Review Summary: Fans of prog-minded acts like Porcupine Tree, Dredg, Isis, and Mogwai will find a lot to love in this exceptional record.
Like the most ominous of storms, Oceansize comes creeping in slowly, setting dark moods and pounding tension, their atmospheric rock giving way to both thundering assaults and relaxing peace. Everyone Into Position is the UK five-piece’s sophomore album, which is surprising considering how confident they appear.
Opener “The Charm Offensive” weaves an eerie triple-guitar buildup and keyboard flourishes around tribal drumming that brings to mind skull-crushers like Isis. Instead of giving way to metal, however, the tension here evolves into mellow textures. Right off the bat, the band has effortlessly bridged the indulgences of progressive music with the accessible experimentation found in indie-rock. A band this young that is so sure of its songwriting strengths is rare to come by.
Another pleasant surprise is the variety offered. “A Homage To Shame” is a relentless metal attack punctuated by jarring time changes. The vocals here shine in their subtlety. Frontman Mike Vennart turns his voice into another instrument frequently here. Other standouts include “Music For a Nurse”, which takes its cues from post-rock, and “New Pin”, a rolling song that would make the staff of Pitchfork Media bob their heads in approval. The surging, violent end of “No Tomorrow” gives way to “Mine Host”, a lovely ambient piece that soothes listeners with organ, piano keys, and airy guitar lines. These dynamic shifts also show just how well Oceansize knows how to put a real album together. This is not a band that wants to produce singles for radio. Rather, they understand that creating an album is more than just throwing a pile of songs together.
With all these different tunes, as well as the busy laying of guitars, keyboards, and low end rumble, it’s easy too miss many of the shining moments on the album. However, like many great albums, it simply grows on you. The aforementioned “Homage” is an immediately standout, but give the rest of the songs enough time and they will all unravel for you.
The band is:
Mike Vennart - Vocals, guitar
Gambler (musician) - Guitar
Steve Durose - Guitar, vocals
Jon Ellis - Bass
Mark Heron - Drums
