ALBUM: Being As An Ocean 'Being As An Ocean'

Rating:

Little over a year since their last release, these melodic hardcore masters from California are back with a self-titled album and boundless passion. Being As An Ocean’s latest srelease follows in their well-established sound, which takes elements of hardcore, metalcore and spoken word together to create something as poignant as it is powerful.

The tracks effortlessly climb and cascade as they mix the heavy with the clean, best heard in tracks ‘Little Richie’ and ‘Saint Peter’. It’s this diverse approach that creates that heartening sound, creating thoughtful reflections on domestic violence and the beauty of life. The lyricism is poetic and beautiful, not something to absorbed in a single sitting, but a fine thing to be mulled over.

And still, Being As An Ocean manage to bring the heavy. From the thrashing and furious ‘Forgetting Is Forgiving The I’ to the infectious and intense ‘Sins Of The Father’ and the uplifting ‘The Zealot’s Blindfold’; this release is angst-fuelled and angry as ever.

The breakneck shouts are a little spoiled by the rather same-ey cleans which are significantly less inspiring. The piecemeal song structures, also, are definitely subjective. You either love the enveloping twists and turns as the songs seamlessly switch between sounds or you feel lost at the uneven sound. Some songs on this album feel completely lost and almost formulaic in their sound, namely ‘And Their Consequence’ and ‘The World As A Stage’. All can be saved, however, by the flawless and experimental production, which manages to blend in awkward sections into an overall infectious sound.

Being As An Ocean’s latest gift to the world is raw and more passionate than ever, but still with a few lost moments that hold the album back. The soft brings moving reflection and poetic brilliance whilst the heavy brings stage-ready angst and thrilling brilliance. An album worthy of band who birthed it.

Being As An Ocean is out now via InVogue Records.