Oceano – Depths
Chicago’s OCEANO creates some of the most brutal metal that pushes the limits of extreme, and their 2009 Earache Records debut, Depths, already delivers the knockout punch with such a mastered force!! Maximum headbangs can be found here, and OCEANO’s brand of deathcore sticks out in many ways that make them special. Do not call OCEANO generic deathcore, because we’ll show you why… With the raw power and strength of the music, OCEANO’s delivery is superb with the low ended tritone breakdowns, irresistible layers of melody, commanding vocals, and drummer Daniel’s technicality and ability to make every attack its strongest. Plus, the band adds elements of death metal and shows some hints of progression.
OCEANO opens Depths with the intro “Descent”, which sets up the beast to be let out at full force with “Inhuman Affliction”. The opening tritone breakdowns OCEANO takes are from the depths of hell, and the band mixes both dissonant chords with the chugs of death that we all have some kind of guilty pleasure for – and they pull it off well. Soon, OCEANO is off to the races, and high rasps go with the flow of it all. They sure keep the listener in tact, for a massive breakdown turns into *party time* where OCEANO takes on some strong melody that’s brilliantly counter attacked with extreme guitar tones. The song closes almost as if a clock is ticking down to your doom with the double bass, and the brutality just slays the listener.
Getting further into Depths, the almighty OCEANO blasts into “Samael The Destroyer”, giving us the instant headbang in a very catchy structure. Add on vocalist Adam’s deep guttural growls and OCEANO is ready to destroy. Destroy they do, and the pace begins to pick up while innovating with the low end. Their structures are unbreakable, and “Samael The Destroyer” creates this huge wall of sound as each breakdown takes form of a different direction. The outro gives soaring melodies to accompany the anthem, and gives a nice breather from all the brutality just experienced.
Another great song to take note of is their newest single, “District Of Misery”. The song gets straight to business with a massive breakdown, which then breaks out into much more. The verses blast away with both tritone breakdowns and harmonies from hell, and once again OCEANO very effectively layers their brutality, this time with a set of ringing high notes. Coming up, we have a guitar solo that matches the integrity of the sound, which is then blasted away by more unfiltered brutality.
Depths closes with the song “Abysm” and let me tell you, that’s the jam right there! Much like The Acacia Strain’s Continent closing on a jam, OCEANO explores that same area and gives the mood such a deep feeling. Beginning with fretboard tapping layered with a brutal and obscure structure, “Abysm” breaks out into even more. The band lets their music enter you with a constant and commanding extreme guitar tones layered with shimmering riffs. “Abysm” is such a stunning way to countdown the end of Depths. Possibly a new musical direction, but positively shows OCEANO’s versatility.
What really impresses me throughout the whole CD is OCEANO’s ability to keep it brutal as ever, no matter the tempo changes. And keep in mind that drummer Daniel is drumming his ass off the entire time. These guys are straight up representing, bro. And boy, do they back up their brutality when playing live!! OCEANO is a killer band all around whose hype has been increasing fast, and I believe they are soon to be one of the scene’s top. Let’s hope these depths get even deeper!!…
Rating: 7/10
Label: Earache Records
Website: http://www.myspace.com/xoceano
By Alex Gilbert
(+46 rating, 22 votes)
Shit band.
god didn’t give AIDS to the world because of faggots, he gave it to us because people like fucking terrible bands like this
fag
I hate how just because a band plays breakdowns or happens to a have a t-shirt or something on sale at Hot Topic people automatically start hating on them. You people are fucking retarded.
This is one one of the most brutal cd’s around and it’s definitely one of my favorite albums of this year so far alongside the new Impending Doom, Fondlecorpse, Kreator, Mastodon and Napalm Death. Also looking forward to new Despised Icon, Suicide Silence, Devildriver, Behemoth, JFAC, Anaal Nathrakh, Clutch, Craft, Engorged, Cannabis Corpse, Goatwhore, Born of Osiris, Necrophagist, Isis and Old Man’s Child.
Judge bands by their music and not by what their fans do in the pit when they play live you fucking ignorant elitist cock sucking retards
make metal not war. maybe there are just too many metalheads that go to this site. any hardcore kid would give it the respect it derserves. sorry its not thrash enough and sorry if some of you think it could be called “blackchapel” they are just a simlare style.
hey u
whens the next show u goin to?
crowdsurfandshitonyou wrote:
make metal not war. maybe there are just too many metalheads that go to this site. any hardcore kid would give it the respect it derserves. sorry its not thrash enough and sorry if some of you think it could be called “blackchapel” they are just a simlare style.
May 19th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
crowdsurfandshitonyou, please stop using that link, for it is not yours, because I own it. No sweat, and thanks for spreading the word. And yeah, for the internet haters btw, I wrote this Oceano review and can honestly say I like them. Rad dudes too. Bye.
hey fucking hating bloggers of smnnews haha!!! For starters I LOVE this site and have been using it for t he past four years. And two Oceano, is an incredibly talented band. Sorry headbangers, this one is not for you… this shit is strictly hardcore. kudos to crowdsurfandshitonyou
OMFG and drummer… the drummer… the drummer… hey metalheads…… here is a big FUCK U cus I have not heard stuff like that in months!
First: I’m pretty sure this isn’t “hardcore” nor would anyone who actually listens to hardcore give this shit band the respect it “deserves”. Get your musical genres straight.
Second: Yes, they are “rad dudes” as you say. Too bad every time Andy tells me to buy his cd, i tell him no lol
Jesus, could use you use the word “brutal” more? This band is a copy of a copy of a copy. Nothing original, innovative, or even interesting about them or the music. But asshole scene kids eat it up, so it gets coverage. I’ll be generous and give them a year, maybe a year and a half, before they disappear. It can’t come soon enough.
“Judge bands by their music and not by what their fans do in the pit when they play live you fucking ignorant elitist cock sucking retards”
That’s exactly what I do you fucking inept faggot.
And to J-rod, I hope someone smashes your fucking teeth out with a bat, this shit is not hardcore, nowhere near it. Learn your fucking genres you piece of shit.
@B-dizzle
I’m not calling you out personally on how you judge music but thats what it seems like to me judging by all the comments i see on sites like these and the people i talk to and overhear at concerts. All this petty metal infighting does nothing but piss me off.
they arent bad
i enjoy them but they arent my fav you dig?
can everyone stop the hating on them?
those who hate dont realise it gives them more popularity…
and those who love em, well good, they arent bad
and please stop using the word brutal for everything
and ‘fag’
pick something else you homophobes
or ill have to tie you up and give you a good licking
in the literal sense
Is this the first review that Alex Gilbert has ever written? Because until he learns to contain his fanboy superlatives “the almighty Oceano” no one is going to be able to take his reviews seriously.
And I’m not your bro, bro.
this band is sooo terrible, imagine whitechapel, but ripped off, in a similar way to Emmure ripped off The Acacia Strain