The Ocean Collective
Encyclopedia
The Ocean is an experimental metal band from Berlin
, Germany
. Their work combines elements of progressive metal
and electronic soundscapes, occasionally incorporating strings to create their aggressive post-metal
sound. The band often describes its sound as "ambient soundtrack doomrock".
After a brief tour with Swedish crust punk
outfit Coma in early 2003, the band signed to Make My Day Records, which then released Fogdiver, an EP consisting of five instrumental songs—despite the fact that on stage, at least two singers could be found. Unlike its predecessor, this recording received considerable acclaim from critics throughout a variety of genres.
During winter and spring 2004, The Ocean recorded what was to become the material for their two following albums. The calmer and more atmospheric half of this recording session was released as Fluxion
in August 2004; a joint effort of Make My Day and Throne Records
. While the fact that the band now used vocals on their recordings seemed to make the music more accessible to some, it also caused many other critics to consider the album a step backwards in terms of innovation and originality. In interviews, the band would comment on this by pointing out the perceived closed-mindedness of some of the reviewers and their supposed inability to deal with the harshness and brutality the anti-Christian, anti-theistic
vocals now added to The Ocean's sound.
After signing to Metal Blade Records
in summer 2005, all the remaining songs from the session were released as Aeolian
. Since Fluxion and Aeolian had originally been planned as a double CD with a mellow and a brutal part — a plan that did not work out — Aeolian came across as very different from its predecessor. Unlike on previous albums, classical instruments and electronic sounds were hardly used here, making the record sound rather minimalistic. But whereas Fluxion had featured only one singer, seven of them could be found on Aeolian, among them Nate Newton
, Sean Ingram, and Tomas Hallbom, whose names were also used extensively for the album's promotion campaign. According to the band, Meta's voice on Fluxion had created a monotony that was to be avoided on Aeolian. March 2006 saw the North American release of the album. Later that year, a joint vinyl version of Fluxion and Aeolian was released by Throne Records, featuring three records in different colors. Recently in late 2007, they released a new 2 disc album entitled Precambrian
. In April 2008, The Ocean embarked on a year long tour through Europe and North America with bands like Intronaut
, Opeth
, and At The Gates
. In April 2009 it was announced that primary Precambrian vocalist, and full time touring member Mike Pilat was leaving the band for personal reasons and other commitments.
On November 17, 2009, Robin Staps announced that a replacement vocalist had been found, Loic Rossetti. The Ocean released two albums in 2010, Heliocentric
on April 9 and Anthropocentric on November 9. Taken together, the two albums "represent a fundamental and philosophical critique
of Christianity
," with Heliocentric describing the internal battles within the Catholic Church over the heliocentrism
of Copernicus
and Galileo
, and Anthropocentric critiquing the fundamentalist
Protestant
view of Creationism
.
They announced that their first live DVD would be filmed on the 29th of January 2011 in Berlin at the Museum für Musikinstrumente and will only contain tracks from their album Precambrian.
On the 3rd of August 2011, The Ocean announced via its Facebook page that Robin Staps is working on new material for an upcoming album. They have stated that recording will get under way in early 2012 and hinted at the possibility of releasing another double album.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Their work combines elements of progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
and electronic soundscapes, occasionally incorporating strings to create their aggressive 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...
sound. The band often describes its sound as "ambient soundtrack doomrock".
History
The Ocean was founded in 2000 by guitarist and songwriter Robin Staps. During the following two years, about 40 musicians joined and left the band until a stable line-up was established. July 2002 saw The Ocean play their first concert at Berlin's now defunct semi-legal Eimer Club. Shortly after, the band released their eponymous debut album featuring Islands/Tides, a 30-minute-long song that also constituted the substance of their early live shows.After a brief tour with Swedish crust punk
Crust punk
Crust punk is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills...
outfit Coma in early 2003, the band signed to Make My Day Records, which then released Fogdiver, an EP consisting of five instrumental songs—despite the fact that on stage, at least two singers could be found. Unlike its predecessor, this recording received considerable acclaim from critics throughout a variety of genres.
During winter and spring 2004, The Ocean recorded what was to become the material for their two following albums. The calmer and more atmospheric half of this recording session was released as Fluxion
Fluxion (Album)
Fluxion is an album by the German band The Ocean Collective released in November, 2004. Fluxion is the first part of a two-CD project that ended with Aeolian...
in August 2004; a joint effort of Make My Day and Throne Records
Throne Records
Throne Records is an independent record label of extreme metal located in Gijón, Asturias, Spain. It was created in 2002 by Uge, after the dissolution of its previous hardcore/punk label...
. While the fact that the band now used vocals on their recordings seemed to make the music more accessible to some, it also caused many other critics to consider the album a step backwards in terms of innovation and originality. In interviews, the band would comment on this by pointing out the perceived closed-mindedness of some of the reviewers and their supposed inability to deal with the harshness and brutality the anti-Christian, anti-theistic
Antitheism
Antitheism is active opposition to theism. The etymological roots of the word are the Greek 'anti-' and 'theismos'...
vocals now added to The Ocean's sound.
After signing to Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
in summer 2005, all the remaining songs from the session were released as Aeolian
Aeolian (album)
Aeolian is an album by the German band The Ocean Collective released in March 2006. Aeolian is the second part of a two-CD project that started with Fluxion...
. Since Fluxion and Aeolian had originally been planned as a double CD with a mellow and a brutal part — a plan that did not work out — Aeolian came across as very different from its predecessor. Unlike on previous albums, classical instruments and electronic sounds were hardly used here, making the record sound rather minimalistic. But whereas Fluxion had featured only one singer, seven of them could be found on Aeolian, among them Nate Newton
Nate Newton (musician)
Nate Newton is the bassist in hardcore band Converge.He also plays guitar and sings in two side projects, Old Man Gloom and Doomriders.Before relocating to the Boston area in 1999, he was in the Virginia Beach area hardcore punk bands Lift, Jesuit, Channel, Edison and Dwell...
, Sean Ingram, and Tomas Hallbom, whose names were also used extensively for the album's promotion campaign. According to the band, Meta's voice on Fluxion had created a monotony that was to be avoided on Aeolian. March 2006 saw the North American release of the album. Later that year, a joint vinyl version of Fluxion and Aeolian was released by Throne Records, featuring three records in different colors. Recently in late 2007, they released a new 2 disc album entitled Precambrian
Precambrian (album)
Precambrian is the third studio album by the German progressive metal band The Ocean Collective, released on November 5, 2007 through Metal Blade Records....
. In April 2008, The Ocean embarked on a year long tour through Europe and North America with bands like Intronaut
Intronaut
Intronaut is a progressive metal band from Los Angeles, California.Their style, while rooted in metal, is extremely forward-thinking and psychedelic, complete with complex polyrhythms, intense, haunting melodies, and vocal harmonies, combined with progressive and jazzy instrumental breaks.Their...
, Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
, and At The Gates
At the Gates
At the Gates is an extreme metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, and a major progenitor of the Gothenburg death-metal sound. Their early albums lean towards a death metal sound, but later albums sound more like melodic death metal.Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a...
. In April 2009 it was announced that primary Precambrian vocalist, and full time touring member Mike Pilat was leaving the band for personal reasons and other commitments.
On November 17, 2009, Robin Staps announced that a replacement vocalist had been found, Loic Rossetti. The Ocean released two albums in 2010, Heliocentric
Heliocentric (The Ocean Collective album)
Heliocentric is the fourth studio album by the German experimental metal band The Ocean, released on April 9, 2010, and marks the recording debut of vocalist Loïc Rossetti...
on April 9 and Anthropocentric on November 9. Taken together, the two albums "represent a fundamental and philosophical critique
Criticism of Christianity
Throughout the history of Christianity, many have criticized Christianity, the church, and Christians themselves. Some criticism specifically addresses Christian beliefs, teachings and interpretation of scripture...
of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
," with Heliocentric describing the internal battles within the Catholic Church over the heliocentrism
Heliocentrism
Heliocentrism, or heliocentricism, is the astronomical model in which the Earth and planets revolve around a stationary Sun at the center of the universe. The word comes from the Greek . Historically, heliocentrism was opposed to geocentrism, which placed the Earth at the center...
of Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
and Galileo
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
, and Anthropocentric critiquing the fundamentalist
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
view of Creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
.
They announced that their first live DVD would be filmed on the 29th of January 2011 in Berlin at the Museum für Musikinstrumente and will only contain tracks from their album Precambrian.
On the 3rd of August 2011, The Ocean announced via its Facebook page that Robin Staps is working on new material for an upcoming album. They have stated that recording will get under way in early 2012 and hinted at the possibility of releasing another double album.
Studio Albums
- FluxionFluxion (Album)Fluxion is an album by the German band The Ocean Collective released in November, 2004. Fluxion is the first part of a two-CD project that ended with Aeolian...
(2004) - AeolianAeolian (album)Aeolian is an album by the German band The Ocean Collective released in March 2006. Aeolian is the second part of a two-CD project that started with Fluxion...
(2006) - PrecambrianPrecambrian (album)Precambrian is the third studio album by the German progressive metal band The Ocean Collective, released on November 5, 2007 through Metal Blade Records....
(2007) - HeliocentricHeliocentric (The Ocean Collective album)Heliocentric is the fourth studio album by the German experimental metal band The Ocean, released on April 9, 2010, and marks the recording debut of vocalist Loïc Rossetti...
(2010) - Anthropocentric (2010)
Other Releases
- Islands/Tides (2001)
- Fogdiver (2003)
- Burst/The Ocean Split 7" (2005)
External links
- Official band site
- Interview in SHOUT! Music Webzine
- Interview on MetalhertzFM.com
- Last.fm page for The Ocean