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"Oceans Of Slumber once again surprises its audience with a densely-packed “Where Gods Fear To Speak”, featuring the extreme elements of its debut."
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3/5
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Oceans Of Slumber's turn with “Starlight And Ash” in 2022 took everyone by surprise, leading the band into atmospheric territories stripped of its more extreme aspects. Unlike their label, which didn't particularly appreciate this stylistic turn, the band's new album was well received by a metal public still keen on novelty and open-minded. And so much the better, for to appreciate “Where Gods Fear To Speak”, you'll once again have to accept the mood swings of a band that seems to take a malicious pleasure in destabilizing its audience.
Oceans Of Slumber takes a step back a few years with the return of death elements, in particular guttural vocals, between growl and grunt, combined with blasts and double pedals that punctuate the majority of tracks. The only exceptions to this flood of saturation are the ballads 'Wish' and 'The Given Dream', which provide a breath of fresh air in a very dense whole that often goes off in all directions, to the point of giving the impression of having to deal with tracks constructed according to an assembly of mini musical sequences stuck together without any real coherence.
While it's hard to get bored with so many stylistic exercises, it's sometimes hard to stick to a single guideline, and certain associations seem quite incongruous, particularly between the clear, delicate vocal lines of Cammie Gilbert and certain Death/Grind-inspired rhythm patterns. This may seem logical, given that Oceans Of Slumber's drummer, Dobber Beverly, has been a member of numerous extreme bands such as Insect Warfare and Malignant Altar. Fans of ultra-fast, technical drums will be in heaven, as they are omnipresent, multiplying the toms' descents and blasts beats of all kinds. It's quite simple: it's the only drums in the room, often relegating the rest of the band to the background, with the guitars limited essentially to riffs, an original choice that certainly won't be to everyone's taste.
With a first part brimming with ideas but rather muddled, and a second part that is more conventional but better integrated, “Where Gods Fear To Speak” sounds more like a transitional album than a landmark work. Are Oceans Of Slumber still searching for their way or have they given themselves no constraints, giving free rein to their inventiveness even if it means leaving quite a few people on the sidelines? The answer is likely to come with the next album. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Where Gods Fear to Speak
02. Run From the Light
03. Don't Come Back from Hell Empty-Handed
04. Wish
05. Poem of Ecstasy
06. The Given Dream
07. I Will Break the Pride of Your Will
08. Prayer
09. The Impermanence of Fate
10. Wicked Game
LINEUP:
Alex Davis: Guitares
Cammie Beverly: Chant
Chris Kritikos: Guitares
Dobber Beverly: Batterie
Semir Ozerkan: Basse
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(3) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
4.5/5 (2 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.7/5 (3 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH OCEANS OF SLUMBER
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT OCEANS OF SLUMBER
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