The Ocean Has a Video and a Film (NSFW)

I totally missed out on the fact that there is a version of The Ocean's Pelagial record that comes with a film shot to the length of the album (a 53:13 long song they were unfortunately forced to break into pieces when I saw them live at Summer Slaughter). Apparently I also missed the fact that they released a music video a few months ago for Bathyalpelagic II. A big, hearty thank you to Metal Sucks for bringing all this to my attention. Read their articles here and here.

The Ocean full live set @ NY's St. Vitus!!!

Now this is the way I wish to see The Ocean! I totally agree with metalsucks' Vince Neilstein (whose article on the same you should link to from the above and read) that the twenty-five minutes on Summer Slaughter was just. Not. Enough.

This footage, which I'm just now sitting down to watch this now but I'm assuming it's Pelagial live in its entirety, the way it was meant to be played. Only a few seconds in and I can already tell that the sound is better here than it was both at HOB last month and at the Glass House when I saw them in 2010. Little clubs are always the best.

And apparently that's what this was - a surprise show at NY's Saint Vitus where they were billed under the name Pelagial (not a surprise to anyone familiar with them).

The Ocean - Pelagial

So I've put down the Slayer for a bit (couldn't find my original cassette copy of Seasons in the Abyss so I had to walk away for a while) and started my first pass through the new album by The Ocean, Pelagial. It is incredible. The concept for the album is just mind-blowing, especially when you listen to it and realize they pulled it off. From their (awesome) website:

The concept of the album is made evident in its title, Pelagial. Listeners will be further submersed as they journey with the band, beginning at the surface of the ocean and plunging through all five pelagic depth zones: epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathyalpelagic, abyssopelagic, and hadopelagic. In synch with diminishing light and increasing pressure as one dives or sinks deeper into the ocean, the album begins rather light and progressively gets heavier and slows as the band reaches the unfathomable depths of the hadopelagic zone, characterized by complete darkness and a thousandfold increased pressure as compared to surface level. What is remarkable about Pelagial is that this is not some detached conceptual idea; this can actually be heard and felt while listening to the album.

New Track from The Ocean's upcoming Pelagial Record

Thanks to blabbermouth.net for posting these. I cannot wait for Pelagial - The Ocean (sometimes known as The Ocean Collective) became one of my favorite bands a couple of years ago when I discovered 2004's Fluxion. After chewing on that record for about a year I dove in and bought everything else the band had done. I loved all of it and constantly marveled at the versatility with which Robin Straps and crew turned any conventions associated with heavy music on their ear without ever sacrificing the 'raging slab' factor of the art. Then in 2010 the group put out two records - Heliocentric and Anthropocentric. They are an examination of religion, but not in the typical metal fashion. Both of those records - which saw the group with a new vocalist - are absolute masterpieces that transcend any genre trappings even more than the group already had. I can't say this enough, they are amazing. Fans of Mike Patton and Faith No More may especially want to look into them (they even had the amazing packaging for both records designed by long-time Patton art designer Martin Kvamme).

New Song from The Ocean (Collective) means New Album!!!

One of my favorite bands from the last ten years is Germany's The Ocean (Collective). All the band's records are fantastic, and with the addition of singer Loic Rossettiand the release of their 2010 albums Heliocentric and Anthropocentric they became something even better. Now in April (geez, really? Again with the April? I will be freakin' broke in April with all the records being released that month!) The Ocean, AKA The Ocean Collective will release Epipelagic. Here's what the group's website had to say about the upcoming record, tell me this isn't amazing:


pe·la·gi·al [puh-ley-jee-uh l] – 1. Of, relating to, or living in open oceans or seas rather than waters adjacent to land or inland waters; such as, pelagic birds. 2. Living or growing at or near the surface of the ocean, far from land, as certain organisms. 3. Of or pertaining to the sea; marine

After 2 years of relentless touring in North America, Europe, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Australia, The Ocean have resurfaced with what could be their deepest and most trailblazing piece of work to date, Pelagial: a progressive musical journey, written, recorded, mixed and to-be-performed-live as one single 53-minutes piece of music. Mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Witchcraft) at Fascination Street Studios in Örebrö, Sweden, Pelagial is set to be released on April 26th / 29th (Europe) and April 30th (North America / world) through Metal Blade Records.


The concept of the album is made evident in its title, Pelagial. Listeners will be further submersed as they journey with the band, beginning at the surface of the ocean and plunging through all five pelagic depth zones: epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathyalpelagic, abyssopelagic, and hadopelagic. In synch with diminishing light and increasing pressure as one dives or sinks deeper into the ocean, the album begins rather light and progressively gets heavier and slows as the band reaches the unfathomable depths of the hadopelagic zone, characterized by complete darkness and a thousandfold increased pressure as compared to surface level. What is remarkable about Pelagial is that this is not some detached conceptual idea; this can actually be heard and felt while listening to the album.



What has me perhaps even more excited about the band's new record is the idea that I might get a chance to see them again on tour. In 2011 while they were touring I was able to catch them at Pomona, CA's The Glass House. They were every bit amazing as I thought they'd be. I did a write up on the that show here. The only draw back to that particular show was that of the four bands that played, The Ocean came all the way from Germany just to open the night with a criminally short set (not their fault). Hopefully this time they'll play a lot longer, as they have so much wonderful material to cover.