Featuring members of Defeatist, Biolich and Copremesis, the bloodlines of Castevet (not to be confused with the punk/indie band from Chicago, though they look similar in appearance) are a bit of an eyebrow raiser, but with Profound Lore and Marston involved, you know it is bound to be good, and you kind of have an idea as to the sound; shimmery, jangly, post rock injected black metal that’s distinctly ‘American’ sounding. Rather than rely on traditional tremolo picked riffs and frosty atmospheres, Castevet, like many of their US peers play the template laid down by Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room ― they are a bit more ambient , languid and well grey, relying on  a damp, controlled, organic sound that’s a bit off kilter and discordant, but still elegant and natural.

With titles like “Wreathed in Smoke”, “Grey Matter”, “Stones” and “Harvester”, you know this isn’t church burning, Christ hating Satan spewing USBM, but squarely in the new trend of dare I say ‘hipster’ American Black metal, that frankly has more allure than yet another Immortal rip off. The generally lengthy songs jangle and shimmer with a double bass back bone and angular, contorted but beautiful layered guitar work. The vocals are rooted in a little more grindcore/hardcore /screamo, with a gruffer, gravelly edge than high pitched, piercing screams, but it all comes together for a rewarding, cathartic expression of art meeting extremity.

As with most albums of this type, it isn’t really about songs or catchy choruses but certainly strains of the enigmatically melodic standout “Stones” (with a closing section to die for), the brief but beautiful horn laced instrumental “Wreathed in Smoke” and the steady dirge of closer “Harvester” provide a mesmerizing last third act to the album. Not that the first part of the album is chopped liver, but it seems a little more jarring and caustic, but no less engaging thanks to tracks like “Grey Matter” and the opener  “Red Star Sans Chastity”.

Castevet are another excellent addition to the short haired, bearded, sweaters and glasses clad US black metal scene and another CD made of win from Profound Lore Records.

Counting Our Stars Final Track Listing
1. In A Cage
2. Counting Our Scars
3. Ready To Bleed
4. This Broken Halo
5. The Moment Is Gone
6. Uneven Numbers
7. Dead Ends
8. Leeching Life

9. A Crippling Heritage

Counting Our Scars will be released via Pulverised Records later this year. Official street date TBA.
DESULTORY:
Klas Morberg – Vocals, Guitars
Håkan Morberg – Guitars
Johan Bolin – Bass

Thomas Johnson – Drums

http://www.myspace.com/desultoryofficial

http://www.pulverised.net

Main songwriter/lyricist Eric Hersemann offers his comments:

“Signing with Willowtip marks a new era within the GIGAN Universe! Willowtip has the right idea when it comes to Metal and they understand and support the lofty creative goals I have with GIGAN. With all the hard work and touring the band has done over the past two years in support of The Order of the False Eye, GIGAN is definitely ready to overtake the mortal universe with our next offering! I have taken extra time to craft a mesmerizing work that pushes the boundaries of extreme music, songwriting and imagination. This is my best work to date and all of us in GIGAN look forward to another run of tours to showcase this new vision!” 

GIGAN will be hitting the road again in late Winter/early Spring 2011. Tour dates as well as the official street date and cover art will be released in the coming months.

Lets start on the positive side of things here. Musically, Sadistic Crown is brimming with tight performances, hooky, memorable riffs, molten solos and bruising kit work. Their style is that of thrash infused modern death metal, with a sprinkling of melody and hardcore. Now, I wouldn’t go as far to call them metalcore, as the hardcore elements and breakdowns feel much more natural than that of your standard core acts making the rounds. “My Wrath Will Follow You”, “Rot and Decay” and thrashing closer “Hell Dust Impulse” are proof positive of this.

Vocally, Jeff Linstead delivers a performance throughout that falls somewhere between the likes of Phil Anselmo (not another one), Lamb of God‘s Randy Blythe, and Hatebreed‘s Jamey Jasta – three vocalists who seem to be endlessly imitated these days. He performs admirably in this style I suppose, but seems to be mismatched by the talent of his bandmates. The music calls for something a bit more powerful and unique, with perhaps a bit more variety and range.

Absolve are nothing to get to worked up about yet, but are certainly a band I’ll be keeping an eye on in the future.

James: [Mäax was] born out of another extreme metal band (Dyngyr). The drummer, bassist and only guitarist out of that band moved on due to a clash of everything.  Started out as more of a straight forward black and roll sound, but then eventually incorporating more of a rocking, thrashing sound. Our influences are Motley Crue, Motorhead, Megadeth, Metallica, etc.

What were your intentions musically when forming Mäax?

James: We were wanting to go for a more straight, more black metal sound, and wanting to also slow the f**k down and have more fun, and not worrying about being technical. Examples of bands that influence[d] us at the time were bands like Khold, Craft, the newer Satyricon, etc.

Your debut, Dawnbringer, was pretty much straight-out black metal, and you covered Celtic Frost’s “Dethroned Emperor.”  Why did you choose that song for the album?

James: We really [saw] Celtic Frost as major influence and it was really easy to learn.

According to the liner notes, Dawnbringer was written in 2007 but not released until 2009.  What was the reason for the delay?

James: Well, the delay was due to us signing with a label out of Canada (Abhore Records). That label went under about a year later. So we went shopping for another label.

Moving onto newer material, Six Pack Witchcraft is more sleazy and drunken (in a good way) than Dawnbringer.  Why the stylistic switch between albums?

James: My guitarist (Kyle) was really into Motorhead at this time and I still was into the whole Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Ratt, Dokken, Dio, etc. style of metal/rock. I always come back to the early 80s metal. I’m almost 40 years old, so I grew up on that shit. To me the 80s had it going on better than any decade of metal, hands down!!!!!

Määx is working on a new album.  When can we expect to hear that one, and will it follow the same path you laid down with Six Pack Witchcraft?

James: Yes, for the most part, but even more so. A lot more straight up Guns N Roses and Crue shit, but with our twist on it. Just trying to have more fun. The whole stupid black metal elitist bullshit is totally retarded to us. Too damn serious. Chill the f**k out, man!

Brett: Unholy Rock and Roll is due to come out in October on Abyss Records. It is very much in the same vein as Six Pack, [but] a lot more influences shine through [in] the guitar riffing, bringing things back to the basics but still powerful. The overall feeling of the album is dirty, sleazy, and just gritty rock and roll. We still hold our roots in black metal, which shows in several songs, like “Overthrone”. Definitely an album to crank to the max and pound some beers to.

How did Määx get hooked up with Abyss Records?

James: Kyle contacted Abyss Records on Myspace. That’s basically it. We knew Dan (Ferguson, Abyss Records founder) from his record store in Indy, next to the Emerson Theatre. We bought a lot of black metal from that dude.

Do you have any touring plans in the near future?

Brett: Not playing the Michigan Death Fest, due to economical issues, as always. We were not getting paid this year. So we couldn’t take part. No touring planned at all or until we have a really good opportunity that comes our way. We all have families and the whole idea of dropping our jobs for little or no pay is not going to pay the bills.

What’s been your main influence for the band, musically or otherwise?

Brett: As I’m sure many would agree, the music scene can be very discouraging; going to shows that are supposed to “put all fests to shame” or are “the concert to end all concerts,” it takes a strong sense of determination and passion to keep on plowing through the tough times. My main influence for the band comes from something that is a greater thing inside myself that can’t be explained in any other words other than just “passion.” I couldn’t think of a life without playing music. As far as particular influences go, I’m big fan of Zakk Wylde. He is probably my biggest influence as a guitarist. He is undescribably talented and just an amazing and well rounded musician and person all together.

It seems that Määx has had its share of member problems, like most bands out there.  What’s been the most difficult part about maintaining a stable lineup?

Brett: You have to have the same drive inside your person in order to keep shit together. Priorities have to be in line and you have to focus on the direction that the music takes you. Finding the members with the same mindset and passion as we already have is a necessity and is quite the task to accomplish.

What are the madmen of Maax listening to these days?

Brett: A whole spectrum of things; I have Celtic Frost and Watain on the same playlist as Dio, Def Leppard, and the Scorpions. A touch of Ratt and a lot of Black Label Society, that’s what makes up a chunk of my daily jams.

James: Anything Megadeth.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Brett:  Just want to thank you for the opportunity to tell you a bit about ourselves, it all is very much appreciated. Cheers motherfuckers!

http://www.myspace.com/maaxmetal

Since news on Nergal’s recent health issues has been released, the band, management, and label has received an overwhelming response from fans and bands all over the world asking how they can directly help Nergal. In response to everyone offering his or her help in terms of setting up benefits and shows to raise money for the frontman of the Polish blackened death metal band BEHEMOTH, Nergal has issued the following statement:

“I haven’t intended to manifest myself in any way and, especially at this stage, to share my feelings or any other news with the world for obvious reasons. It is simply too early for it. But it was YOU who provoked me to say a few words. Regarding my personal low opinion of humankind, I’m shocked by the reaction to my illness. I actually expected NOTHING yet received feedback which surpassed all expectations. I want to ensure you I read EACH mail I receive, although I’m unable to reply to all of them. The power of your words is pure magic and I thank you all for it. You are a gigantic indestructible army that truly inspires me in this difficult time. The fact is that a fight with this illness is going to last for many months. Most of this time I will spend in hospital and I will go through various psychophysical states. If you know the history of Behemoth you also know we achieved everything by hard work and a steely determination. The same goes for my private life. I happen to be a strong son of a bitch. I have no faith but rely on a 100% victory and I am sure I will get out of it stronger than ever. Sun Tzu in his ‘Art of War’ said that if you know your enemy and yourself the result of a thousand battles will not surprise you… I enter the ring with this Nietzschean attitude and I will leave it as a winner, as usual. Just watch and see!

So I want to emphasize that Behemoth will by no means goes through any hibernation state. Obviously all concert plans must be postponed until some unknown point in the future, but things are happening! Lately our newest video for ‘…Alas, Lord is Upon Me’ has premiered and stirred up quite a storm in mass media, which fills us with utter pride. Plus we’ve just finished the project of our new DVD; Evangelia Heretika is a three disc release, a real encyclopedia of Behemoth with nearly 5 hours of material and a bonus audio CD that will be out in November (Metal Blade US – Nuclear Blast Europe). Expect an experience of visual madness as we went to hell and back to make it! Our official Webstore has been functional for a couple of days and official merchandise and some very exclusive stuff can be bought there. At the beginning of 2011, Peaceville in Europe and Metal Blade in US will reissue the EPs with new artwork, bonuses, liner notes, and more. As you can see, despite a complicated situation and difficult circumstances we’re remaining active wherever we can.

Finally, I want to comment on some opinions which, provoked by religious circles, lead to far-fetched and inaccurate interpretations. I was surprised to hear my illness became a pretext for some people to embark on their own crusade. Opinions suggesting I might come closer to God or abandon my ideals and grovel to the only correct world view in this country not only surprised but also frightened me. This is a typical example of supporting one’s own views by preying on someone’s misfortune. ‘He fell ill so he will convert to Christianity, he will discover the religion he fought against is actually close to him.’ Halt! Why should the illness change my point of view? It is true this is a difficult time for me and the thoughts of ultimate matters are hard to chase away. But the idea that I will change my opinions, priorities, and values as a consequence of my illness sounds as if someone regards my head, and not my body, ill. Suggesting I might convert are ridiculous. To what would I convert? After all, I know Christian mythology pretty well, not only in its literary version, and I find nothing good, creative or beautiful in it. I read books better and wiser than the Bible. War, blood, blackmail, rapes, incest, pedophilia, zoophilia, collaboration and treachery – each page emanates with evil. Some may say I don’t understand the message of the Bible. I’d rather say the Christianity is nothing more than a rusty and archaic structure that is going to fall down any moment. It lasts only because of the gullible that follow the shepherd blindly; without any questions, without any consideration, not to any promised land, but to an intellectual slaughter. So, I say to those, who see some chances to break my rules, and myself because of the illness: over my dead body!”

Nergal’s official view on benefit concerts, fund raisers, etc. is focused on marrow donations as a whole issue, not his specific situation. If you want to help Nergal the best thing you can do is set up a marrow drive or register to be a bone marrow donor. Every person that registers to be a donor increases the chances of survival for Nergal and every other person out there suffering from the same illness.

To learn more about how you can register to donate marrow check out:
http://www.marrow.org/

Fans wanting to help out, register for the marrow program, or have questions on running a marrow drive may contact the organization Music Saves Lives by email at iCare@musicsaveslives.com or visit Music Saves Lives at http://www.musicsaveslives.org/

http://www.behemoth.pl
http://www.myspace.com/behemoth
http://www.facebook.com/behemoth
http://www.youtube.com/user/Behemothofficial

“I am officially confirming that Billy Milano has joined MASTERY as a full time member,” commented guitarist and founder Markus Armellini. “Having Billy Milano sing for MASTERY is driving the band in a new direction and to a new level of performance.” 

MASTERY has entered Studio 57 in Austin, Texas with producer/ engineer Tim Gerron and begun recording their debut album which should see the light of day in early 2011. The band is currently streaming a new song online at www.myspace.com/masterymetal. 

MASTERY’s debut album, “Lethal Legacy”, was released through Corporate Punishment Records. The album was drew critical acclaim from Metal Maniacs who proclaimed, “While ‘Lethal Legacy’ pays homage to the classic thrash of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s with nods to Testament, Forbidden, Vio-lence and Metallica, it doesn’t sound as if the band are pinning for the glory days.” Decibel Magazine also loves Mastery’s brand of instrumental thrash, as they gave the band a whopping 9/10 and called them, “Mastery of Puppets”.

 MASTERY is: 

Billy Milano – Vocals
Markus Armellini – Guitars
Tim Casterline – Bass
Mike Harshaw – Drums

With their second album on a different label they really haven’t changed their sound. They present us with another hatred fueled slab of grindcore insanity. These guys know how to go for the throat and tear open our jugulars (literally) leaving us to bathe and choke in our own blood. Seriously, I haven’t been this afraid in awhile.

From the opening blasts of “Teeth & Hair”, “Cloven” (recalling bands such as Napalm Death and Kill the Client) with their maniacal vocal onslaught and raging guitar work to the wretched and downright frightening “Gold Frankincense & Myth” that seriously plays with one’s ears. For its four and a half minute duration this song is beyond fucked up. Instantly bringing to mind Crowpath with the way they seamlessly go from sludge to chaotic grind and back again. The rest of the album tears through in a blink of an eye, that is until one listens to album closer “Remove the Light.” Its starts out with their normal grind approach but then an almost drone kind of feels sets in. A woman starts talking and it seems like she is talking to a crying baby but in a more psychotic manner. Eventually the pace quickens with a nasty blast beat and as the music fades we are left with a dirty taste in our mouths and an urge to hit the play button again.

The most refreshing thing I love about bands that play this style of grind is that the production isn’t crystal clear. Everything sounds dirty and disgusting and that’s the way it should sound. Seriously though if your looking for some good tunes that will grind your head into dust then one definitely has to check these dudes out.

I know there are lots of NWOBHM influenced bands seemingly appearing out of thin air these days. But, don’t lump Colossus in with all the bullet-belt wearing 21 year-olds playing dress-up and pretending to be more metal than thou. These guys play with heart and sincerity while still maintaining a fun attitude. I mean, how serious can you be with lyrics like “Man-flesh between my jaws…” (from track number five “Wendigo”) or “Burn the brain, make them stay down” (from the fist-raising, zombie-vanquishing “Kill More Better”). Galloping, harmonized guitars, head-banging tempos, ripping solos, clear vocals and fantasy lyrics…somebody get me a beer! The five tracks here, those mentioned above as well as “The Mountain That Rides”, “A Year Later (There’s Still Meat Left In The Skull)”, and “The Operative” (a lyrical homage to the sci-fi series Firefly) are a full-on heavy metal good time!

If forced to complain, then its too short. Five songs isn’t enough. Colossus isn’t out to play the “stone-faced artist” routine. They’re honoring the spirit of metal, spreading blood, sweat & guitars! Fans of early Maiden, Witchkiller, Saxon & Thin Lizzy‘s heavier moments should be all over this. While a glance at their band picture calls to mind a gathering of hipster-doofi, Colossus is all metal, all the time. You can keep Enforcer, Black Tide and whatever other band is currently trying on the spike-wristed skin of the past, I wanna get Drunk on Blood!

Now, I’m not as thoroughly versed in my native country’s death metal classics as others (I tend to lean towards the Swedish side of death metal), but from what I can tell, these Belorussian death dealers seem to draw heavy influence from the late 80′s proto-death of Flordian variety. Death and Morbid Angel spring to mind instantly with relentless blasting and double bass battery (“Undercover Enslavement”, “For the Transient”, “Ghouls”, “Sharp”), semi-thrashing nasty riffing (opener “Rising Hate”, “Grind Peace”, “Stabbin’ With A Nail”, “The Killed”) and dry, raspy vocals that somewhat bring to mind Max Cavalera 20+ years ago.

There’s not much by way of variety here – this is pretty straightforward, high octane thrashing death metal – but “Mirror of Mors”, “Sharp”, and closer “The Ancient Dreamer” feature some interesting guitar bits that made my ears perk up. The songs mostly fall just under or just over the 2 minute mark, leaving it’s 12 tracks to just fly by before you really know what the hell just happened. Short and brutal, the way an album of this ilk should be.

Disgod may not be doing anything to re-write the genre of death metal, but Sanguine Scales is a competent debut worth checking out for fans of the style.

Three years on and 18.61 comes into being. Conceived in just a weekend, every riff, scream, beat and moment sounds utterly painful, frantic and perversely unsettling. The seething, monstrous metallic hardcore they are known for is completely shelved in favour of a dryer, rawer sound, drawing more eclectic, alien influencing forces (particularly from the noise made by Steve Albini with Big Black).

Initially, the brevity and the twisted nature of the songs were a bit of a disappointment, especially in light of the recent efforts of fellow 90s legends Integrity and Starkweather. However, the frantic energy, gutsy humane honesty and seething venom that dripped from every second kept me having to hit play another time, trying to decipher the madness. It lead me (be it with patience) to realise that if a listener can understand one thing from this album, it’s that man, not machine should be the focal point of musical catharsis.

That alone, doesn’t guarantee great albums though.

To put it simply, 18.61 is not an easy album to approach, the twisted, broken riffs that form each piece seem to lack cohesion, groove, but more so, purpose, as if they are flailing about wildly without any real intent. To subscribe to this perception though would be a gross misunderstanding, as this is often not the case and because of the burning essence of the four humans that make this twenty three minute mantra nigh on impossible to simply dismiss and label the album as a failure. Take a piece like “Reduced,” which forces the players to take control of the contorting madness, pushing them to surge furiously with a gritty Black Flag vigour and locking into a thrashing, relentless rhythm. Its perfection, is its mangled way of playing, seemingly out of sync, it is anything but, and is rather a clever, deceiving construction.

“Fallen Angel,” has a similar modus operandi, but is colored with haunting, almost bluesy breaks and shimmering stabs of feedback before coalescing to drive it into the introductory syrupy crawl of “Mannequins.”Drummer Mike Justin (formerly of Unearth and then The Red Chord) then takes lead here, beating his kit savagely to pick up the pace sporadically before it reverts back to its drawling, soulful grind.

Somewhat expectedly, 108 shift the gears again, with the album’s closer “Early Funeral,” a ghosting dirge that feels akin to what Converge were doing on You Fail Me,  with “In Her Shadow,” and the overall atmosphere of that album as a whole. Unveiling itself slowly, it’s lead by vocalist Robert Fish’s solemn utterances, whilst being backed by gentle, folk like strumming. Joni Mitchell it isn’t, but rather a final humane raise of the middle finger from the band to the world.

As Deathwish have continued to show over the past seven to eight years, great music doesn’t need to follow tradition, and it doesn’t need to conform to genre limitations to be recognized and revered. 108 embody this spirit emphatically and whilst at first 18.61 can pass you by as a mangled mess of jumbled noise, seemingly unworthy of repeat spins, it does with time not only make more sense but becomes a potent reminder that the essence of the human spirit should not be buried in layers and layers of studio trickery.

Fifteen years since the landmark release Rain without End, what can one expect from a band that calls itself October Tide when only one original member remains? Well, excellent melodic doom/death. Did you expect any less? The only conflict I have, and most old fans will, is the modernization of the sound in comparison to the previous albums. What we have here is sort of run of the mill as far as this style goes but it is obvious that Norrman’s talent and ideas are behind the music and it sets this above most recent doom releases. The seven tracks within A Thin Shell are quality. There is no denying that. However, comparing this album to Rain without End and Grey Dawn is not only inevitable, but it will be its’ downfall with some.

Recruiting the talents Tobias Netzell of In Mourning on vocals, drummer Robin Bergh previously of Amaran, and Jonas Kjellgren of Scar Symmetry and Carnal Forge on bass, this revamp comes with experience. Tobias’s vocal delivery is a standout feature on this album. His deep, deathly bellows, dominate this album with confidence and power. I’ve listened to In Mourning before but not until now did I realize how powerful of a vocalist he is.

Starting things off with “The Custodian of Science” the sense of isolation and depression sets in and won’t let go until you hit eject. Dominating chord structures and soaring harmonies surround this album with trippy mid-sections (Deplorable Request) that unravel over multiple encounters. The flow of the album is pretty remarkable. Each song flows off the last one excellently and helps to hold you in that grey limbo.

“Fragile,” is my favorite track. It’s demanding chord structure reminds me of Paradise Lost at times and as it pounds forward it gives a triumphant impression. This song also seems to have more to offer in dynamics. One thing that puzzles me with this album is just how simplistic some of it is. “Scorned,” is a crushing death/doom track if there ever was one but it’s so boring. To end the record with such a great riff and just play it out for over six minutes is somewhat laggard and lifeless. Maybe I’m missing the point but I can’t shake the feeling that this song in particular could have had so much more.

Ultimately, A Thin Shell will come off sounding like a Swallow the Sun record more than anything. This isn’t quite the breathtaking return that I was hoping for, yet it is a satisfying record that I’ll be spinning for sometime. It will be exciting to see what the future holds for October Tide. Let’s hope they churn out a few more records.

Hailing from Burlington, North Carolina, Natu Sabverata are bringing the Brutal back to death metal. Existing To Ensure Your Destruction is an abrasive listen at first, but the more I played it, the more I came to discover how real this band is. Enraged, face-grinding riffs, old-school death metal grooves and head-banging tempos, guttural vocals that are both beastly and decipherable, and enough lyrical blasphemy to make ol’ Uncle Glen raise his branded brow and say “Damn!”.

The riffing is quite catchy. I found myself air-guitaring and office-headbanging as I listened to it. The arrangements are varied enough as to make it a good listen from start to finish without getting boring. There’s nothing groundbreaking, mind you, but that’s far from the point here. “A Bastard’s Birth”, “SinEater”, “Servant To None” and “Whimper Of The Whipped Dog” are the cake-takers for me, but I honestly think this is a solid listen from beginning to end.

I have to say, this album was quite refreshing to hear. It’s not trying to be epic or symphonic. It doesn’t have the sterile, samey production a lot of metal seems to be drowning in these days. It’s about as far from scenester as you could get. Fans of Immolation, Deicide, and old Celtic Frost should get this record. In fact, fans of Job For A Bear Wrestling Valentine should get it too, so they can watch all their other CDs go up in flames when they listen to it.

From the shredding opener “The Cleansing”, it’s apparent that Allegaeon is a somewhat viable replacement for Arsis, seeing that they jumped the shark (in my humble opinion): Busy, frenetic, technical and melodic death metal full of impressive shreddage and fury. The break at 2:40 truly signals the promise of something very special brewing, and the rest of the album does not disappoint.

All five members can handle their instruments, notably guitarist Greg Burgess who is a classically trained with a degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music―he also spent five years as the guitar instructor at the Music Institute of Lexington―and it all shows in the many twistingly taught but melodic riffs and solos that fill each track.

All 10 tracks are armed with Dave Otero’s (Vale of Pnath, Martriden, Cephalic Carnage) expectedly tight production and some fierce drumming from Jordan Belfast (apparently a regularly featured drummer in Sick Drummer Magazine). Then there’s just a ridiculous amount of hooks and tight At the Gates styled blazing riffage―just check out the “The Renewal”―that never veers into Hot Topic core or in shallow imitation like some of their US Peers. In fact, the many solos and melodic injections are far from self-indulgent or overdone/noodly, keeping this far from a typical US based swede-core band, and much more in line with their classic Swedish brethren.

There are so many finger numbing moments of hi-octane metal shredding it’s hard to list them all. But certainly the aforementioned opener, 3:20 and on of “Biomech – Vals No. 666”, (with a closing acoustic section that allows Burgess to show off a bit), savage start to the album’s most brutal track, “From Seed to Throne”, and the entirety of 8-minute closing standout “Accelerated Evolution” are all certainly worthy of extra attention. While they are serviceable, the only really generic element are the standard melodeath vocals (mid-range scream, some growly lows).

I’d put these guy in the same category as other up and coming new acts like A Hill to Die Upon, Cormorant, Enfold Darkness, and the aforementioned Vale of Pnath (who share some traits with Allegaeon): Overlooked, non-trendy, non-core, quality American metal of shred-tastic proportions that should satiate listeners of melodic death metal until The Absence’s Enemy Unbound drops.

Thus the initial notion is that with 4 musicians that understand and know what they want to play would become yet another luminary in the growing masses of brutal metallic hardcore worldwide. Unfortunately, rather than an intense intermingling of musical philosophies, Cause for Revelation keep it strictly simply, choosing to go for a muscular hardcore pounding with injections of mid 90s metal, and which on the whole, keeps the death metal influences rather restrained.

After a rousing, epic intro, which sounds like a Zulu uprising, it feels that that a seismic beatdown is about to hit, as the intro dies down “Nothing to Gain,” lurches forth, buzzing promisingly, with plenty of furious riffing and pounding double bass, and then with each passing second the momentum descends before the track fizzles out stoutly with no killer blow to close it out. The title track also suffers the same fate, taking shape promisingly with a fat NYHC/Roots-era Sepultura riff but again fails to capitalize on that momentum and again, begins to fizzle out as each second passes.

It isn’t until the eighth track “My Own Fate,” that a little more weight and force comes forth, emphasised further with the following crusher “Carry the Weight,” leading with some classic Hatebreed-flavoured chugs circa “Satisfaction is the Death of Desire.” Problem is that this is the album’s penultimate track before succumbing to a moody “Outro,” which closes the disc.

What’s most frustrating about this album is the potential it hints. Perhaps Cause for Revelation should have shorn the best moments and focused this release as a five or six track mini CD to give them a grounding, and then continued focusing and building their ideas. Coupled with this is the severely competitive environment they find themselves in, and not just from their homeland, bands from all over the world are creating brilliantly brutal metallic hardcore, meaning that in order to compete, all the core constituents have to be maximized to full effect.

Despite the negative aspects pointed out here there is plenty of promise here. If Cause for Revelation can take this album as a foundation and use it to build their next set of compositions together with taking full advantage of each member’s background, then they’ll be capable of crafting something more vicious, exhilarating and most importantly, memorable.

This seven piece collective (plus a host of guest musicians) boasts your typical folk flare by way of synths, flutes, violins accordions, clean vocals and such. Rather than mimicking their Finnish/Scandinavian brethren, Aiumeen Basoa have an expected ethnic template that shows their geographical roots. There’s a definite melting pot element to it all (Middle Eastern, Northern European, Eastern European, Middle Eastern) and a more nationalist/pagan Russian black metal back bone that go with the legitimate historical Basque pride.

As varied as it is brilliant, Iraganeko Bide Malkartsutik displays a plethora of layers and influences too many to name. For example I hear Skyclad’s violin use, Orphaned Land’s progressive ethnicity, a hint of Lothlorien in the bouncy keyboards and Omnio-era In the Woods in the clean male/female vocals and more introspective/progressive moments. There’s also Eluvietie in the use of the accordion, Temnozor‘s and Obtest’s fierce nationalist black metal musings and a dash of Finntroll here and there. And that’s just for starters. The end result is six lengthy songs that are enthralling from start to finish ― displaying different nuances and hues from track to track.

Initially, opener “Kantauriko Trabain Erruak” hints at a typical LARP-ish cheesy bounce before exploding into a feral black metal gait. Of course it’s short lived as the track shifts and weaves into delicate acoustics, dreamy prog rock and introduces us to Oihane: The sumptuous female vocalist who possesses a wonderfully organic and ethnic tone ― a far cry from the soprano wannabes of Goth metal. At 11 minutes, you’d think the track would over stay its welcome, but with such a menagerie of styles it’s truly mesmerizing. Second track “Jentil Odala” delivers the same variety of high pitched shrieks, blast beats, and a vast array of folk and proggy tangents (the first real Omnio sounding foray) and awesome clean vocals, but in a more compact 7-minute version.

However, its the third track, “Aintzinako Guduen Oroimenak” that will truly mesmerize the listener; epic with its sweeping synths and rousing vocals, before turning into a beautiful instrumental in the last third. “Akelarrearen Sua” starts as a somber, accordion and flute led ballad. Oihane’s sultry voice leads you down winding medieval stone streets before it’s ambushed by an urgent black metal expulsion. Followed by more sweeping melodic interludes and deft transitions between multi hued folky frolics and serious, pride filled organic black metal. There is a slight misstep, however: The last couple of minutes spiral into this weird fluty/jazz/jam-session thing that’s a bit too progressive for the band’s own good. Things settle down for the ballad “Ekaitzaren Begitik” where the Omnio-vibe is cemented with artful restraint and elegant clean dual vocals (even some deep death metal growls). The pace picks up for closer “Aiumeen Basoa / Arlekina”, a shorter, more direct, melodic black metal take on folk metal, that ends the album with rousing closure and brilliance.

After wading through the scores of mediocrity and cookie cutter bands, it’s so refreshing in this ‘job’ to come across a gem like this. Much like the recent offering from Australia’s Arkheth, Aiumeen Basoa have delivered an epic, brilliant album of lengthy songs that never bore. One, that might be a contender for my album of the year short list.

Not overtly or blatantly Christian (as far as I could tell), but more focused on typically frosty, cold black metal themes (as if you could not tell from the moniker, album title and song titles like “Dawn of Ice Hearts”, “Thorns of Winter” and “Blood on Ice”), Wintersoul is musically rooted in older Immortal and Marduk (blistering, blazing black metal) rather than to anything too sugary or symphonic. Though, there are some very light synths here and there. Then of course you can make the thematic comparison to such icy bands as Imperial Crystalline Entombment and Immortal Souls with the whole ice/frost shtick/theme.

While scattered with a few moments of restraint and atmospheric accessions  (“Frostland”, start of “Dark Winter Skies”, “As the Snow Falls”), for the most part Wintersoul are otherwise delivering fierce blast beats, razor sharp tremolo picked riffs and blackened snarls ― all done with a respectable vitriol and skill. None of it is really outstanding, but there are lots of well produced, venomous riffs and rasps, as heard on the likes of “Thorns of Winter” and “Blood On Ice”.

On the downside, the band insists in injecting the female vocals of Melanie Sarah here and there, either with an ethereal croon or a spoken whisper. Either way, Sara Jezebel Diva she is not, and her off key singing detracts from the songs. Thankfully it’s not too often (“Dark Winter Skies”, “Shades of Terror”, “Shadows of Death”), but when it does happen, it’s a bit cringe inducing. Which is a shame considering the quality of the rest of the music.

Still. A solid effort that along with say Wodensthrone, Winterfylleth,  Spearhead and Scythian, show there’s  a talented  and true side to underground British black metal that’s more than eyeliner and giant boots.

And while this oddly monikered Canadian band and their rather disturbing cover may seem like just another by the numbers self-promoting death metal band, the fact is, this nine song debut CD is actually pretty good. With current and former members having ties to several underground and unsigned Canadian acts (Skepsis, The Order From Chaos, The Dead Cold, Begrime Exemious), the experience is here and shows this isn’t just a myspace band ― their music backs it up.

Plying a form of death metal that mixes equal parts Floridian complexity (Cannibal Corpse maybe?) and Belgian chunk, these six tracks comprise a very study, workman like efforts that makes no pretenses about being anything other than death metal. There are no any real highlights per say―as the album is pretty consistent from start to finish―but opener “Visceral Remains” has a nice chunky gallop and a solid mid song solo as well as some grimy blasting. “Blood Stained Ceiling” has a twisted lurch and blast and even a svelte arpeggio, showing these guys have a grasp on melody when needed. Surprisingly so. A little bit of “WTF?” (a jazzy little bass run) surfaces for the otherwise rollicking title track and the suitably titled lope of “The Bludgeoning” is an enjoyable mid-paced romp. For an eight minute death metal song―with its catchy, thrashy cadence―”Transcendence Ritual” has some real staying power.

The album’s last three tracks come from the band’s Spontaneous Decapitation demo from 2008 . While they lack the punchy beefy production of the six new tracks, they have the same songwriting chops with variety shifting  between intense bludgeoning, sly melodies (“Spontaneous Decapitation”, “The Empath”) and lurching heft (“Demon Rot”).

In all, a nice little surprise and a band I’ll definitely be watching out for from the corner of my eye.

Of the two albums they managed to release before they split, sophomore album Victims of Deception is regarded a classic in some circles, or at the very least, a masterful slice of progressive tinged Bay Area Thrash. I am among this crowd, as Victims is an all time fave. Naturally I’d been looking forward to this release for quite some time with great anticipation, wondering how it could possibly stack up it’s predecessor, especially after such a long delay. I’m happy to report that it’s a full on win.

The Evolution of Chaos is chock full of masterful songwriting, wicked chops and memorable songs. The guitar duo of Lee Altus and newcomer Kragen Lum work together seamlessly, punching out first class riffs, soaring leads and jaw dropping solos one after another, song after song. Vocalist David White (aka David Godfrey) has maintained a great command of his voice and range over the years, and here delivers superb clarity and power without ever crossing into that realm of cheesy high end vocalists ala most power metal.

Highlights of the album come by way of the barn burning opener (after a brief middle eastern tinged intro) “Dying Season”, the galloping “Arrows of Agony”, and “Bloodkult”, another ripper which borrows a play or two from the Testament handbook. The real star of the album though is the 11 minute epic “No Stone Unturned”. The song is split into 3 distinct sections, leading off with a simple, mid paced piece which fades into a slower, soulful sounding solo section, and finally leads into neck-snapping pace and shredding solos to the songs climax. In the end, the song hardly feels like the 11 minute beast that it is.

The only downfall of the album comes from the ballady “A Hero’s Welcome”, a song that to me, totally disrupts the flow of the album. It’s an ode of sorts to soldiers fighting for their country overseas. The message is admirable, but the song itself does nothing for me or the album. The spoken word bit mid song is just too much – it stands out like a white guy in the starting line up of an NBA team. After a handful of plays, I just removed it from the playlist, problem solved. Outside of this minor misstep, there’s no flaws to be found.

In the end, Heathen made a Heathen album, one that doesn’t simply copy their past, but expands upon it without losing their sound. Impressive for a band that went nearly two decades without a proper recording. The Evolution of Chaos is a worthy follow up to Victims of Deception, easily standing up to it in all aspects. Rest assured, it will mark highly on my tops list at the end of the year.

Especially as Death Metal, and particularly the “slam,” strain could be on the verge of infecting an even wider audience as each month, even day passes. At times it feels seemingly unthinkable given that a mere 10-12 years ago, this music was all but “dead,” in the eyes of the main players in mainstream metal media (but then again, what do they know?). With Devourment and Pathology on the closest they’ll ever be to commercial labels (given the context), and with Waking the Cadaver on another heavy hitter (Siege of Amida/Candlelight), the simple question is whether the music is worth hammer smashing someone’s face about?

On “Beyond Cops, Beyond God,” they have refined their burly cacophony, stalking now with the precision of a laser sighted, high powered sniper rifle with all the trimmings, whereas on their debut, they had the finesse of a 12-gauge pump action. Despite the differences in method, what both albums have, is impact, and that’s what is most crucial. This follow up is more surgically precise, and less erratic, striking accurately rather than broadly. One of the best representations is the shift in vocal delivery by Don Campan. If anything, he was responsible for creating some of the most ridiculous, not to mention painful vocal textures heard in Death Metal.

Here though, he has focused his range, going for a steady palette of techniques rather than schizophrenic acrobatics at all moments possible. For the most, he employs a bellowing, ghetto tinged Frank Mullen style roar, tarred with a Jersey attitude that leads to believe that the hardcore greats of the garden state are as much of an influence as “Effigy of the Forgotten,” “Destroy the Opposition,” or “Molesting the Decapitated.”

Take “Reign Supreme,” despite leading with a buzzing classic death riff, it gives way to a glorious stomp that is as much for two stepping as it is for windmilling and slamming, and speaking of slam, there are plenty of gloriously solid chunky riffs weaving in and out of the three minute duration. The hardcore influence is hinted at again during the track’s conclusion with the presence of gang vocals, be it briefly.

“Sadistic Tortures,” one of the best, as well as the longest cuts on the disc, displays the aforementioned precision of the band’s approach. Each riff, beat, vocal pattern is deftly juxtaposed, weighted and timed to ensure maximum flow, and to never sit and procrastinate on one riff, beat or rhythm. It pounds sublimely, switching between blasts and double bass flurries with sumptuous ease and possessing some of the best riffing forty five seconds before the end.

Meatiest and most sumptuous of all though is “Terminate with Extreme Prejudice,” boasting not only one of the best song titles of the year; it is carried by sweetly dense chugs, beats, and the vitriolic power of Campan’s vocals.

What’s most impressive is how well the music overall is forged, maybe it’s the presence of new guitarists or just touring hard for two years, but there is almost zero filler on the album. The one exception being the band named track, which doesn’t serve any real purpose, neither as an interlude or a prelude to the album’s close, but can be forgiven given its brevity and that in the grand scheme, it doesn’t disrupt the album’s flow.

That Waking the Cadaver has made a second album is one thing, but to have made as good an album as “Beyond Cops,” is another. They are definitely on the cusp of something, and if they continue improving as they have done, then there’s little doubt that they’ll be consigned to their coffins in the years to come.

Now, I know that not loving an Iron Maiden album is metal heresy, but it’s my job to be honest and not simply praise The Final Frontier because its Maiden’s 15th album, their fourth since their 2000′s reunion album Brave New World… has it really been 10 years since they reunited? I have to tell you up front: The Final Frontier simply never leaves orbit, rather sputtering on the landing pad and eventually peters out a gasp of rocket fuel and empty fumes. Kind of what you might expect from a bunch of 50 years olds with 30 years in the scene.

Maybe it’s the first impression from opener “Satellite 15… ” which leads into the title track that gets a bur in my ass right from the get go; nearly five minutes of plodding beats, programming, guitars and warbling. And then, when the title track does eventually start — it’s a wandering mid-paced number that never peaks, but plods with a repetitive chorus and no real climax. From there—for the most part—that seems to be the template for the rest of the album. Long drawn out songs which sound tired, lifeless and going through the motions.

As a fan of the band’s last three efforts—A Matter of Life and Death included—I’m fine with long rambling songs, as heard on the likes of “Paschendale”, “For the Greater Good of God” and “Dream of Mirrors”. The band can be awesome at it. But, on The Final Frontier only 3 of the 11 songs are under 7-8 minutes and three of the songs range from 9-11 minutes — making for a languid, mostly forgetful 76-minute run time. While I know that A Matter of Life and Death was almost as long, at least those songs stuck a little better.

Frankly, the likes of “Isle of Avalon”, “The Man Who Would be King” and ‘epic’ closer “When the Wild Wind Blows” wander aimlessly for 9+ minutes without any of the rousing, rewarding climaxes you’ve come to expect from the band. Though, there are some OK solos from Messrs Smith, Murray and Gers but they are buried 7-8 minutes into some horribly routine material. Throw in some real fillers like “Mother of Mercy” (arguably one of Maiden’s most snooze inducing songs ever) and ballad “Coming Home” and what you are left with is an album that has three, maybe four memorable songs worth of the Maiden name. To be blunt: The Final Frontier bored me to death like Space Odyssey 2001.

On the minimal upside, “El Dorado” is a fun little romp, though I can see Dickinson really sounding awful in a live environment for the catchy but strained chorus. “Starblind” is a somber but progressive number and the real standout, “The Alchemist”, is classic, bouncy Maiden that could have come from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. “The Talisman” is a toss up as it has a few moments of excellence…but it also could be about three minutes shorter. The Kevin Shirley production is once again a love it or hate it affair with Harris’ bass twanging away squarely in the forefront for the albums duration. It doesn’t change the fact this is Maiden’s worst collection of Dickinson fronted songs in many, many years.

This review does come with a caveat: It’s just my opinion and I’m sure many of you will love this album, but for those of you on the fence, please seek out a range of opinions. I think you’ll find them incredibly divisive with my review being one of the more negative ones out there. But even after 30 years, I simply can’t give Maiden a pass because of their legacy.

I can say this with even more enthusiasm now after being disappointed with their last studio output, Don’t Fear the Reaper – an album I couldn’t get through 4 tracks of without being bored to tears – because Witchkrieg finds the “super group” of sorts back in prime form, new vocalist Erik “Legion” Hagstedt in tow and all.

Despite not being as breakneck fast or decidedly old school feeling, Witchkrieg manages to hit all the right spots. Top notch songwriting resulting in utterly memorable tunes with big hooks and punchy riffs, Witchery know when to drop the hammer and thrash your ass into oblivion or step back to lock into a powerful banging groove. Add to this an ever present dark and menacing atmosphere and you have a recipe for a great thrash album.

Patrik Jensen is an absolute monster of the riff – check out the title track, “Devil Rides Out”, “Hellhound”, “Witch Hunter” and the phenomenal “From Dead to Worse” to see what I mean. Riffs that are simple yet superbly effective in locking you in on first listen. “From Dead to Worse” is arguably the star of an album packed full of gems, it grooves along at a headbangable mid pace then BAM, blindsides you an absolutely massive hook for a chorus capable of sticking in your head for days. This track should have been the first candidate for a video, as the potential to create some waves on outlets such as Headbanger’s Ball is undoubtedly there with a strong promotional push, but the band has already filmed one for the title track (a move I’m convinced was made on the fact that Kerry King appears in a guest solo – record company shenanigans).

With no real complaints to report, this review is pretty much over. Of course, long time fans of the band might be disappointed with the vocalist switch, but Legion delivers admirably, displaying a bit more personality here than in his main band Devian. Other fans of course will find fault in the bands new found sense of groove, but once again the band pulls it off in all aces. Can’t win ‘em all I suppose.

To document the recording, ULCERATE has created a special website (www.ulcerate-official.com/The-Destroyers-Of-All) that includes a making-of blog, photographs, and video clips. The site will continuously be updated until the release of the album . 

The Destroyers of All tracklist includes: 

I. Burning Skies

II. Dead Oceans

III. Cold Becoming

IV. Beneath

V. The Hollow Idols

VI. Omens

VII. The Destroyers of All 

ULCERATER17;s The Destroyers of All will be available in early 2011.

So “Death Kill Metal” is seven tracks of straight up, groovy death metal that relies heavily on stuttering, chain sawing riffs and wastes no time with guitar solos or rhythmic angularity. And in this case, that’s really all you need to get a quick-fix of the straight-up and the beaten down. Songs like “Steel Garotte” do the business in less than three minutes with dry, scraping riffs and polka beats with well-placed and delectable harmonic squawks, all led by a throaty mid-range growl that isn’t as deep as I tend to prefer, but somehow suits the tunes.

In fact, there really isn’t a bummer in the bunch. “Holy Inquisition” is up-tempo sandpaper groove, “Peccatum” is riffed up and rolling, and the cover of Cannibal Corpse’s ’ “Stripped, Raped and Strangled” is, quite honestly, a perfect choice; in part because Kill borrows a fair amount from the Barnes-era of the band and because it’s such a damn catchy tune, no matter who is performing it. In short, Death Kill Metal won’t set the world aflame, but I sure do like it. Solid stuff. Be on the lookout for what I would assume will be a follow up titled “Death Kill Fuck Stab Metal.”

Musically, the album feels somehow heavier than Heliocentric. “The sound is more dense and maybe a tad more raw, which suits the songs perfectly”, comments guitar player Jonathan Nido. The album covers a similar sonic and dynamic range as Heliocentric, also including a number of calm, acoustic moments – but these are for the most part orchestrated with guitars, and not so much with piano and string section. The focus is on the heavy songs: “The album is a pretty big production, and still has a very earthy, organic feel to it”, comments Staps. “We have spent a great deal of time on the basic sound this time around, drums, bass, guitars and vocals… and at this stage I am pretty confident that this will pay off in the end!”

As far as the concepts behind Anthropocentric are concerned, the focus is on man and his place in the universe: at the center, as many fundamental Christians still claim today, or more likely a dust particle in its periphery? All lyrics are circling around this question. “Anthropocentric will continue the critique of christianity, inspired by the questions that Dostoyevsky asked and some of the answers that Friedrich Nietzsche and Richard Dawkins gave”, comments Staps.

At the base of the album are three songs with the titles “The Grand Inquisitor I, II and III”. These songs have been inspired by the chapter of the same title in Fjodor Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamasov: a conversation between the brothers Ivan, an atheist, and Alyoscha, a monk. Ivan tells Alyoscha the story of a Second Coming of Christ in 16th century Sevilla. According to this parable, Jesus is arrested by the Catholic inquisition. The grand inquisitor who interrogates Jesus casts a new light on the legend of the temptation of Christ: he reproaches Jesus with having betrayed humanity and having deprived man of salvation by giving him freedom. The conversation between Ivan and Alyoscha mirrors, to some degree, the conversation between the grand inquisitor and Christ and raises more questions than it answers. “This long dialogue, which for the most part is rather a monologue of Ivan, is so complex and recondite that one could easily find inspiration for 10 concept albums about Christianity in it”, comments Staps.

Only 6 guest musicians are appearing on the album, all classical musicians, most of whom are guesting on the final track of the album. Anthropocentric is an album by The Ocean’s consolidated nucleus. “It is the first album where all members have actively partaken in the songwriting”, comments Staps.

The track listing for Anthropocentric is as follows:
1. Anthropocentric
2. The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov baseness
3. She Was The Universe
4. For He That Wavereth…
5. The Grand Inquisitor II: Roots & Locusts
6. The Grand Inquisitor III: A Tiny Grain of Faith
7. Sewers Of The Soul
8. Wille Zum Untergang
9. Heaven TV
10. The Almightiness Contradiction
11. The Grand Inquisitor IV: Exclusion From Redemption

The last track is a bonus track which will only appear on the vinyl and the limited European deluxe digipak version.

THE OCEAN to tour with Dillinger Escape Plan and Cancer Bats through Europe!
THE OCEAN will join Dillinger Escape Plan for their upcoming full European tour, which kicks off in Paris on October 1st, 2010, and is ending with an appearance at the DAMNATION FESTIVAL 2010 at Leeds University on November 6, 2010.

THE OCEAN guitarist Robin Staps comments: “We are very excited about this tour and honoured to support one of the most exciting and daring bands in heavy music on their upcoming full European tour!”

THE OCEAN
Tour w/ The Dillinger Escape Plan and Cancer Bats
01/10/10 – FR – Paris – Le Trabendo
02/10/10 – NL – Amsterdam – Melkweg Max
03/10/10 – BE – Brussels – VK
04/10/10 – DE – Frankfurt – Batschkapp
05/10/10 – DE – Leipzig – Conne Island
06/10/10 – DE – Hamburg – Markthalle
07/10/10 – DE – Bochum – Matrix
08/10/10 – DE – Berlin – Columbia Club
09/10/10 – PL – Warsaw – Progresja
10/10/10 – CZ – Prague – Abaton
12/10/10 – AT – Wien – Szene
13/10/10 – HU – Budapest – Dürer-Kert
14/10/10 – SK – Bratislava – Randal
15/10/10 – IT – Roncade – New Age
16/10/10 – IT – Cesena – Vidia Club
17/10/10 – FR – Marseille – Escape Julien
19/10/10 – ES – Bilbao – Kafé Antzokia
20/10/10 – ES – Madrid – Sala Heineken
21/10/10 – ES – Barcelona – Razzmatazz 2
22/10/10 – FR – Bordeaux – Rock School Barby
23/10/10 – FR – Nantes – L’Olympic
24/10/10 – FR – Poitiers – Confort Moderne
26/10/10 – FR – Lille – Aeronef
27/10/10 – UK – Southampton – Uni Garden Court
28/10/10 – UK – Birmingham – Academy 2
29/10/10 – UK – Glasgow – Garage
30/10/10 – UK – Manchester – Club Academy
01/11/10 – UK – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms
02/11/10 – UK – Bristol – Academy
03/11/10 – UK – Norwich – Waterfront
04/11/10 – UK – Brighton – Concorde 2
05/11/10 – UK – London – Electric Ballroom
06/11/10 – UK – Leeds – Damnation Festival
End Tour
Tour w/ Humanfly
07/11/10 – UK – Newport – Le Pub
08/11/10 – UK – Leicester – Firebug
09/11/10 – UK – Stoke – Sugarmill
10/11/10 – UK – Dundee – Fat Sam’s

THE OCEAN will release their new album Anthropocentric in November of 2010! It’s the second part of a concept spread over two albums. The first one named Heliocentric has been released in April of this year.

http://www.theoceancollective.com
http://www.myspace.com/theoceancollective