ALBUM REVIEW: Kingdom Cold – Oceanlord
Creating what they call ‘Stoner Gloom Rock’, the Australian heavy psychedelic doom trio OCEANLORD are adept at creating alluringly hypnotic and sombre doom atmospheres that produce a unique space for poignant reflection. Hailing from the South Coast city of Melbourne, OCEANLORD first arrived on the scene back in 2020 with a well received two-track demo EP. Over the last three years they have been honing their sound, with the objective of creating a stunning debut album that builds on the foundations of that EP. Kingdom Cold is beautifully sombre, melancholic and entrancing album that pools together the raw power of doom with the more thought-provoking elements of heavy psych whilst simultaneously being a trippy journey into the depths of the deep blue.
When you think of heavy psych you think of vibrantly colourful trips to other galaxies or adventures through the various realms of consciousness. So, the immediate thing that stands out about Kingdom Cold is how OCEANLORD have decided to change the narrative and go the other way, deep into the murky gloom to explore the melancholic side of heavy psych. What makes this album interesting is that it doesn’t venture into the theatrical, dramatic and dark worlds of gothic or funeral doom or the abrasiveness of sludge to achieve its aim. Being driven by anthemic fuzz-laden riffs and luscious layers of melodic psych, OCEANLORD’s approach and interpretation of the genre is refreshing, interesting and different.
Kingdom Cold is an album inspired by the sea, and given the band’s location on the Australian south coast, it’s easy to see how this happened. There is a distinct nautical theme running through the album, ranging from Siren mythology and folklore to haunting islands of the dead. This is also reflected in how OCEANLORD craft their melodies, especially on the nine-minute epic Come Home. The song sees swirling chorus, reverb and delay effects applied to the guitar leads to create a swirling current of luscious melody that also sounds as if it is slowly pulling you down into the deep ocean. Alongside this, there is a push and pull dynamic that transcends the album. It feels like the ebbing and flowing of the tides, with the occasional drift into more chaotic waters. Peter Willmott’s melancholic vocal melodies captivate you as he tells these despairing, gloomy stories to the backdrop of his spacious guitar leads, Jon May’s swung half time drums and Jason Ker’s driving bass.
In many ways there is a melancholic and nuanced bleakness when it comes to the sea in our human consciousness; OCEANLORD have somehow managed to extrapolate that and put it into musical form. Alongside this is an often morbid curiosity of what hides in the unknown depths which often leads us into trouble in the deep, leading us to think of a desolate and lonely world beneath the waves. Kingdom Cold vividly depicts this in a number of ways that are equally haunting and mesmeric.
Opening up with the brooding juggernaut Kingdom, OCEANLORD set the tone early, informing you that this isn’t your average heavy psych doom record. With huge SABBATH-esque riffs and mournful guitar melodies, the baleful atmosphere sends chills down your spine as you imagine a bleak seascape. 2340 starts off in a more sombre, psychedelic way, slowly building and eventually erupting into an anthemic chorus riff accompanied by a significantly catchy vocal melody. OCEANLORD also use eerie chants to augment the poetry in Willmott’s lyrics, as the song discusses the sensation of sinking and drowning. Siren feels more like a dark, ballad style ode dedicated to one of the deadliest mythical creatures of the ocean. Gently strummed chords and gloomy melodies chart your journey to the depths in her cold embrace.
The eight minutes of brooding fuzz that form Isle Of The Dead ramp up the energy again with discordant chords that reverberate through the abyss. Then a funeral march groove kicks in, and before you know it you’re wrapped up in this hypnotic march into the darkness. So Cold follows a similar style to Siren, yet it feels despairingly soulful, like those songs you hear in films when the most heart-breaking moment is about to happen. It builds towards another piledriving, fuzz-laden section of monolithic riffs and cymbal driven drums. This fades perfectly into the album closer Coming Home – nearly nine minutes of luscious, hypnotic heavy psych that moves through passages of deep atmospherics and turbulent riffs. Foreboding and dark, the song rounds off this unique album perfectly.
Kingdom Cold is certainly a unique album; telling haunting stories of the deep to melancholic psych with a significant amount of depth definitely sets your imagination racing. OCEANLORD’s debut is one you won’t want to sleep on as it brings a refreshing new perspective on what you can do with heavy psychedelic doom.
Rating: 8/10
Kingdom Cold is set for release on May 26th via Magnetic Eye Records.
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