Band: The Ocean
Title: Fluxion
Label: Pelagic Records
Distribution: SPV
Release date: 12/05/2009
Review: CD

Pelagic Records is a new German label (Berlin), closely related to The Ocean (co-owned by only original / remaining member Robin Staps), that will concentrate on a wide and open-minded scala of musical challenges and inspirations. More concrete (hihi) this means that the label will release material from bands out of different genres, both Metal and non-Metal based.
The first official release is a re-release of The Ocean’s 2004-album Fluxion, which was recorded at the same time as Aeolian (the intention was to release both albums as a conceptual package), yet because the band wasn’t pleased with the final result, they decided to re-release it with some new elements: new vocals (by Mike Pilat), and a re-mix and re-mastering (by Julien Fehlmann, who was also responsible for, for example, the great sound on Kruger’s Redemption …-album). For almost an hour, the album brings a mixture of different musical styles, incorporating different instruments and vocals, and injecting the whole with a wide gamma of atmospheres. This needs some additional explanation, of course.
The different musical styles are mainly Metal based. Narrowly it’s especially ‘Sludge’, yet it’s more than that. Sludge indeed is the main basic of The Ocean’s Fluxion- album, and with an open-minded view you might compare it to, let’s say, Neurosis, Isis and Mastodon, I guess. But the band also incorporates other elements from for example Industrial (Metal) and so-called Psycho-Grind (think Scorn or Godflesh, or comparable Corporate Rock-stuff), and the fusion sometimes is jazzy, then psychedelic, then purely Metal again. And in a shocking way I can’t ignore a subtle hint of Death, Doom and Black Metal too!
The instrumental and vocal approach is pretty refreshing too. Besides a groovy and sludgy core, the album includes acoustic, psychedelic and atmospheric elements, and the whole package is rather progressive and avant-garde. The newly recorded vocals are mainly rough, yet perfectly fitting to the metallic Sludgecore of this collective, with some melodic and harmonious parts.
When it comes to ‘atmosphere’, well, it’s all built upon weird yet dark intentions. In case David Lynch or Stanley Kubrick wanted a Metal formation to take care of one of their soundtracks, I’m pretty sure they would contact The Ocean to accompany their visuals. It says it all, doesn’t it?!
Fluxion is experimental, but not one single moment (sorry, except for a few short moments, but that’s my personal subjective impression) I reach a dangerous level of allergy, because this experimental approach isn’t exaggerated, neither it is over the top or over-produced. On the contrary, I’m almost happy with this result!

88/100

Ivan Tibos.