| | Full Review | Ratings (97) |
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| 3.0 good | PistolPete | March 5th 18 |
Just like their last release, Oceans of Slumber are adding in a lot of interesting elements and building a fairly strong foundation for their sound. It's in the execution of these ideas where they offer mixed results and once again there are a few songs that work and a few that clock in at overly-bloated run lengths but never really offer up any rewards along the way. It makes the entire listen a bit of a chore. Luckily, their sound is one that can appeal to fans of many genres (namely progressive-,doom-, and even some post-metal) so there is at least something to discover here for most. Recommended Songs: The Decay of Disregard, Etiolation, No Color No Light
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | daemonic | March 5th 18 |
Very emotional and well written album. Her voice is sublime!
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 0.0 | Dewinged STAFF | March 7th 18 |
The amazing voice of Cammie Gilbert sometimes sounds disconnected from the music and the growls don't add anything to the band's sound. If anything they hold it back for being a truly special album. Still, a really solid album and a blessing for doom and post metal fans.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | Robert Garland STAFF | March 4th 18 |
2018 needs to stop it with the great albums already.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | meenwolf131 | April 9th 18 |
create a balanced intense darkness with dramatic doom dynamic and cinematic atmosphere / powerful soaring beautiful clean vocals work well with dense heaviness and smashing dynamic
Bump |
| 2.9 good | Voivod STAFF | March 31st 18 |
Motivated by the massive embrace of the previous album by fans worldwide, I became curious about the Texans' new offering; imho, the album's solid overall, but has no real standout moments whatsoever. For one, I expected Gilbert's vocal work to tear my speakers apart, and form a prominent Afro-American pillar of metal performance, countering behemoths like Warrel Dane (R.I.P.) and triumphs like "The Silent Hedges" cover, for instance. To my subjective disenchantment though, vocals are shadowed by the intense musical segments, whereas they are too quiet for their own good, in the atmospheric parts of the album, probably due to sub-optimal sound production choices. On the other hand, arrangements tend to grow thin towards the end of the album, due to its prolonged duration.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | Risodo | March 23rd 18 |
I didn't like the progressive instrumental mix with the vocal alternations on "The Banished Heart". The record is completely condensed and cannot be sustained because of the quality imposed in it. Another problem is the size of the job, which goes over an hour and it is really tiring to get to the end. Without taking away the merit of the band or the innovative attempt to establish themselves in the genre, but the end product is nothing more than ok.
Bump |
| 3.2 good | Trey STAFF | March 9th 18 |
Imagine My Dying Bride with more melody, a versatile female vocalist and occasional death growls and you basically have these guys. The Banished Heart is definitely a step up from their debut, but I still find myself wishing the songs were just a little more memorable. It just feels like the band is holding back. They have a super talented vocalist, but she only occasionally moves outside a certain range. Also, the band do really well but every once in a while something will really jump out and show you there's so much more this band could do then just conventional doom.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | Mitch Worden EMERITUS | March 8th 18 |
This album does a fair bit right. To make sure the listener knows this, Oceans of Slumber repeat everything good from each song. And then, in case you forgot, they repeat that as well. And then, in case you forgot, they make every song as long as possible and continue to repeat the good things from each song. And then, it gets a bit old after a while.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | DType | August 31st 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | heck | August 3rd 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | ariich | January 14th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Krpa | September 28th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | zzf1918 | August 29th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | ElioG | October 28th 19 |
| 3.5 great | Jeejee | August 21st 19 |
| 3.0 good | Coast | January 9th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Uzumaki | December 15th 18 |
| 3.5 great | psim | October 19th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Akifexx | October 15th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Loveloth | September 24th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Jorss | August 7th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | hadriel | June 28th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | motyli | April 13th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Faraudo | March 22nd 18 |
| 2.5 average | Hawks | March 20th 18 |
| 3.5 great | em17ah | March 17th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | SimpleM | March 12th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Dmax28 | March 4th 18 |
| 5.0 classic | Khu | March 3rd 18 |
| 3.5 great | Elynna | March 3rd 18 |
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