The Ocean - Precambrian: Protezoic Review
by Mark Hensch
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Precambrian features some apt song titles---each track derives its name from a geological period of Earth's history. Much like the very phenomenon from whence it takes its name, Precambrian is a cataclysmic experience which rumbles, tremors, and shakes like the most destructive of earthquakes. This is a record as titanic as the Earth's birth, and at times, just as violent.
This brutality, however, is not the only factor driving Precambrian forward. Though undeniably heavy, The Ocean brews a bizarre cocktail of wicked technicality, crushing sludge, moody post-metal, and elegant symphonics with this disc. Such an abnormal blend produces quite the list of references---ISIS or Neurosis can just as easily be followed by Dimmu Borgir, Meshuggah, or Cave In.
Though seemingly disparate at first, careful patience reveals an elemental tapestry of cosmic proportions. The tribal tranquility of "Siderian," for example, smoothly coalesces into the schizophrenic "Rhyacian" with graceful finesse.
"Rhyacian," meanwhile, is itself a mix of grooving atmospherics, mathematical complexity, and spaced-out notes. As if all of this was not enough, the song casually erupts like a volcano by its end, spewing forth molten riffs as formless as they are searing.
"Statherian," though a mere instrumental, features a mixture of quiet defeat and defiant extremity few other bands can pull off. As mournful strings trade barbs with stabbing bass lines, the song moves at a glacial pace into a glockenspiel-laden war sludge number that twinkles like stars and incinerates like supernovas.
"Calymmian" dwells deep within subterranean climes, its gloomy psychedelics mixing with whispered howls and cavernous drips. Stony yet beautiful, this underworldly feel makes the song's blistering assault sound like a trapped person desperately clawing free from the Earth
and gasping joyously in the open air.
"Stenian" hums quietly before launching into a shimmering wall of sound as akin to ISIS as it is to the Decembrists. Pianos shine like teeth grinning at the meandering, gloriously icy chords, while rhythmic grooves ebb-and-flow beneath the mix. From glittering choruses to passages of bleak doom, this is a song which has it all.
Closing slice "Cryogenian," as if contrasting all earlier pieces, remains a somber piano ballad for most of its brief, wondrous existence. Subtle string work dances and flits amongst the keys. Despite this, it is always clear where the focus lies in this sparse, chilling ending to the album.
Challenging, vast, and masterful, Precambrian is not for the feeble-minded. It shows The Ocean for what they are---innovators unafraid of pushing the envelope or breaking down boundaries. With this in mind, Precambrian is not just an album thematically rooted in the Earth but bent on shaking it too.
The Ocean's Precambrian1. Siderian
2. Rhyacian
3. Orosirian
4. Statherian
5. Calymmian
6. Ectasian
7. Stenian
8. Tonian
9. Cryogenian
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The Ocean - Precambrian: Protezoic Rating:9.0
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