Release date: 27th January 2023
After seeing …and Oceans at Nummirock last year, I couldn’t help but want more. Their live show was very impressive, and they wound up being one of my highlights of the festival, so naturally their discography went back into heavy rotation as soon as I got home. And when their sixth full-length was officially announced a few months later, I eagerly began to anticipate it – and needless to say, it does not disappoint.
The thing that …and Oceans executes so perfectly is the balance between aggression and melody. The black metal element of their sound is nasty, aggressive and tight, which is all you can really ask for, and when you couple it with the masterfully-delivered symphonic elements the combination is sublime. Fourth track Carried On Lead Wings is a particularly good example of this, bringing all of the noise whilst the keys and guitars simultaneously add just the right amount of melody to keep it varied.
Inverse Magnification Matrix is another great inclusion, with the band first of all hitting you with an impressive wall of sound, before you’re led into a mysterious ambient section that really serves as a great divider for the track until the aggression is brought in once again – it sounds almost hypnotic!
As in Gardens, So in Tombs keeps you coming back for more and is a very strong release. Hopefully I won’t have to wait too long to see how these songs translate in a live environment.
