They call themselves Song People, and they’re once again proving it today. The Philly band showed off their unique blend of jangle-pop, dream-pop, post-punk, and folk on “Silver Flag,” the lead single from new album Tho I Seem Tame. Second single “The Cone” is out now, and it continues to make me imagine a timeline in which Fairport Convention were a C86 band.
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Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez
When it comes to post-metal, there aren’t many bigger than The Ocean! They are to the genre what Slayer are to thrash. The Ocean have forged a reputation for being one of the finest live bands on the planet. Of any genre! I know for sure – I was there for their “Pelagial” set at Night Of Salvation 2024. An end of an era, in many ways, given that this was amongst their final shows with that lineup. August of this year marked their return to the stage with a headline set at Pelagic Fest in Maastricht, NL. Now, we can see what they’ve been up to in the studio with this new lineup, with their upcoming album “Solaris”.
The dual vocal approach is perhaps the most salient feature in this new era for The Ocean. Equally, it’s not the most obvious change. Let me explain. Loic left HUGE boots with his distinct voice, effortlessly switching from soothing cleans to demonic growls! The new man behind the mic Enrico was up for this challenge though, and frankly excels! Somehow, he steps up and captures the essence of Loic’s cleans and screams, but in no way shape or form feels like he’s trying to copy his predecessor. No, this is an authentic performance that is as believable as it is impressive. Then there’s Sane. She offers similarly calming and melodic resonance to her voice. Equally, she can flick a switch and unleash a weapon the band have never had in their arsenal. A wave of ethereal primitive style of vocals you’d associate with Heilung or Eivor, such is the deep haunting Pagan-like quality! Finding the correct vocabulary is hard to describe which is why the bonechilling impact needs to be experienced for yourself.
Their synergy and chemistry can be seen on multiple songs, perhaps most notably in ‘Ultima Esperanza’. With Enrico staying in his route one style of growls and Sane expressing herself in a jaw dropping array of shrieks and ethereal wails, the comparison to Cult Of Luna and Julie Christmas is uncanny! Alongside the mechanically tight grooves being laid down by the band’s instrumentation, the illusion is complete!
The Ocean have never been one for conventional songs. Preferring more expansive releases with anything but canonical song structures, “Solaris” is no different. Though ‘Simulacra’ is the grand champion coming in at a grand 17:53, making the rest of the songs that hover around the 10 minute mark seem short. This results in cinematic journeys that will appease those wanting a deeper immersive experience. Though this may also deter those wanting a quick dopamine hint from a much shorter song. A man who is no stranger to expansive cinematic length compositions is Hypno5e guitarist and frontman Emmanuel, who joins this new look version of The Ocean. It would be no surprise if he has imprinted himself into the band’s DNA already. Though this new version never strays too far from the band’s core sound. Instead, it feels like a natural progression rather than a radical shift. We hear the progressive and expansive emotion from earlier releases like ‘Pelagial’, albums where deep investment and patience is fully rewarded, alongside the new age electronic feel of ‘Holocene’ (though ‘Milk of My Dreams’ takes this EDM approach further and farther than any other).
Are there cryptic references to old band members and the old era of the band? The lines ‘’New Horizons, fearless until you get the courage’’ during ‘Ultima Esperanza’ suggests so, as well as the line “I will cherish every memory and every moment we shared” during the aptly named ‘Departure Song’. This hints at an overarching theme of transitions and inevitable changes that come in life. After all, change can be good, change can be bad. The Ocean had been dealt a terrible hand with the core of the band leaving, and with an un-enviable task of a thankless rebuilt project facing the remaining members. “Solaris” is not just the latest album in The Ocean’s storied history. It’s a statement of resilience, and rather than resisting change, fully embracing this and making the very best of the seismic shifts life had forced on them.
The Ocean are well and truly back!
For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.
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Gentling The Horse At The Walt Whitman Mall is going to be a trip. Caroline Rose has previewed the forthcoming album with bizarro bangers “Yip Yip Yow” and “Chow Mein,” and now she’s sharing “Calm” and “Hello Again, Jim.”
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Like many in his field, the Catalan electronic musician John Talabot tends to release songs in small bursts, in the form of singles and EPs. He only has two full-lengths to his name, 2012’s ƒIN and 2017’s The Night Land, released under the name Talaboman. Since then, a strange silence has indeed set in, with no new releases besides a pair of Talaboman singles in 2023. This fall, he’ll make his grand return, and he’s doing it in longform.
The post John Talabot Announces New OR Album <em>Music For Empty Stadiums</em>: Hear “Nokik Messiah” appeared first on Stereogum.
15th September 2026
Support: Blood Red Throne, Xonor, Eradikated
Words: Rich Oliver
Colorado thrashers Havok brought carnage to Bristol on a Tuesday evening with a stacked line up of thrash and death goodness.
Thanks to the joy that is traffic in Bristol city centre, I arrived at the venue late and missed the vast majority of openers Eradikated. It was a shame as I enjoyed their latest album “Wiring Of Violence” but the brief part of the set I did get to see I did enjoy. The young Swedish thrashers had plenty of energy on stage and tore it up with some very speedy thrash.
Swiss thrashers Xonor were the band on the line up that I was not at all familiar with. Decked out on stage with balaclavas, Xonor played a more hardcore infused style of thrash with a lot more modern elements as well as old school influences. The hardcore influences could be heard in the vocal style employed by frontman Donagh Ramsauer as well a few breakdowns dotted about in their songs. The band also embraced their silly side with ‘Monkey Mosh’ having a guy in a banana suit and an ape suit going at each other in the pit. Xonor were solid thrash but their songs lacked memorable riffs and licks. Their performance was a bit rough and sloppy at times but I’m sure more experience on stage will iron these issues out.
The jump in quality as Norwegian death metallers Blood Red Throne hit the stage was astronomical but compared to the two opening bands, Blood Red Throne have decades of experience behind them and are a well oiled metal machine. They were the odd band out on the bill being the sole death metal band in a sea of thrash but Blood Red Throne took it in their stride and won over the crowd with the only way they know how – sheer bludgeoning violence. This strategy definitely got a seal of approval from the Bristol crowd as the pit activity increased tenfold. The performances from the band were ultra tight and the sound was fat and chunky and best of all the band looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage especially Stian Gunderson who was difficult to take your eyes off with his unbridled enthusiasm and hysterical beard shaking instead of headbanging. Blood Red Throne were as heavy as anything and absolutely left their stamp on Bristol but the best was still to come…
It had been a couple of years since Havok performed in the UK and this show was, I believe, their first ever in Bristol. The venue had become steadily more busy as the night progressed and by the time that Havok hit the stage it was nice and full. Any worries that the crowd had tired themselves out during Blood Red Throne were quickly put to bed as the pit barely stopped all night and there were a healthy amount of crowd surfers and stage divers. Havok were loud, tight and a vicious thrashing machine playing a nice mix of brand new and vintage material. New songs ‘Fifth Generation Warfare’ and ‘The Ultimate Weapon’ were well received and sounded good but it was the old stuff that everyone lost their shit to with relentless thrashers such as ‘Prepare For War’, ‘Give Me Liberty…Or Give Me Death’, ‘No Amnesty’ and ‘Phantom Force’ testing the strongest of neck muscles. Havok live is an experience any self respecting thrash metal fan should witness as they play with lightning fast precision, face ripping aggression and ear shredding volume.
Special mention has to go to whoever was responsible for playing the Bill McClintock mash ups over the PA whilst Havok were setting up. Never have I laughed so much when waiting for a band to start.
For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.
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The new take of this early demo fav is headed for the upcoming 40th anniversary re-recording of “The Age Of Quarrel”.
The post Cro-Mags Launch Newly Re-Recorded Version Of “Everybody’s Gonna Die” appeared first on Theprp.com.
For a band launching its debut, having At the Gates/The Haunted drummer Adrian Erlandsson behind the drumkit ain’t a bad way to start. We’re streaming said debut, Infernal Culture, by Florida industrial metal outfit Embers of Dawn, a four piece unit—Graves (vocals), Cliff Ross (guitars/programming), Scott Van Horn (bass/programming), Grover Norton (drums)—with a strong affinity for Ministry, Rob Zombie and Type O Negative. The nine-track Infernal Culture, in fact, features additional support from Turkish vocalist Onur Çobanoğlu (who sings on most of the tracks) and bassist Mike Bear. Though much of the material is freshly recorded, the two final tracks (including a cover of Type O’s “Wolf Moon”) go back a few years and feature original vocalist Greg Carrillo.
Infernal Culture was produced, mixed and mastered by Richii Wainwright. The band is set to self-release it on CD and digitally on September 18. Place your preorder here.
Guitarist Cliff Ross summed up the band’s debut:
“At its core, Infernal Culture is about what happens when connection, faith, identity, and empathy begin to corrode. The songs explore emotional isolation, false gods, technological dependence, inner conflict, mortality, and the systems that gradually wear humanity down. Each track approaches these concepts from different angles but together depict a culture that is increasingly connected by technology while becoming more spiritually and emotionally disconnected. Musically, we drew from the influences of bands like Fear Factory, Ministry, Rammstein, and Static-X, while incorporating the dark atmosphere, melody, and emotional weight associated with Type O Negative and Paradise Lost. The album’s sound is mechanical and aggressive, but also deeply atmospheric and melodic.”
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Helena Deland’s last solo album was 2023’s Goodnight Summerland, which earned our Album Of The Week honor. The following year, she and fellow Montreal musician Ouri shared the second Hildegard LP, Jour 1596. Then last year, Deland continued her Altogether Unaccompanied series with its fifth volume. Now, she’s back with “How Do You Like Me Now.”
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