fusing the Neurosis ethic with a much wider sphere of influences. The material ranging from the crushingly heavy, to the serene and back again. Aeolian is something of a departure, being almost as a concept album regarding the heavier side of their material. From the get go, tinnitus is definitely a strong possibility. "The City in the Sea" kicks off proceedings in a suitably crushing manner, throbbing triplet riffs practically surging forward with ill intent in mind. A passing resemblance to Meshuggah is clearly evident in the material, with the odd off kilter passage and the sheer brutality of the delivery lending a similar feel and mannerism to the proceedings. Musically speaking, the band are tighter than a nun's chastity belt, giving the syncopated guitar and drum patterns a deadly intensity that will satisfy the crudest headbanger. The band will also please those with a more mathematically leaning, being reasonably technical also.
Aeolian very rarely lets up, giving the listener a good old fashioned butt kicking on many fronts, and in this way might not appeal to everyone who enjoyed the previous album. It would be a mistake to label it as a one-dimensional sellout, however. This is clearly an attempt by the band to exorcise a few daemons and try something a little different to their more multifaceted approach as seen on the previous two albums. Unlike a lot of brutal music it remains intellectually challenging at all times, whilst not letting anyone get off lightly in the brutality department. In this way it could appeal to to a lot of different people in different ways, but again, may alienate a certain clique of listeners in it's ready abandonment of the band's previous identity. Ultimately, this isn't anywhere near as essential as the previous two albums, but the band are promising that this release is an experiment in the heavier side of The Ocean. They should be returning wholesale to the previous incarnation before long, and they're sure to offer something tasty.
7/10
UM’s Review Rating Scale
Official The Ocean Website
Official Metal Blade Website
Metal Blade - 07/03/06
By Sam Brokenshaw
The Ocean burst onto the scene with Fluxion, following on from the previous album Fogdiver. Fluxion impressed by fusing the Neurosis ethic with a much wider sphere of influences. The material ranging from the crushingly heavy, to the serene and back again. Aeolian is something of a departure, being almost as a concept album regarding the heavier side of their material. From the get go, tinnitus is definitely a strong possibility. "The City in the Sea" kicks off proceedings in a suitably crushing manner, throbbing triplet riffs practically surging forward with ill intent in mind. A passing resemblance to Meshuggah is clearly evident in the material, with the odd off kilter passage and the sheer brutality of the delivery lending a similar feel and mannerism to the proceedings. Musically speaking, the band are tighter than a nun's chastity belt, giving the syncopated guitar and drum patterns a deadly intensity that will satisfy the crudest headbanger. The band will also please those with a more mathematically leaning, being reasonably technical also.
Aeolian very rarely lets up, giving the listener a good old fashioned butt kicking on many fronts, and in this way might not appeal to everyone who enjoyed the previous album. It would be a mistake to label it as a one-dimensional sellout, however. This is clearly an attempt by the band to exorcise a few daemons and try something a little different to their more multifaceted approach as seen on the previous two albums. Unlike a lot of brutal music it remains intellectually challenging at all times, whilst not letting anyone get off lightly in the brutality department. In this way it could appeal to to a lot of different people in different ways, but again, may alienate a certain clique of listeners in it's ready abandonment of the band's previous identity. Ultimately, this isn't anywhere near as essential as the previous two albums, but the band are promising that this release is an experiment in the heavier side of The Ocean. They should be returning wholesale to the previous incarnation before long, and they're sure to offer something tasty.
7/10
UM’s Review Rating Scale
Official The Ocean Website
Official Metal Blade Website
