ALBUM REVIEW: Where Gods Fear To Speak – Oceans Of Slumber
Across the last decade, Texas prog metal stars OCEANS OF SLUMBER have grown into a real force, buoyed by a reputation for creating some of the most beautiful soundscapes in heavy music today. Led by the real life couple of drummer/pianist Dobber Beverley and vocalist Cammie Gilbert-Beverley, the quintet – completed by bassist Semir Ozerkan and guitarists Alex Davies and Chris Kritikos – have crafted aural tapestries that combine the broader strokes of sonorous guitar melodies and near extreme metal passages with the more delicate elements of dexterous melodies and wonderfully reflective lyrics. Even when they changed tack on 2022’s Starlight And Ash in favour of something more gothic and organic, they still received plaudits across the board, although their label Century Media weren’t as impressed, leading to a parting of ways. Now on Season Of Mist, OCEANS OF SLUMBER are ready to unleash their most completed work to date: sixth album Where Gods Fear To Speak, out on September 13th.
A full blown concept album, Where Gods Fear To Speak has been described by the band as a ‘dystopian western’ or ‘post apocalyptic survival movie’, the meeting place of the works of celebrated authors Stephen King, Margaret Attwood and Cormac McCarthy. It starts in grand and brooding fashion, the title track beckoning you in with a devilish hand before taking you on a rollercoaster of chugging riffs, dexterous solos and Cammie‘s first foray into death growls. Run From The Light is more straightforward, underpinned by a modern, KILLSWITCH-esque guitar lead and seeing a vocal trade between Cammie and guest Mikael Stanne of DARK TRANQUILITY fame.
One aspect of Where Gods… that OCEANS have looked to execute – in line with the concept – is that they’ve provided the soundtrack to said feature-length film. The fantastical, sweeping keyboards that greet the beginning of Don’t Come Back From Hell Empty Handed are testament to this, as is the track’s overall sprawling nature, capped off by Cammie‘s exquisite voice over grand piano in the middle. Dobber‘s drumming is another strong point throughout, peaking with his performance during Poem Of Ecstasy as his wife’s vocals soar and swoop effortlessly around his double bass kicks and blast beats.
MOONSPELL vocalist Fernando Ribeiro shows up to provide his own pipes on the devilish Prayer and, in wonderfully cinematic fashion, The Impermanence Of Fate serves as a fantastic grand finale, boasting Cammie‘s strongest vocal performance across the album both in terms of her gorgeous cleans and her abrasive growls. Rounding off the record is a delightful take on CHRIS ISAAK‘s Wicked Game, a perfect coda to what has developed into a captivating and immersive body of work.
OCEANS OF SLUMBER have never lacked consistency, even when their musical style has shifted, and Where Gods Fear To Speak continues their astonishing streak of encapsulating, rich albums that take you to another plane of reality. Sticking to their guns and refusing to bow to corporate pressure has, unsurprisingly, borne fruit of the highest quality, the band evolving once more and marking a new chapter in their career with yet another statement record. If you like to take the time to chew over your music, this is an ideal album to sink your teeth into.
Rating: 8/10
Where Gods Fear To Speak is set for release on September 13th via Season Of Mist.
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