OCEANS OF SLUMBER

Overall the playing and singing are of high quality. Although I'm not taken aback by the voice of Cammie Gilbert.

But the compositions are forgettable. They are nice, but none of them stands out in such a way that I would return to them.

There's no way this record deserves to be rated as highly as the prog classics. But 3 stars is also too high in my book. This is no more than a record you may consider buying. 2 stars it is. Truly a fan of the band or genre only record.

The new album wipes away most of the tenets that had guided the band's sound up to this point. Gone are the cavernous death growls. Gone the blistering double-bass runs and most of the other extreme metal aesthetics. Comparing the new LP's tracklist with that of previous records, you'll also realize that even the band's idea of what a song is has radically changed? gone are the long-winding, multi-part 7-minute epics, leaving room for more concise, 4-minute tunes centered around Cammie Gilbert's extraordinary vocal talent. You get the gist: Oceans of Slumber have taken the road that several other metal bands took before them, moving away from the heavy shores of extreme metal towards softer, more melodic expanses.

To be frank, this much I had expected after listening to Oceans of Slumber's last LP. That record already contained a handful of more melodic, gothic ballads that were catered to Gilbert's clean voice. My bet at the time was that the band would continue to dig deeper into this balladry sound, perhaps landing somewhere not far from modern-day Anathema. And here is where I was spectacularly wrong. Because, you see, Starlight and Ash does much more than simply mellowing down the band's original sound. That's only part of it. Oceans of Slumber take this softer songwriting approach and let it grow into a whole new aesthetic, which they dubbed "Southern Gothic".

If you are like me, the term Southern Gothic will tell you little about the actual sonic identity of the album, but it may give you a good idea of the type of vibes it emanates: dark, gloomy, dramatic, but also charged with a deeper spiritual intensity that speaks of trauma and catharsis. Then there is of course the adjective "Southern", which is testament to the band's geographical roots and evokes rhythm and blues, gospel, and country music. And here is probably where the biggest surprise of the album lies: those Southern musical traditions are subtly weaved into the songs to form a new, hybrid sound where twangy blues guitars and gospel choirs are juxtaposed to art rock sensibilities, dashes of electronica and, of course, a lingering sense of sluggish heaviness that is inherited straight from the band's death/doom origins.

This genre bending is done masterfully and ever-so-subtly. The blues and gospel influences are not as in-your-face as, say, in a Zeal & Ardor album, but surface gently from the groovy rhythms and soulful melodies of "The Lighthouse" and "Salvation", probably the two songs with the strongest Southern accents on the album. These tracks also illustrate another characteristic of the album's sound that emerges consistently through its 11 songs: drum grooves and vocal melodies take absolutely center stage in Starlight and Ash, to the point that at times they constitute a song's whole texture. Guitars and keyboards are instead used with restraint, to inject bursts of color into the sound and to shift the songs' dynamics to dramatic effects ("The Waters Rising"; "Hearts of Stone"; "Red Forest Roads"). Elsewhere, Oceans of Slumber flirt with dreamy art pop ("The Hanging Tree"), while "Star Altar" is the song that most reminds me of the band's metal heritage - a gorgeous, doomy affair that twists and turns across its different parts before exploding into a spellbinding, down-tuned finale that is bound to trigger some serious headbanging.

These first seven songs are absolutely stunning and showcase the tremendous potential of the band's newfound style. The flow from song to song is also exceptional: each new track builds on the previous one, but introduces new nuances to the sound, subtly pushing it into a slightly distinct direction to explore a different sonic niche. The magic breaks down somewhat as the album moves to the next set of songs ("Spring of '21", "Just a Day" and "House of the Rising Sun" - the latter a cover of a 1960s song by UK rhythm-and-blues act The Animals). I cannot quite put my finger on what it is, but these three tracks do not chime in with the rest of the record. Taken separately, there is nothing particularly wrong with each of them. Granted, "Spring of '21" could do with some trimming in its second half, and the mood shifts in "Just a Day" are just a tad too jarring, but this is nothing that one does not get used to after a few listens. My reservation mostly comes from the way these three songs diverge - quite abruptly - from the rest of the album, both sonically and in terms of atmosphere. While the sound progression up to here had been gentle and subtle, suddenly we are confronted with a stark narrative jump, as we plunge into moody piano music ("Spring of '21", the first part of "Just a Day") that suddenly turns into the heaviest wall-of-sound bit you will find in the whole album (the second part and the finale of "Just a Day"). Meanwhile, "House of the Rising Sun" veers into chamber rock, with its lush string arrangements and violin solo, marking yet another sudden change of direction in terms of sound. Starlight and Ash eventually returns to the sonic identity of its initial songs with "The Shipbuilder's Son" - a very good song in itself, although it's somehow too late to restore the continuity and the magic that the first seven tracks were able to create.

Despite my misgivings about the album's second-half, Starlight and Ash remains a mighty strong record. I have no doubt this is Oceans of Slumber's best album to date and I am quite sure it will top my album of the year list too. But I am also prepared to go out on a limb and say this record will end up among my favourite 10/15 albums of all times, simply because it excels in absolutely everything that I love in music. It has a sound that innovates without losing sight of the band's own heritage (both musical and cultural), and, as a consequence, it feels fresh and interesting but at the same familiar. It is exquisitely produced, feeling organic and nuanced, but retaining bite and power when needed. It contains fantastic melodies and arrangements, and superb performances from all musicians involved, especially from Cammie Gilbert - probably the best female singer in metal right now. Most importantly, Starlight and Ash delivers music with soul, capable of connecting with the listener at a profound emotional level, thanks to its themes of trauma and redemption and to its deep musicality and transporting impetus. As I said at the beginning of this review, I have been waiting for Oceans of Slumber to write this album since I first heard their music back in 2016, as I felt the band had the potential to express themselves at a whole new level. Even so, Starlight and Ash vastly surpasses my expectations. If there is only one album you can listen to this year, make sure it is this one.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

So what do I mean by "the very land they were formed upon"? Well, it's actually very literal: Starlight and Ash takes the members' Texan roots and brings them closer to the forefront. The death growls and epic song lengths have all but disappeared, making way for lean cuts of southern gothic doom rock ? yes, most of the metal has been stripped away on this project as well. Once in a while you'll get a song like "Star Altar" or "Just a Day", both of which harken back to the band's earlier material, but the majority of Starlight and Ash is spent exploring previously uncharted sonic territory. Single "The Lighthouse" was certainly a sign of things to come, marked by an acoustic guitar motif that must have been ripped straight out of an old spaghetti western movie. But other songs go even further to establish the band's newfound experimentation, such as the hypnotic gothic rock of "The Hanging Tree" and the lovely solo piano piece "The Spring of 21"; these tunes retain Oceans of Slumber's usual brand of melancholic beauty while taking them into exciting new directions.

The band members themselves have also scaled back their performances, and nowhere is this more important than with our two main songwriters, the spousal duo of Gilbert and drummer Dobber Beverly. Instead of frequently relying on the dramatic belting of the former and the over-the-top drum fills of the latter, both have opted for a more understated approach this time around. In the case of Gilbert, this serves to make the climaxes even more powerful; opener "The Waters Rising", serves as a prime example, as she finally lets loose midway through the song after two minutes of anxious buildup. Combined with the ever-quickening tempo, it's a legitimately exciting payoff. Beverly, meanwhile, has revamped his playing style to compliment each song without being too flashy; occasionally you'll still get overly technical flights of fancy, but they're not nearly as prominent as before. Of course, I also can't downplay how effective the shortened song lengths are on Starlight and Ash: despite the relative lack of metal on the record, the tightened song structures and arrangements ironically give the material much more urgency. "The Hanging Tree" and "Hearts of Stone" are just as slow and doomy as what you'll find on previous records, but because of how much content they pack into just four minutes each, nothing comes across as meandering ? a common problem with their earlier work.

With all of that said, there's still room for improvement. For all the praise I've given the group for their willingness to experiment, some of the results don't quite hit the mark. The cover of "House of the Rising Sun" is probably the worst offender, as it simply seems out of place; in fact, aside from some nice violin work, there's not much to speak of. The song doesn't build up to anything particularly interesting, instead opting to remain in generic ballad territory throughout its runtime; if there's any song on the record that could have benefitted from an explosive climax, it's this one. Still, I have to commend Oceans of Slumber for even attempting an album like this. I suppose only time will tell whether Starlight and Ash ends up being a transitional record or a one-off experiment, but what we received in the meantime is quite the compelling experience. Even if you've been disappointed with the group's past efforts, I still suggest giving this one a try; it might just convert you.

It is a delight to see a band on the rise, to watch as a band ascends to their throne. I've been watching the dawn of Oceans of Slumber for several years now, and I suspect that their reign over the metal scene is only just beginning. Their new album Starlight and Ash is releasing on July 22nd through Century Media.

Oceans of Slumber comes to us from Houston, Texas; and for the first time in the career, I think that really matters. The band has changed and morphed through the years, switching out personas and musicians. The current lineup is: Cammie Gilbert on vocals, Jessie Santos and Alexander Lucian on guitars, Semir Ozerkan on bass, Dobber Beverly on drums and piano, and Mat Aleman and keys.

Where do I even start with this record? I have long possessed an ideal for Oceans of Slumber, a vision of what they could and should be. Through the years, the band has slowly been inching towards that goal line; from dark, extremely technical metal to their most recent high on their 2020 eponymous album and its emotional, passionate melodic metal. Yet, even with that masterpiece, a part of me still wanted them to keep pushing.

Starlight and Ash is the realization of what Oceans of Slumber has always been. On this record, the band explores a deeply southern Gothic metal with all the trappings. When I say "southern", I do in fact mean that the band allows themselves some twang, specifically the salty air variety from southern Texas. The twang is less country and more classic rock and blues, if you ask me. But there is another side to this record, too. I hear two distinctly southern traditions, and the second is a deeper, darker New Orleans sort of sound: swamps, voodoo, and all. Cammie, at one time, was working on a project with that focus; I'm not sure what became of that, but the theme has shown up here. I appreciate that, and will savor here every bit of beauty and ruin, creation and destruction, harmony and tumult.

What does that mean for their overall sound? Oceans of Slumber is still a metal band and they still have plenty of heavier, riffier moments. However, this album is much more reserved and evocative than their past creations. Some of the songs are slower, lingering with pride on the gravy drippings of Cammie's emotional voice and perfect delivery. In fact, I would say that this album has some of the best choruses and vocal lines in general that the band has every conceived. This album gorges itself upon every luscious note, every enrapturing melody, every entrancing song.

What we get is an album that is heavy, not only in the typical metal way, but also lyrically, spiritually, and emotionally. It hangs and hovers with such passion, suggesting that the band is finally at ease with who they are. Yes, this album flows more naturally than any that came before, and the release of that tension leads us down many savory paths that could only be discovered here and now. This results in a palpable potency in each and every track.

Starlight and Ash has eleven songs, and I love every single one. The first four tracks are impressive right away on first listen, and I feel like the rest get better with age. "The Waters Rising" starts the album with such a delicious tempo that I knew I was in for something special; I love the heaviness of the guitars on this track. "Hearts of Stone" is even better with its stuttering main riff and explosive second half; Cammie's vocals here are stunning. "The Lighthouse" is a sauntering sort of ballad with southern air in its lungs?I really like the bluesy tempo of the chorus and the subtle guitar touches throughout. "Red Forest Roads" might be my favorite on the album. It is possibly the heaviest song overall, or at least fastest, but only in the second half. The song takes its time, giving us plenty of time to savor and relish before it launches into a superb new chorus that is simply infectious. It is an arresting song that you won't soon forget.

I really need to mention each and every track on this one; I can't help myself. I always look forward to the echoing, juicy ballad "The Hanging Tree", which also has some of my favorite lyrics on the album. "Salvation" is just as good with slow-burning religion, including the baritone backing vocals that come in near the end. "Star Altar" is something of an abstract and off-kilter song with some seriously expressive vocals. "The Spring of 21" is a piano piece from Dobber, who typically offers one such track on each album; I think this might be his best yet with how layered and sensitive it is.

The final three tracks are all winners, too. "Just a Day" is the longest track on the record, and it leads directly in from "The Spring of 21" with Dobber's gorgeous piano. In fact, this song feels very much like a love song between Cammie and Dobber, from the vulnerable lyrics to the illustrious atmosphere. It gets going with dark riffs and an upbeat temp eventually, and the whole thing just feels doomy and fresh at the same time. "House of the Rising Sun" is a cover of the legendary folk song, and, as much as I normally hate covers, this band has earned my trust through both this song and their previous cover of Type O Negative's "Wolf Moon". They really make this one their own, injecting a haunting, evocative aura into it, and Cammie emotes and annunciates in riveting fashion. Finally, "The Shipbuilder's Son" closes the record with power; I love how it transitions into a theatrical vocal musing in the middle before exploding one last time.

Oceans of Slumber, in my view, are finally living up to their dreamy name. This album has all the darkness, macabre, and gothic tones you could want, but also rich, detailed, storied character and warmth worthy of the region they call home. It just makes you want to mine every depth of this record and sing along to every painstaking moment. Starlight and Ash, indeed.

Generally speaking, the album lives off two types of songs. One the one hand, there are the doomy progressive epics that we have come to expect from Oceans of Slumber: multi-faceted mammoths that go through several different parts and tempos, and combine furious death/doom moments with deep growls, blast beats and heavy riffs, with more delicate, acoustic passages with clean vocals. Unfortunately, I feel the juxtaposition of styles is not as smooth as it could be. For example, one trick the band uses often to switch between styles is to simply stop playing and then continue with a different section after a short break. This strikes me as somewhat lazy songwriting. Most importantly, it leaves the impression that these longer compositions are more a disjointed patchwork of influences than coherent, well-constructed pieces of music. This impression is accentuated by the fact that the contrast between the melodic parts and the doom/death moments is quite stark, especially because Oceans of Slumber still retain a very raw and heavy doom/death sound, which is hard to amalgamate with the more atmospheric/progressive influences.

The other type of songs present on "Oceans of Slumber" is perhaps where the band shows the more decisive evolution relative to their previous albums. Tracks like "A Return to the Earth Below", "To the Sea", and "The Colors of Grace" are more concise, ballad-like songs where the music is more linear and accessible and vocalist Cammie Gilbert only relies on her magnificent clean voice. I will never complain about anything that gives Cammie's amazing clean vocals more space, but nevertheless these songs strike me as somewhat oversimplified in terms of structure and songwriting, to the point of risking to fall flat occasionally. Take for example "The Colors of Grace", which features a duet with Antimatter's singer Mick Moss. When I read that Moss was due to feature on "Oceans of Slumber", I was quite excited at the prospect of hearing his deep, dramatic voice mingled with Cammie's majestic singing. But the vocal lines on "The Colors of Grace" are actually so flat and unremarkable that all my anticipation was quickly put to rest as soon as I listened to the track. In fact, sadly "The Colors of Grace" could just be one of the less interesting songs on the album.

My review has been quite critical so far, but that's not because I don't think that "Oceans of Slumber" is a good album. To the contrary, there are many things I like on this record. Cammie's voice is truly excellent - one of the best in metal -, and there are many vocal melodies that are simply a joy to listen to. The album also features some great drumming by Dobber Beverly and some dark, dramatic atmospheres that are captivating and interesting. The guitar work is perhaps a tad unremarkable and in the background, which is surprising considering the presence of two guitarists. But overall there are many parts of the album that I truly enjoyed, especially on tracks like "A Return to the Earth Below", "The Adorned Fathomless Creation", and the beautifully slow doom of the "The Red Flower". Type O Negative's cover of "Wolf Moon" is also a very tasty add-on, Ocean of Slumber's rendition being almost superior to the original.

But simply put, for an album running well over the 60 minutes mark, there are just not enough moments of brilliance to keep me entertained for the whole duration. The longer tracks are a bit unfocused and would benefit from some fat trimming and a more careful and considerate balancing of the different influences. The shorter songs suffer from the opposite problem: there's not enough "meat" to make them interesting beyond the instant likeability factor of Cammie's clean voice. Perhaps the turbulent times that preceded the writing of the album (the band changed two guitarists and the bass player between this and the previous album) have something to do with the somewhat tentative songwriting and lack of a more decided evolution towards new sonic territories. But I have to say that, in light of my expectations and the progression shown on their previous records, the album leaves me a bit worried about the future of the band.

---- Oceans of Slumber are an up-and-coming American progressive doom metal act known for infusing their sound with a healthy dose of Southern United States soul courtesy of female and Texas-raised lead singer Cammie Gilbert. Between the band's previous effort, The Banished Heart in 2018, and this year's eponymous release, nearly every member of the group had departed with the exception of Cammie and her partner, band founder, and drummer Dobber Beverly. With Cammie and Dobber firmly in creative control, Oceans of Slumber delivers a very focused and an arguably less riff-heavy variation on their previous sound.

The record kicks off with obvious Opeth inspired, though definitely not derivative, folksy and haunting acoustic guitar infused songs. As the album progresses, it traverses southern rock, death metal, symphonic, and doom metal territory. The primary focus of the album is, of course, Cammie's vocal work and her lyrics detailing her struggles, specifically the specific kinds of alienation she feels from American society at large.

The music on this record can often be very challenging, for better or worse. On a personal level, I find the doomier portions to be somewhat tedious, 'The Red Flower' being the most extreme example of this. Still these guys are one of the more unique acts in progressive metal today and this record deserves your attention.