Origin : Finland
Genre : Symphonic Black Metal / Industrial
Release : 2020
Album Info / Review
Intro:
The Finnish black metal scene has a lineage steeped in frostbitten atmosphere and relentless aggression, but few bands have navigated its evolution with the same ambitious, genre-bending spirit as …And Oceans. Their latest offering, “Cosmic World Mother,” arrives after a significant hiatus, a period that has clearly been fertile ground for sonic exploration. This is not the raw, blast-beat driven black metal of their early days, nor the polished, melodic excursions of their mid-career. Instead, “Cosmic World Mother” is a sprawling, ambitious beast, a cosmic tapestry woven from threads of progressive death metal, industrial textures, and even glimpses of avant-garde dissonance, all filtered through a distinctly bleak, cosmic lens. The album feels like a deliberate statement, a re-emergence not just to reclaim past glories, but to forge a new, more complex identity.
Track Analysis:
“The Grip of the Cosmic Shepherd” opens the album with an immediate shift in sonic gravity. Gone are the immediate shrieks and tremolo riffs. Instead, a pulsing, almost tribal industrial rhythm underpins a slowly building, distorted guitar melody. When the vocals finally arrive, they are not the raw black metal snarl, but a guttural, almost death metal roar, laced with layers of unsettling, almost vocoded whispers that evoke a sense of cosmic dread. The song progresses through shifts in tempo and texture, incorporating synth pads that evoke a cold, sterile void, before erupting into a surprisingly melodic yet heavy chorus.
“Five-Pointed Star” is a masterclass in dynamic contrast. It begins with a disorienting, atonal guitar feedback loop that gradually coalesces into a crushing, doomy riff. The drumming here is intricate and powerful, anchoring the complex guitar work. Midway through, the song takes a sharp turn, introducing a clean, melancholic vocal passage, reminiscent of some of the more introspective moments on later Emperor albums, before snapping back into a ferocious, blast-beat driven section that feels more akin to modern technical death metal.
“Homunculus” showcases the band’s newfound penchant for rhythmic complexity. The bassline is a prominent, almost funky groove, a jarring yet effective counterpoint to the jagged, dissonant guitar riffs. The vocal performance is a layered assault, moving between harsh growls, strained screams, and spoken word passages that feel like pronouncements from an alien entity. The song’s structure is deliberately unconventional, with abrupt stops and starts, and a recurring, unsettling synth motif that drills into the listener’s subconscious.
“Cosmic World Mother” itself, the title track, is an epic in miniature. It’s a journey through vast sonic landscapes, from moments of almost ambient introspection, filled with shimmering synths and ethereal vocal effects, to passages of intense, percussive brutality. The guitar solos are not merely flashy displays of technicality, but carefully crafted melodic statements that add to the overall emotional weight of the track. The inclusion of what sounds like a sampled, distorted orchestral swell during its climax adds an unexpected layer of grandeur.
“The Widest Sky” sees the band embracing a more overtly progressive metal sensibility. The guitar work is intricate and harmonically rich, with sweeping arpeggios and complex chord progressions. The vocals here are perhaps the most varied on the album, shifting from aggression to a more anguished, clean delivery. The song builds to a powerful, anthemic chorus that, despite its heaviness, carries a surprising emotional resonance.
“The Last Breath of the Stars” is a hauntingly beautiful, yet ultimately bleak closer. It begins with a sparse, piano-driven melody, accompanied by distant, echoing vocals. The atmosphere is one of profound melancholy and cosmic loneliness. As the song progresses, layers of distorted guitar and atmospheric synths are introduced, but they never fully overwhelm the fragile beauty of the initial melody. The final moments fade out with a sense of unresolved cosmic silence, leaving the listener adrift in the aftermath.
Conclusion:
…And Oceans have not merely returned; they have fundamentally reinvented themselves with “Cosmic World Mother.” This is an album that demands patience and repeated listens. It’s a challenging, often unsettling, but ultimately rewarding experience that pushes the boundaries of what black metal can be. The band has masterfully blended disparate elements into a cohesive, albeit unconventional, whole. The production is crisp and powerful, allowing each intricate detail to breathe. While some long-time fans might initially be taken aback by the departure from their earlier sound, “Cosmic World Mother” stands as a testament to the band’s artistic growth and their unwavering commitment to pushing creative envelopes. It’s a bold, intelligent, and profoundly atmospheric statement that solidifies their position as innovators within the extreme metal landscape.
Rating: 9/10
Highlight Track: The Widest Sky
