The Ocean (Germany (Berlin) )

The Ocean - Heliocentric [2010] (Progressive/Atmospheric Sludge)
Lable : Metal Blade Records/Pelagic

However The Ocean Collective are still just flat out better at more linear compositions, which there still are two of on this album. The first is “Firmament”, a song built around a syncopated riff that leaves plenty of open spaces. The song also features an excellent bridge that recalls Isis circa Panopticon or Cult of Luna at their most subdued. The other highlight is the closing suite of ‘The Origin of Species/The Origin of God”. While separated into two tracks, this song works as a single 11-minute piece. The song ebbs and flows better than any other song on the album, hits as hard as “Precambrian” and features more orchestral elements (the violin melody in 17/16 and the ending brass section are my two favorite moments) then the rest of the record combined. They also have the most thought provoking and interesting lyrics, which bring us to a major concern with the record.

As the title implies, this record focuses on how the heliocentric theory, the idea that the earth revolves around the sun, impacted Christianity. While this was one of the most important turning points in the history of science, holding it against Christianity now seems a bit like calling the Italian government immoral because the Roman Empire used slaves. At this stage in history every sane person knows that the earth revolves around the sun, so championing this cause isn’t going to convert too many listeners to atheism. The ‘Origin’ songs on the other hand are far more effective as they address the hot topics of evolution and the source of complexity. Both songs make liberal references to the writings of Richard Dawkins and the dramatic and powerful music does a great to make these wordy lyrics work. It’s always refreshing when a metal band actually uses reasoning and logic when attacking the church instead of resorting to name calling and childish satanic buzzwords.

“Heliocentric” is not as good as “Precambrian” and it’s likely that nothing The Ocean ever do will be. However, the shift towards more accessible song structures and less aggressive material doesn’t make this a bad album. Tracks like “Swallowed By the Earth” show that given time, The Ocean might grow to excel at this new style, and “Firmament” is sure to please older fans until they get there.

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