Oceano

Ascendants

Written by: MBC on 31/07/2015 14:34:50

American deathcore veterans Oceano released their fourth album earlier this year, the follow-up to the excellent “Incisions” from 2013. What I liked so much about that last record was the fact that they took chances and went to previously unfamiliar musical territories. Unfortunately, these are now abandoned, and the interesting changes the band had made to its song writing are gone again. With “Ascendants” Oceano have gone back to their roots with a heavy deathcore record that might please loyal fans of the band, but probably will not attract anyone else.

With nine songs that are approximately three minutes each, this album is not exactly brimming with material. But this is actually a good thing. The songs sound so similar that it is almost impossible to tell them apart. These songs are not necessarily bad, Oceano sure as hell know how to play brutal deathcore, but they are incredibly boring and bland. Having listened through the album countless times, I honestly cannot recall a single moment that truly caught my ear. There is plenty of blasting double bass, crunchy chug-riffs played on guitars tuned to the depths of Hell, crushingly heavy breakdowns and guttural vocals that switch between prolonged tones and fast undecipherable slam-growls. The lyrics delve into the darkest corners of human nature with depictions of how we have starved and exploited the planet to the point of depletion. They are well written, not quite as graphic as on previous records and fit well with the dark and hellish atmosphere that the music creates. However, the repetitive nature and absence of any kind of melody or musical highlights in general keep the songs from being anything more than mediocre and uninspired deathcore clichés.

As one of the last real advocates of the dying deathcore genre, Oceano seem to cling on to what defined them as a band in the past. “Ascendants” feels like a major step back from the band and unfortunately stands as just another bland and forgettable deathcore album.

6

Download: Transient Gateways, Dead Planet, Dawn Of Descent
For the fans of: I Declare War, The Acacia Strain, WhiteChapel, Black Tongue, Aversions Crown
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Release date 23.03.2015
Earache Records

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