Ascendants
Oceano
•
April 6, 2015

Boasting a hefty fan following and a profoundly Industrial punch to their sonic assault, Chicago Deathcore giants OCEANO have completed their fourth studio album entitled "Ascendants" which was released in March of 2015. Though the band has a reputation for being a revolving door for musicians in the lineup, their current form seems to work well for them as this beast of an album hints at a synergy the members have achieved in order to complete such a demanding effort. In the realm with other Deathcore bands such as I DECLARE WAR, THE ACACIA STRAIN, and CARNIFEX, this quartet has established themselves as a force to be reckoned with and one that has pioneered its own path, using only influences as a basis for their music.
While he's no Phil Bozeman, the general sense of Adam Warren's vocals is along the same lines, using high and deep growls and screams to portray an almost demonic sound which adds to the violence of OCEANO's musical style present in past albums as well as "Ascendants". Some voices in the Metal community have likened this album to someone holding a box of breakdowns who then fell down the stairs. However comical, it is fairly accurate to describe it in that manner. Each song is very connected by breakdowns and there are only tempo changes for short periods of time. Blast beats anyone? You will find them sprinkled across the album in perfectly placed spots, like pepper amidst a saucerful of salt.
Each instrumental component seems to fervently adhere to each specific assignment throughout the span of listening time. No note or stroke of the strings seems forced or lingers too long or comes out off key. There's even the occasional palm-muted djent which adds some flavor to the breaking beat. Just as demanding are the percussions, for which the operator likely gets a workout during each playthrough. I liked the clear cut recording across the album and each channel and frequency comes through loud (I mean very loud) and clear.
It is safe to say that however much like THE ACACIA STRAIN they may sound, OCEANO have developed a formula that is distinct and it seems to work for them. They have broken onto the heatseeker charts with previous albums and with such an example as "Ascendants", have continued to produce an especially brutal punch that is favored by the ears of many.
7 / 10
Good

"Ascendants" Track-listing:
1. Nephilim
2. Transient Gateways
3. The World Engine
4. Dead Planet
5. The Taken
6. Dawn of Descent
7. The Dulce Incident
8. Arc of Creation
9. External Existence
Oceano Lineup:
Adam Warren - Vocals
Scott Smith - Guitars
Michael Kasper - Guitars
Chris Wagner - Bass
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