Review Summary: Rough seas.
The fierceness of the abyssal sea is a wonder of this world that remains mysterious. The deeper one goes, the more of its unknown horrors devours a fragile human thing. One might think it would dissipate as the veil between salt and open air is pierced, avoiding a watery grave. Then comes Neptune’s ebb and flow, possible storms and rough seas above the water. It’s the tides and waves that disturb the heavens above the water, along with ear piercing winds and thundering waves. The complete atmosphere of the open rough seas are not easily captured in most forms unless you are there. However, despite evidence to the contrary. A young metal band named Isis conjured up an hour of brine driven magic that is both unimaginably massive and representative of its namesake.
The journey of
Oceanic is a formidable one, with “The Beginning And The End” setting the stage for a harsh nautical journey. One thing exhibited by the band’s here is how this is a drumming album, albeit an untraditional one. Most metal albums impressive on a technical level with drums, but with
Oceanic their brilliance comes with its sheer scale and sound. The rhythm section remains steady and tight, while Aaron Turner’s ferocious roars of thunder pummel the listener with splendidly poetic lyrics. It’s all topped off with watery harmonics, memorable guitar work, atmospheric bass work and a tremendous climax. The comedown from this track is unpredictably light as well, with the band guiding safety to the eye of the storm rather than crashing down.
With the stage set, the band motored onward to lunar aquatic battle, as coming songs exhibiting cyan drenched atmospheres and gratifying metal. “Carry” and “Maritime” showcase the calmness of the band with ambience and texture driven guitars. However, “Carry” proves how quickly the atmosphere can soon become dangerous and menacing as the song explodes. “The Other” and “False Light” further expounds upon the ferocity and atmospheric riffs as well. Both songs keep the listener in a whirlpool of repetitive sludge, bellowing vocals and breathtaking harmonics.
“From Sinking” and “Hymn” close out the non linear storm with forward momentum that oozes masterful songwriting. The frantic vibe of “From Sinking” only punctuates the aforementioned sinking with gripping musicianship. Meanwhile, “Hymn” sees the band building to a combustible climax. The storm calms, the music stops and so ends the song of the thundering cry of
Oceanic. However, the real center piece of the album proves representative of the albums themes is “Weight.”
“Weight” exists as a piece like no other. Aquatic ambience and instrumentation flow onward like an estuary. The drums sound almost tribal, as the fresh water flows into the salt, creating a steady and hypnotic rhythm. The guitar work is repetitious yet profound, as the drums and guitars grow louder and more intimidating in the mix. Maria Christopher exclaims “All in a day” mysteriously as the atmospheric bass lays the foundation for the guitar and drums to hypnotize the listener. As the song builds towards the climax, the listeners prove dumbfounded as the tracks ends with less an explosion and more a unique crash and burn. Like watching a wave splash down in a white haze of misty clouds.
All and all,
Oceanic serves as a one-of-a-kind metal album. In fact, calling this album metal or post metal barely even scratches the surface. Its themes, motifs and atmosphere showcases the bands version for an aquatically themed metal album with ease and emotional complexity. Each musician brings immense talent to the table, and the snare drum especially adds so much to the compositions. It’s not the most technical performance, but how the drums sound on here is more important than prowess. The immeasurable weight of what the band brought to the forefront with this masterpiece cannot be overstated. It’s unforgettable and there is perhaps no other album that best represents the push and pull of the ocean. It’s rough seas, and yet has moments of magical tranquility akin to a peace and healing only water can bring, whatever state it’s in.
