Review: Oceano – “Depths”

Band: Oceano
Album: Depths
Year: 2009
Label: Earache

Track list:
01. Descent
02. Inhuman Affliction
03. Empathy For Leviathan
04. Plague Campaign
05. Fractured Frames, Scattered Flesh
06. Disgust For Your Kind
07. Depths
08. District Of Misery
09. With Legions
10. Slaughtered Like Swine
11. A Mandatory Sacrifice
12. Samael The Destroyer
13. Abysm
14. Involuntary Demoralization (Bonus)
15. Orificial Execution (Bonus)

As a fan of what Earache Records has been unleashing for what seems like a lifetime, Oceano hit my radar pretty early on. Even if you’re not familiar with their music, you probably heard about them after MySpace banned some of their photos from the site. Thankfully, this minor setback is not the only thing this band should be known for.

The death metal scene today is comprised of a variety of sub-genres with a myriad of bands taking the popular deathcore route. Some deliver quality while, sadly, the majority sounds completely the same. Although a relatively young band, Oceano present themselves with a surprisingly mature and well-rounded first album that speaks volumes about their musical talent. This is deathcore, but done as it should be.

The intro to the record sets the mood but the moment you unleash second track, the madness begins. Intensity is a simple word to describe the outrage resonating from Oceano’s music. Just when you naively think for a second that this is going to be it, the dense guttural vocals hit you like a two-ton hammer right across the face.

To make things even better, there’s a lot of slow tempo and melody to complement the accelerated and raw energy. One moment you’re daydreaming and diving into the deep blue water and a second later a mad white shark is aiming its razor sharp teeth at your skin.

Oceano’s “Depths” has plenty of depth, definitely an album worth listening to. My verdict is: