Editorial Preface: The following is an interview conducted between the artist …and Oceans and our Contributing Reviewers, Ryan P. (Hawks) and Zach (Dedes). …and Oceans recently released their seventh full-length LP, The Regeneration Itinerary. The new album can be streamed or purchased via their official Bandcamp page.
RYAN: Hey guys! Me and one of my colleagues on the site, Zach, will be conducting this interview and we’re hyped to be able to speak to you! Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to fit us in! First, please just give us a bit of information on the origin of the band and some of the bands that influenced you.
Timo: We started some time ‘95 a years after we stopped with our death metal band Festerday. Sure …And Oceans started with a bit different line-up. But had partly same members as Festerday. These are not the same band as understood wrong in many places online. Our first stuff was a bit mixed with death metal and more technical stuff. Soon we started to take more bm influences into our songs. That was quite natural since that music was coming strong at that time. Emperor for example had an impact with synths taken along etc. We did a few demos and with ‘96 promo we got a deal with Season of Mist and not before long we already recorded our debut. The after we had already that split album and the next album out and went…
Well, folks, it is time for a look into the depths of depravity. The Finnish metal scene is one of my favorites. It has a bit of everything. There’s over-the-top folky stuff, blitzing melodeath, the murkiest death metal you’ll ever hear, and some of the darkest, ritualistic black metal ever put to tape. I will be covering my personal top 10 all-time (as of this moment) in the Finnish scene. Buckle up, boys, here we go!
Ahhhhh, yes, the quintessential Finnish metal band. While Children of Bodom might not be the the ‘trvest’ band out there, they are responsible for getting many (including yours truly) into Finnish metal and metal in general.
Starting off in 1993 as Inearthed by world-class guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho, the band offered a somewhat different approach than what was happening in the Finnish metal scene at the time. Bands like Demilich, Rippikoulu and Funebre, just to name a few, were dropping some of the most disgusting-sounding death metal known to mankind. The boys of Inearthed/Bodom opted for a way more melodic, neoclassical-influenced sound with shredding riffs, bombastic keyboards and throat-tearing, high-pitched vocals.
Their opening trio of Something Wild, Hatebreeder and Follow the Reaper…
Hello, children. On this silky Pi Day, despite our best efforts, music is not canceled this week. Please feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors and let the community know what’s missing and/or what you’ll be jamming this week.
Charley Crockett – Lonesome Drifter Genre: Country Rock / Nashville Sound Label: Island
Circuit des Yeux – Halo on the Inside Genre: Darkwave / Post-Industrial Label: Matador
cleopatrick – FAKE MOON Genre: Slacker Rock / Noise Pop Label: Thirty Tigers
clipping. – Dead Channel Sky Genre: Industrial Hip-Hop / Breakbeat Hardcore Label: Sub Pop
Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis: Act III: The Father of Make Believe Genre: Progressive Rock / Emo-Pop Label: Virgin
Courting – Lust for Life, Or: ‘How to Thread the Needle and Come out the Other Side to Tell the Story’ Genre: Post-Punk Revival / Indie Rock Label: Lower Third
Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Never Catch Us Genre: Gangsta Rap Label: Jet Life
Dorothy – The Way Genre: Hard Rock / Blues Rock Label: Roc Nation
Happy 8th birthday to the Nintendo Switch! Below is a non-exhaustive list of new releases for March 7th. Please feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors, feel a sense of pride and accomplishment letting tens of us know what you think is missing, what your Top 3 Switch games by playtime are, or simply let the community know what the hard jams are this week.
– List of Releases: March 7th, 2025 –
Alabaster dePlume – A Blade Because a Blade is Whole Genre: Spiritual Jazz / Jazz Poetry Label: International Anthem
Amber Asylum – Ruby Red Genre: Neoclassical Darkwave / Dark Ambient Label: Prophecy Productions
Arny Margret – I Miss You, I Do Genre: Indie Folk Label: One Little Independent
Black Foxxes – The Haar Genre: Art Rock / Chamber Music Label: oneRPM
Bob Mould – Here We Go Crazy Genre: Alternative Rock / Power-Pop Label: BMG
The Burning Hell – Ghost Palace Genre: Indie Folk / Indie Rock Label: BB*Island
Cryptosis – Celestial Death Genre: Symphonic Black Metal / Technical Thrash Metal Label: Century Media
Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence Genre: Progressive Metal / Blackgaze Label: Prosthetic
Below is a sampling of new releases for February 21st. Please feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors, rush to feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in letting tens of us know what you think is missing, or simply let the community know what you plan on jamming this week.
– List of Releases: February 21st, 2025 –
Abduction – Existentialismus Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Label: Spinefarm
Anxious – Bambi Genre: Alternative Rock / Emo-Pop Label: Run for Cover
Baths – Gut Genre: Indietronica / Art Pop Label: Basement’s Basement
Califone – The Villager’s Companion Genre: Alt-Country / Americana Label: Jealous Butcher
God Complex – He Watches in Silence [EP] Genre: Metalcore / Deathcore Label: SharpTone
IDER – Late to the World Genre: Synthpop / Indietronica Label: Nettwerk
Imagine Dragons – Reflections [Compilation] (From the Vault of Smoke + Mirrors) Genre: Pop Rock / Alternative Dance Label: KIDinaKORNER
Kelora – Sleepers Genre: Dream Pop / Ambient Pop Label: True Panther
Killswitch Engage – This Consequence Genre: Melodic Metalcore / Alternative Metal Label: Metal Blade
Below is a non-exhaustive list of new releases for January 24th, 2025. Please feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors, be someone to inform us of what’s unintentionally missing from the list, and let the community know what you plan on jamming this week.
– List of Releases: January 24th, 2025 –
Anna B Savage – You & I Are Earth Genre: Art Pop Label: City Slang
Avatarium – Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead Genre: Doom Rock / Heavy Psych Label: AFM
Beneath a Steel Sky – Cleave Genre: Post-Metal Label: Ripcord
C Duncan – It’s Only a Love Song Genre: Indie Pop Label: Bella Union
Central Cee – Can’t Rush Greatness Genre: UK Drill / Sample Drill Label: Columbia
Welcome back to another on-time edition of the Weekly Releases, where “mediocre sputpilled artists are repped” and more will probably be added in the comments hmm lfg ifg
– List of Releases: September 13th, 2024 –
Agrypnie – erg Genre: Melodic Black Metal / Atmospheric Black Metal Label: AOP
Allegra Krieger – Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine Genre: Indie Folk Label: Double Double Whammy
Babyface Ray – The Kid That Did Genre: Trap / Cloud Rap Label: Empire
Bill Leeb – Model Kollapse Genre: Electro / Industrial Label: Metropolis Records
BONES UK – Soft Genre: Electropop / Industrial Rock / Blues Rock Label: Sumerian
Here’s a list of new releases for the week of May 31st, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: May 31, 2024 –
Anna Tivel: Living Thing Genre: Indie Folk Label: Fluff and Gravy Records
Arooj Aftab: Night Reign Genre: Folk/Jazz Label: Verve Label Group
Ayra Starr: The Year I Turned 21 Genre: R&B/Soul Label: Mavin Global Goldings
Bat for Lashes: The Dream of Delphi Genre: Indie Pop/Folk Label: Mercury KX
Crowded House: Gravity Stairs Genre: Pop/Rock Label: Lester Records
Four Stroke Baron: Data Diamond Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal Label: Prosthetic Records
Half Waif: Ephemeral Being Genre: Indie Pop Label: Anti
IDAHO: Lapse Genre: Slowcore / Indie Rock Label: Arts & Crafts
King Hannah: Big Swimmer Genre: Ambient/Shoegaze Label:City Slang
The Marias: Submarine Genre: Indie/Dream Pop Label: Atlantic
Hair’sa leest of new releezas per May 3rd, 2024. Dalee probly besa otha albums in da commentens from da frendly Ewoks. Informateonesa most gud geesas beeza Googlen en besa berry accuraten. Pleasen feel free to requesten reviews per any of da followen albums from da staff en/or da contribudas. May da 4th besa wit yousa. Leeven longo en prospa!
– List of Releases: May 3rd, 2024 –
Adeem the Artist – Anniversary Genre: Americana / Alt-Country Label: Thirty Tigers
Agriculture – Living is Easy (EP) Genre: Blackgaze / “Ecstatic Black Metal” Label: The Flenser
American Culture – Hey Brother, It’s Been a While Genre: Post-Punk / Indie Rock Label: Convulse
Aquilus – Bellum II Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal / Dark Folk Label: Northern Silence
As the Sun Falls – Kaamos Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Theogonia
Better Than Ezra – Super Magick Genre: Alternative Rock / Pop Rock Label: Round Hill
Some hard jams that promise to bring back the rock will be released on April 26th, 2024. Soft jellies will probably be in the comments. Being unbanned this whole time but posting on alts is a long game I did not know I was still playing, but I had to promise not to spam my meme conspiracy-laden YouTube channel in every thread or else my wings will get clipped 4real this time (lists are fine even though I have over 700). Come get ya boi so that I might behave for at least 15 minutes!!!!! Maybe I will sell one of my alts. Texan has wares if you have coin. You can request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors if they’re not too busy jamming hard or hardly jamming.
– List of Releases: April 26th, 2024 –
Accept – Humanoid Genre: Heavy Metal Label: Napalm
Adult Jazz – So Sorry So Slow Genre: Art Pop Label: Spare Thought
Alien Ant Farm – Mantras Genre: Alternative Rock / Post-Grunge Label: MRI
Black Tusk – The Way Forward Genre: Sludge Metal Label: Season of Mist
Bullion – Affection Genre: Dream Pop / Avant-Pop Label: Ghostly International
Here’s a list of 30 notable new releases for the week of March 22nd, 2024. Please refrain from immediately jumping into the comments letting me know how much I suck for omitting a fusion dungeon synth polka band from Kyrgyzstan (I can deal with it if you wait at least a day). Genres/labels are best guesses based on cursory Googling and should not be taken seriously. Some Bandcamp embeds are included. This is the Little Caesars Hot-n-Ready Principle: instead of picking two between Hot, Ready, and Good, you have to pick 2 from Some Embeds, Some Information, and Exhaustive List of Everything That Could Possibly Be Released This Week Complete with Hyperlinks Everywhere. Yaaas, queen! Slay! Live, laugh, love. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Or don’t, whatever. I’m not your mom. Live your best life. YOLO.
– List of Releases: March 22nd, 2024 –
Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future Genre: Alternative / Folk Label: 4AD
Alestorm – Voyage of the Dead Marauder (EP) Genre: Folk Metal / Pirate Metal / yarrrr Label: Napalm
Barely Civil – I’d Say I’m Not Fine Genre: Midwest Emo / Indie Rock Label: Take This To Heart
Blanket – Ceremonia Genre: Shoegaze / Alternative Rock
I’ve been listening to Chris Whitley for more than 20 years. At first, I was resistant to enjoying his music — how ridiculous we can be. I was in my early 20s, and I met a lanky guy who had grown up in international schools, and had a penchant for open tunings. He spoke in a soft American accent, he played guitar brilliantly, and he was outrageously cool. He leant me a record called Living with the Law and I scoffed at it. The man on the cover looked trapped in that weird, out-of-touch crossroads hangover between the ’80s and the ’90s. At the time, I was discovering indie music — and this seemed the anathema to it. I mocked it, tossed it aside, and dug my heels with immature abandon.
However, I had listened to it. And after hearing it a few times, the hooks were in. The title track truly is one of the great openers of the ’90s — grudgingly, I could not deny the pockets of beauty in the space created by those soft, chalky chord changes. The voice sounds as if it comes from a wagon trail, a passenger exiting a taxi, a shortwave radio, a factory PA, or a campfire hidden in an unending canvas of pine trees. Chris Whitley sounds of the city and the country, and of any age.
Whitley never achieved much fame beyond that album; he always…
Here’s a list of significant new releases for the week of November 3rd, 2023. Please note that your idea of “significant” might not align with this list: some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. Genres/labels are best guesses based on cursory Googling and should not be taken seriously. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Or don’t, whatever. I’m not your mom.
Here’s a list of prominent new releases for the week of September 8th, 2023. Genres/labels are best guesses based on cursory Googling. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Or don’t, whatever. I’m not your mom.
– List of Releases: September 8th, 2023 –
(G)I-DLE – HEAT (EP) Genre: K-Pop Label: Cube Entertainment
Allison Russell – The Returner Genre: Contemporary Folk Label: Fantasy
Anjimile – The King Genre: Avant-Folk / Art Pop Label: 4AD
Ashley McBryde – The Devil I Know Genre: Contemporary Country Label: Warner Nashville
The Chemical Brothers – For That Beautiful Feeling Genre: Alternative Dance / Progressive House Label: Virgin EMI
Courtney Barnett – End Of The Day
(Music from the film Anonymous Club) Genre: Ambient Label: Milk!, Mom+Pop
Cryptopsy – As Gomorrah Burns Genre: Technical Death Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
Cyanotic – The After Effect Genre: Industrial Label: Glitch Mode
Dying Fetus – Make Them Beg for Death Genre: Technical Death Metal Label: Relapse
Finsterforst – Jenseits (EP) Genre: Viking Metal / Folk Metal Label: AOP
Here’s a list of noteworthy new releases for the week of August 4th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. Or don’t, whatever. I’m not your mom.
– List of Releases: August 4th, 2023 –
An Autumn for Crippled Children – Closure Genre: Blackgaze Label: Prosthetic
Annie Hart – The Weight of a Wave Genre: Indietronica Label: Uninhabitable Mansions
