Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
Metal Blade, 2018
8/10
Listen to Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
A long running prog-metal outfit from Berlin who clearly have no interest in doing anything conventional, The Ocean Collective return with a 7th album, where each track references a period of the Paleozoic era.
“The Cambrian Explosion” starts the listen with plenty of atmosphere as mood is key during the ominous, almost dirge like setting that’s piano and synth driven, and leads straight into the intense, thundering “Cambrian II: Eternal Recurrence” which pounds with a thick presence as harrowing, gravelly vocals enter along with more tuneful backing vocals for a post-hardcore explosion that’s not short on guitars.
Further on, “Silurian: Age Of Sea Scorpions” brings both melody and abrasiveness to a dynamic, bristling album highlight which benefits greatly from calmer moments before the calculated fury that even recruits horns, while “Devonian: Nascent” spends 11 minutes with strings where elegance builds into more forceful ideas that embrace post-rock, as well as metallic flourishes that’s guided by vocals from Jonas Renkse.
“Permian: The Great Dying” exits the listen with precise interplay between the instruments- including a cello- as the song thematically surrounds 95% of life on earth ending, as clean vocals and a chunky execution of prog sensibilities highlights the heaviness.
A very innovative listen that’s both pretty yet intimidating, the exceptional layering and very stern approach to detail make this a standout in the area of post-metal with progressive songwriting that few could replicate.
Travels well with: Katatonia- City Burials; Neurosis- Souls At Zero