I first got to know this band from their "Aeolian" album back in 2005 or 2006 (I can't really remember right now). Even if I was a bit suspicious at first since their logo and cover seemed to "mastodonic" to me, the guys knocked me out with their weird and exceptional music and managed to become a regular member of my CD player. Let's see if "Heliocentric" will be as good...

The German act, which has actually ceased being German since the band's base has moved to Le-Chaux-De-Fonds with four of the members being Swiss (only Staps still stays in Berlin), is back with one more weird and experimental - yet always Metal - album through Metal Blade, the label that has been THE OCEAN's home for some years now. What differences are there in the band's sound?

First of all, THE OCEAN have stopped being as aggressive as they were in the past. Their Post and Progressive influences have taken over their Metal ones, making "Heliocentric" something like a trippy psychedelic opera, featuring elements from the Post Hardcore scene, up to the old psychedelic Rock bands! What has helped the band in this hard task (although it may seem like a negative thing in the eyes of many) is the replacement of Nico Webers, who joined WAR FROM A HARLOTS MOUTH. The band's new singer Loic Rossetti had a difficult challenge to face, but as it seems he passed the test with excellent grades, since he almost dramatic performance in "Heliocentric" will surely please fans of the band. By the way, the brutal vocals are almost extinct in here, so don't expect much...

One more thing that really helps the band here is the production that has elevated
THE OCEAN's music high into the sky with a great balance between heaviness and a magical approach towards the "acoustic" sounds like some piano melodies and some strings that have been used here and there. If you listen to "Epiphany" and manage to stay landed on planet Earth then you have my respect.