The Ocean
Aeolian

THE REVIEW

I had left The Ocean (collective) with the review of Fluxion and the promise to write one for Aeolian. So let's skip the niceties (if you're interested, you can find them in the Fluxion review) and get straight to the point.

The two CDs were made (written/recorded/produced) simultaneously in 2004. Therefore, we can't really talk about evolution. If anything, the two CDs can be thought of as two twins, with the same origins but different lives and experiences.

Fluxion was atmospheric, symphonic, powerful, destructive, and progressive. Aeolian is still progressive, but it focuses on a stronger and more direct potential: the orchestrations are replaced with massive rhythmic interplays that make the most of the two guitars and the rhythm section itself. Songs of 7, 10 minutes that flow like magic: there's no heaviness, no search for style for its own sake, no pompous suites. The progression of the arrangements is so natural that it feels supernatural. And that is no small feat.
Just like in Fluxion, where the orchestrations dominate and sometimes give way to destructive riffs, in Aeolian, occasionally, environmental and slightly orchestral motifs appear: harmonies of magnificent impact stand out against the spectacular walls of sound recreated by the band, always fitting into the same magical formula for the entire album.

These The Ocean are one of the best new entries in the recent post-hardcore/sludge/alternative metal scene. They have shown the whole world how to create something grand without falling into self-celebration; they have been able to paint pictures of rare effectiveness and lethal beauty. Eh, what a pain! Always beauty. Damn, there is so much beauty to sell here!