Oceano guitarist Andrew Mikhail channels anger while recording “Depths”

Andrew Mikhail, guitarist of Chicago, IL deathcore outfit, Oceano recently took some time out from the band’s road trip to recall some of the more memorable moments that took place at The Foundation Studios in Connersville, IN, where the band recorded their debut album, Depths.

“Our biggest challenge was to find a way to channel all of our anger and animosity we bring to the table out on stage and bring it into the studio so we can make the heaviest, most bad ass album we know how to make.” While some bands stretch for inspiration in the studio, all Mikhail and the rest of Oceano had to do was look at their surroundings. “We were in the middle of nowhere with no mental or physical escape from your tasks, stuck in a small room for too long having to do the same things over and over again until you have to sleep and then wake up to repeat everything the next day - and nevermind if you actually fucked up a part because that would just make the process more excruciating.”

Despite the frustrations, the band always knows how to turn a negative into a positive: “The monotony of it all was what got to us. No matter how much you love what you do, everyone has a breaking point. We’re just lucky that we know how to elevate our performances by channeling our anger into them. In the end, being cooped up was a good thing.”

Oceano’s frustration is their inspiration, however both can take their toll so the band had to find a way to stay at the top of their game “We needed a way to keep our energy up - things got pretty intense;” said Mikhail. “After the drums were done, we alternated days where we’d record 3 songs on guitar and bass, then have Adam (Warren, Oceano vocalist) go do 3 songs the next day. We’d keep doing that until we had everything done and over with. Doing it like that helped us all stay fresh.”

Things didn’t always go as planned, as the imposing OCEANO guitarist recalls. “We’d be up doing recording sessions ’til 2-3 in the morning each day and sometimes it’d catch up to you. I actually fell asleep recording the breakdown to the last track on the record and it’s still there.” One might wonder how an artist can play while sleeping, let alone play well while sleeping, but as Mikhail explains; “It wouldn’t be on the record if it didn’t sound good. I had my head slumped over, I was almost drooling, but i still felt what I had to play and it came out good enough to keep.”