Oceanic (Isis album)
Encyclopedia
Oceanic is the second full-length album by American post-metal
band Isis
, released on September 16, 2002 by Ipecac Recordings
.
On July 23, 2006, Isis performed Oceanic in its entirety at KOKO, Camden Town
, London
as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties
curated Don't Look Back
series. This performance was recorded and eventually released in 2009 as Live V
. The track "Weight" was used in an episode of the 2007 television series Friday Night Lights
.
uous relationship ("False Light", "Weight") with her brother ("Hym", "The Other"). This drives him to lose all hope, and he commits suicide
through drowning ("from sinking sands, he stepped into light's embrace").
The entire story is described by frontman Aaron Turner in a radio interview and in more nebulous terms in the album's booklet.
noise and female vocals; a notable post-rock
influence, first hinted at on SGNL>05 and Celestial. This transition was retrospectively labelled by FACT's Robin Jahdi as "one of the more eye-opening musical metamorphoses of the decade"; it has been described as "seminal". As Ben Richardson notes in the San Francisco Bay Guardian
, the album's release "fomented an explosion of glacial, Neurosis-inspired instrumental 'post-metal'"; likewise it has been described as "the standard by which all post-metal albums have been judged since". It has retrospectively been labelled a "masterpiece".
As one reviewer notes, the album is in "a place somewhere between metal and hardcore and post-rock, a place where crunching guitars and hoarse, tuneless vocals and slow spaciness all converge and create something big and mean and delightful". The change of style proved trying for some long-standing fans, but beneficial in garnering a greater fanbase and the Neurosis
-Godflesh
comparisons began to weaken. The eschewing of sludgecore
elements, and increased focus on atmospherics and post-rock elements whilst still retaining metal and hardcore
elements led to the album being labelled by many as post-metal
, and essentially as being the genre's progenitor. Some critics attribute it to having truly formed the genre, out of a previously nebulous definition. This leaning, in the direction of post-rock, was greeted with great critical acclaim; the presence of female vocals proved popular with many reviewers, and songs featuring those vocals are generally seen as stand-outs. Those songs include "The Beginning and the End", "Carry" and "Weight", all of which feature Maria Christopher of 27
.
Oceanic was named Terrorizer's number one album of 2002, and in Drowned in Sound
's "Our 66" introspective of the best albums of the past six years, it placed fifth. Pitchfork Media
ranked it as 2002's 31st-best record, rating it as having “more depth than its touted predecessor”. It was greeted with great critical acclaim from not only niche magazines, but also from popular music reviewers, such as Allmusic. In some ways, this release pushed Isis to the fore of their genre, and enabled them to branch out to new fans. Beyond yearly accolades, it ranked fourth in Decibel's "Top 100 Albums of the Decade" special issue.
Some fans and critics will point out that the album had a notable influence on the metal/post-rock scene in the years following. In 2004, Cult of Luna
released Salvation
; taking a similar stylistic departure from previous LPs Cult of Luna
and The Beyond
as Oceanic took from preceding albums SGNL>05 and Celestial. The band itself cites Isis as an influence, and a review in Terrorizer posits that Oceanic covered "fairly similar aquatic terrain" as their release Salvation.
EPs
, named Oceanic Remixes/Interpretations Volumes I-IV and released on Robotic Empire Records in 2004 and 2005. Contributors included Mike Patton
, Venetian Snares
and Justin Broadrick
. These tracks, and an additional track by Tim Hecker
, were compiled into a two-CD release on Hydra Head Records
, entitled Oceanic: Remixes & Reinterpretations
.
Other personnel
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
band Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
, released on September 16, 2002 by Ipecac Recordings
Ipecac Recordings
Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,...
.
On July 23, 2006, Isis performed Oceanic in its entirety at KOKO, Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
curated Don't Look Back
Don't Look Back (concert series)
Don't Look Back is a yearly series of concerts in which London based promoters All Tomorrow's Parties ask artists and bands to play one of their seminal albums live in its entirety...
series. This performance was recorded and eventually released in 2009 as Live V
Live V
-Personnel:* Aaron Turner – vocals, guitar* Jeff Caxide – bass guitar* Michael Gallagher – guitar* Aaron Harris – drums* Bryant Clifford Meyer – keyboards and guitar* Justin Broadrick - Additional guitar on "Weight"...
. The track "Weight" was used in an episode of the 2007 television series Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
.
Themes
The album reintroduces the water and female themes of past releases the Red Sea and Celestial through a story: A man at the brink of emotional numbness finds a female counterpart who completes him ("The Beginning and the End"). However, he soon finds that she has had a long-term incestIncest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous relationship ("False Light", "Weight") with her brother ("Hym", "The Other"). This drives him to lose all hope, and he commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
through drowning ("from sinking sands, he stepped into light's embrace").
The entire story is described by frontman Aaron Turner in a radio interview and in more nebulous terms in the album's booklet.
Reception
Its style marks a distinct departure from their previous sound; up until this point, Isis had been characterised by crushing, distorted guitars and a coarse, unforgiving tone. With this album came the introduction of lengthy periods of clean guitar, large amounts of ambientAmbient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
noise and female vocals; a notable post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
influence, first hinted at on SGNL>05 and Celestial. This transition was retrospectively labelled by FACT's Robin Jahdi as "one of the more eye-opening musical metamorphoses of the decade"; it has been described as "seminal". As Ben Richardson notes in the San Francisco Bay Guardian
San Francisco Bay Guardian
The San Francisco Bay Guardian is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. The paper is owned mostly by its publisher, Bruce B...
, the album's release "fomented an explosion of glacial, Neurosis-inspired instrumental 'post-metal'"; likewise it has been described as "the standard by which all post-metal albums have been judged since". It has retrospectively been labelled a "masterpiece".
As one reviewer notes, the album is in "a place somewhere between metal and hardcore and post-rock, a place where crunching guitars and hoarse, tuneless vocals and slow spaciness all converge and create something big and mean and delightful". The change of style proved trying for some long-standing fans, but beneficial in garnering a greater fanbase and the Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
-Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
comparisons began to weaken. The eschewing of sludgecore
Sludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
elements, and increased focus on atmospherics and post-rock elements whilst still retaining metal and hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
elements led to the album being labelled by many as post-metal
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
, and essentially as being the genre's progenitor. Some critics attribute it to having truly formed the genre, out of a previously nebulous definition. This leaning, in the direction of post-rock, was greeted with great critical acclaim; the presence of female vocals proved popular with many reviewers, and songs featuring those vocals are generally seen as stand-outs. Those songs include "The Beginning and the End", "Carry" and "Weight", all of which feature Maria Christopher of 27
27 (band)
27 is an American rock band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. 27 was formed by Maria Christopher, formerly of Dirt Merchants, and Ayal Naor in 1997. 27 is commonly categorized as a rock or indie rock band, but the genres lo-fi and emo have occasionally been used to describe them.27 has toured...
.
Oceanic was named Terrorizer's number one album of 2002, and in Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
's "Our 66" introspective of the best albums of the past six years, it placed fifth. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
ranked it as 2002's 31st-best record, rating it as having “more depth than its touted predecessor”. It was greeted with great critical acclaim from not only niche magazines, but also from popular music reviewers, such as Allmusic. In some ways, this release pushed Isis to the fore of their genre, and enabled them to branch out to new fans. Beyond yearly accolades, it ranked fourth in Decibel's "Top 100 Albums of the Decade" special issue.
Some fans and critics will point out that the album had a notable influence on the metal/post-rock scene in the years following. In 2004, Cult of Luna
Cult of Luna
Cult of Luna is a Swedish post-metal band from Umeå. They formed from the remnants of a Umeå hardcore punk band called Eclipse in 1998. They slowly garnered critical appreciation and underground popularity with early releases Cult of Luna and The Beyond ; however, it is 2004's Salvation that can...
released Salvation
Salvation (Cult of Luna album)
Salvation is the third full-length album by Swedish post-metal band Cult of Luna, released on Earache Records in 2004; on October 4 in Europe, and October 10 in the United States.-Track listing:All tracks written by Cult of Luna.# "Echoes" – 12:30...
; taking a similar stylistic departure from previous LPs Cult of Luna
Cult of Luna (album)
Cult of Luna is the debut full-length album by Swedish post-metal band Cult of Luna, released in 2001. It was originally released by Rage of Achilles, and later by Earache Records after the band signed a record contract.- Track listing :...
and The Beyond
The Beyond (album)
The Beyond is the second studio album by Swedish post-metal band Cult of Luna, released in 2003. The subject matter is dissent with authorities, similar in some ways to contemporaries Isis' Panopticon. This album sees the rawness of the self-titled debut channeled into a cleaner sounding and more...
as Oceanic took from preceding albums SGNL>05 and Celestial. The band itself cites Isis as an influence, and a review in Terrorizer posits that Oceanic covered "fairly similar aquatic terrain" as their release Salvation.
Remixes
The album was remixed in a series of four vinylGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, named Oceanic Remixes/Interpretations Volumes I-IV and released on Robotic Empire Records in 2004 and 2005. Contributors included Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
, Venetian Snares
Venetian Snares
Venetian Snares is the main performing alias of Canadian electronic musician Aaron Funk .From Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Funk is known for making electronic music often in odd numbered time signatures...
and Justin Broadrick
Justin Broadrick
Justin Karl Michael Broadrick is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and industrial music.-Biography:Broadrick was born in the council estates of inner...
. These tracks, and an additional track by Tim Hecker
Tim Hecker
Tim Hecker is an electronic musician and sound artist based in Montreal, Canada. Hecker previously recorded under the moniker Jetone, but has become better known internationally for his ambient recordings released through Kranky, Mille Plateaux, Alien8, Force Inc, Staalplaat, and Fat Cat under his...
, were compiled into a two-CD release on Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
, entitled Oceanic: Remixes & Reinterpretations
Oceanic Remixes and Reinterpretations
In reviewing, Patrick Slevin of the Aquarian Weekly gave an effusive verdict, commanding that “everyone else should buy Oceanic first, then buy this.” He argues that Remixes “respects the overall spirit and feel of Oceanic, moving into each song with care and deliberate attention, which makes [it]...
.
Track listing
Personnel
Band members- Jeff CaxideJeff CaxideJeff Caxide is an American bassist, best known for his time with post-metal band Isis, of which he was a founding member and present until its dissolution in 2010. He was also a founding member of Red Sparowes, but left after the release of their first full-length. He also contributed to...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Aaron HarrisAaron Harris (Isis drummer)Aaron Harris is an American drummer, best known for his career with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the band from its inception in 1997 to its dissolution in 2010...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Michael GallagherMichael Gallagher (Isis guitarist)Michael Gallagher is an American guitarist, best known for his work with post-metal band Isis. He joined them in 1999 for their debut LP Celestial, having previously been a member of Cast Iron Hike...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Bryant Clifford MeyerBryant Clifford MeyerBryant Clifford Meyer is a keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist, best known for his tenure with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the band since its debut full-length, Celestial, in 2000. Previously, he was a formative member of Boston-based rock band The Gersch...
– electronics, guitar, vocals on the first section of "Hym" - Aaron TurnerAaron TurnerAaron Turner is a musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the post-metal band Isis, while also participating in several other bands and projects such as Old Man Gloom and Lotus Eaters.Though raised...
– vocals, guitar, album artCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
and layout
Other personnel
- Matt BaylesMatt Bayles-Information:Bayles is known for his work with bands such as Isis, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Botch, Mastodon, The Fall of Troy, Minus The Bear, Burnt by the Sun and Norma Jean....
– audio engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, audio mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
and productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Mélanie Benoit – album photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Ed Brooks – mastering
- Maria Christopher of 27 – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
on "The Beginning and the End", "Weight" and "Carry" - Jason Hellmann – album photography
- Ayal NaorSpore (band)Spore was a noise rock band from Boston, Massachusetts formed in the wake of the early 1990s grunge movement. Spore were signed in 1993 on the Taang! Records label, the same label which initially signed The Lemonheads, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Mission of Burma, with whom the band released a...
of 27 – additional instrumentation on "The Beginning and the End" and "Weight"
Release history
| Date | Label | Region | Catalogue number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 16, 2002 | Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,... |
United States | IPC-032 Ipecac Recordings discography Ipecac Recordings is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton. The label was established to release Patton's band Fantômas' self-titled début, allowing retention of "all the creative control"... |
CD |
| — | Escape Artist Records Escape Artist Records Escape Artist Records is an independent record label formed in 1997 and based in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.- Current and past artist roster :*27*American Heritage*Anodyne*Blunderbuss*Burn It Down*Collapsar*The Dream Is Dead*Ganglahia... |
United States | EA12.0 | 2×LP |
| October 2002 | Trust No One Recordings | Europe | TNO018 | 2×LP |
| 2002 | Ritual Records | Japan | HWCY-1109 | CD |
| 2007 | Level Plane Records | United States | LP105 | 2×LP |
| January 22, 2010 | Daymare Recordings | Japan | DYMC114 | CD |