Atmospheric loud rock, no need for vocals.
German collective The Ocean have been building their name in their native land for the best part of this millennium and are now preparing to make a bigger impact. This mini-album release serves as an introduction to the UK and finds the act in atmospheric instrumental mode, not unlike UK favourites Mogwai.
This sound is best exemplified in 'Endusers' with its bass line prowling menacingly throughout the song, pacing up and down and anchoring the song whilst the drums and guitars power over the top. It's a genre that has been well served over recent years but there is always room for further additions.
With 'The Melancholy Epidemic' lasting over 8 minutes long and 'Isle De La Luna' taking over 9 minutes, the album could sag in the middle but both tracks have enough changes and variety to make it feel like there are more than one song being played. The guitars feature a lot of effects, with an almost underwater feel combining with strings to make a mellow pleasant track which then bludgeons its way to the finish with the drums crashing and guitar riffing furiously.
For a five track ep, it still clocks in at over half an hour, which is the equivalent to many albums nowadays, so the listener is getting their monies worth, and whilst at times there is a lack of a hook to make the songs more memorable, the overall feel of the album ensures the record glides by easily in one sitting.
The drums carry a lot of the tracks, keeping the momentum going whilst the guitars take a breather before firing back with another volley. Its quite an intense record and the breathing spaces are required to bring some depth to the material.
Some low vocals and sampled lines feature but mainly its an instrumental workout which certainly borders on hard rock / metal but has enough melodic charm to carry it across to non metal heads and is an extremely well played record.