ALBUM REVIEW: Renaissance – Between Oceans

Without shadow of a doubt, modern metalcore is a saturated genre. This means you have to do something to stand out from the crowd, to break away from the pack. Slated for release this Friday, Danish five-piece BETWEEN OCEANS hope their debut album, Renaissance, will leave them head and shoulders above the rest.

Renaissance and its nine tracks come after a two year hiatus for the band. Solidifying a new line-up and changing song structures leaves BETWEEN OCEANS in prime position to achieve what they set out to. The instrumental opening, simply titled Intro, hopes to set the tone for a potential heavy hitter. With ringing guitars and quiet drums to start, BETWEEN OCEANS take some time to fill their canvas. As they do so however, there’s no impactful moment as the weight of the full band comes in. Moving into Legacy, a thick riff runs away from the beat then begins to disjoint. Growled vocals seethe with rage toward the person who’s wronged them. “You brought this on yourself” not only calls for vengeance but serves as a mosh call for what could have been a meaty breakdown – a breakdown which doesn’t come until the moment’s passed.

As the record continues, it becomes littered with pacing issues. The chaotic energy of a fraying mind dictates Pressure’s scathing yet melodic licks. When layered with the desperation of growls and screams, this depiction of a mind on the edge is compelling. It’s a shame the tempo is turned down for a chorus which dampens the spark. While the band tries to reignite the flame with their better executed second verse, this particular pressure valve was released too early. Breaking Point suffers from this affliction too, but the band manage to recover themselves here. A beautiful tech riff combines with screams to result in an aggressive sucker punch. “Was this all for nothing?” speaks to that notion of being on the edge, until the chorus. While too slow for the song, it makes us appreciate the contempt driven breakdown and the all-too-short outro of grinding guitars and hard hitting drums that much more.

At the top of the review, we mentioned metalcore bands need to work harder to break away from an arguably formulaic pack. Some may choose to go heavier, some adopt elements of djent, others lean further into hardcore. BETWEEN OCEANS opt for the melodic route. Signal begins with a melodic riff over contrasting harsh drums for an intro which piques our interest. With cleans dominating the first half of the song, this song was meant to immerse us in feelings of despair and listlessness. “You make me want to disappear” rings a painfully universal bell. Darker riffs sweep in around the bridge to give Signal a shunt away from its electronic counterpart. As the song comes to a close though, there’s a feel of alt rock we just can’t shift.

To counter, penultimate track Crossroads combines melody with metalcore in supreme fashion. The transitional riffs between verse and chorus have just the edge we’ve been waiting for. “No one can hear me scream” leads into a much needed faster chorus where the group finally find their groove. By the time the mosh call rolls around, we are fully engaged and wondering where this BETWEEN OCEANS has been hiding for the rest of the record.

As debut albums go, Renaissance is a solid effort. It is also frustrating in parts. BETWEEN OCEANS have proved they are incredibly capable, but in small pockets. When put against the measuring stick of metalcore, Renaissance may have revived BETWEEN OCEANS, but it hasn’t breathed new life into the genre.

Rating: 6/10

Renaissance is set for release on October 22nd via Prime Collective.

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