Review Summary: Melodic Hardcore receives a brand new act whose first offering is nothing short of phenomenal
Being as an Ocean exploded onto the melodic-hardcore scene with their debut album "Dear G-d," one of the absolute best albums the genre has received in years.
Being as an Ocean is not only one of the best melodic hardcore acts of recent years, their work blends old styles with new to produce a unique, refreshing sound. This quintet uses superb instrumentation to set the atmosphere for the album, whether it's lacing harmonized guitar lines throughout to give the vocals an extra punch, or starting a song with ambient chords and then having the whole band kick in. As good as the instrumentation is, the vocals are where this album really shines. Vocalist Joel Quartuccio gives an incredibly passionate performance, backed by phenomenal lyrics that evoke thought, and resonate with the listener, christian or not. The actual vocals themselves are praiseworthy as well, boasting an impressive range in both clean and unclean vocals. His clean vocals would fit perfectly in any post-hardcore album, while his unclean vocals transition throughout the album from passionate highs to equally good lows. While each song sounds similar, his vocal versatility allows each song unique qualities that keep the album refreshing.
The album as a whole runs approximately fifty two minutes, and not a single one of those minutes seems slow or boring. The songs themselves may take a leisurely pace, but the execution is so spot on what you here is always, at the very least, interesting. Throughout this album you can hear various sources of influence, most notably the influence of "Listener" and Joel's impressive adaption of that style into the band's own music. Dear G-d uses styles such as these to build momentum, serve as interludes, or merely set the tone throughout the album, and its this versatility in song writing that makes this album so great.
Being as an Ocean's first offering is easily the best melodic hardcore album recently released, and you won't find a single aspect of the album lacking. Their attention to detail, excellent performances in all areas, and superb song writing have crafted a masterpiece of an album, and any other melodic hardcore band should be taking notes.
