Oceans of Slumber
Where Gods Fear to Speak


4.3
superb

Review

by Brendan Schroer STAFF
September 12th, 2024 | 26 replies


Release Date: 09/13/2024 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Don't forget your roots, but don't forget your evolution either

Starlight and Ash really should have been bigger. Oceans of Slumber managed to take their unique goth/prog/doom synthesis and channel it into a softer, more palatable sound with their fifth outing, and the results were often breathtaking. (Mostly) gone were the band’s usual crushing riffs, as they opted to deliver a beautifully haunting gothic rock sound with a heavy helping of Southern flavor. The songs were sweeping, cinematic, and – perhaps most importantly – proof that Oceans of Slumber could diversify their sound without losing the core of what makes their work so special. And you’d think this would all translate to more commercial success and expand their fanbase… but nope, Starlight and Ash mostly came and went. I’ll let frontwoman and chief songwriter Cammie Beverly explain:

“The thing is, we never said we’re never going to do something heavy again [...] people panic when a band puts out an album that does something different. It was a weird time. It came during a time when our music was different from everything else, and I think the record was a bit lost on some people - people that mattered in our realm. The fans got it, and it was received really well, just not by the label!”

That last part is particularly important, as Century Media were pushing the band to play it safe and stick to their signature prog-doom sound with Starlight and Ash – something they certainly weren’t interested in doing. Clearly a change needed to be made. Thankfully, they were scooped up by an unlikely savior in the form of Season of Mist, a label that actively encourages a more progressive, experimental approach to metal music. This must have felt like an absolute blessing to the Texas five-piece, as they’d effectively been given free reign to tweak and redefine their sound as they saw fit. Add a few lineup changes into the mix (which involved replacing both guitarists), and 2024's Where Gods Fear to Speak was already shaping up to be quite an interesting record from the get-go.

And what an interesting record it is! What we have here is effectively a balance between the Starlight and Ash sound and Oceans of Slumber’s older work – think The Banished Heart or Winter. The crushing, oppressive doom riffs are back in the band’s arsenal again; however, they’ve been given more sweeping cinematic backdrops for that extra gothic touch. As such, the group’s penchant for atmosphere is as strong as ever, something that’s evident right from the opening title track. A barren, podding guitar riff sets the stage for all the doom and gloom to follow, as Cammie’s commanding voice glides over the ever-shifting rhythms of the song. But if you listen closely, you might notice that the growled vocals aren’t quite the same as they were on previous records… and that’s because Cammie sung them herself this time around.

Yes, for the first time on an Oceans of Slumber album, her vocals are the only ones you’ll hear from the main lineup. She ain’t half bad at them either, as her gutturals and screams are suitably menacing and brutal; moreover, they provide a nice contrast to her soaring vibrato-laden cleans. The aforementioned title track is a great example of this, but “Poem of Ecstasy” takes the juxtaposition even further; what begins as a melancholic power ballad transforms into an absolute barnburner, punctuated by savage growls and blastbeats. And as with prior efforts, the other members are well-equipped to lay down a complex musical gauntlet behind her, especially in the case of Cammie’s husband Dobber Beverly. He runs through just about every tempo one could imagine, from agonizingly slow doom metal drumming to rapid-fire blast beats – all while displaying plenty of technical proficiency. For a track that captures every facet of his abilities, check out the proggy mini-epic “Don’t Come Back from Hell Empty Handed”.

Meanwhile, the new guitarists fit Oceans of Slumber just fine – almost as if there weren’t any lineup changes in the first place. Chris Jones and Chris Kritikos are certainly serviceable in their roles here, although I must admit that they don’t go beyond the call of duty; the same can be said for returning bassist Semir Ozerkan. Rather, Where Gods Fear to Speak primarily focuses on two things: the musical chemistry between Cammie and Dobber, and the atmosphere of each track. Whether it’s the haunting minimalistic piano work of “Poem of Ecstasy”, the dark brooding synth undertow of “The Given Dream”, or the unsettling dissonance of the guitars on “Prayer” (the latter of which features Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquility!), the band really know how to set a compelling mood and continually expand on it. And while most of the tracklist fits within the “slow build, intense middle section, epic climax” framework, the closer is perhaps the most striking piece here for how different it is. “Wicked Game” caps off the record with a lovely barebones piano ballad, completely devoid of the heavy riffs and growls that preceded it – bringing the whole experience to a strangely soothing close.

What really impresses me about Where Gods Fear to Speak is that Oceans of Slumber didn’t outright forget or abandon what made Starlight and Ash so special. Instead, this outing inherits its best qualities and meshes them near-perfectly with the group’s tried-and-true sound. As a result, they’ve crafted a wonderful slab of progressive doom metal that puts intricate songwriting, stellar performances, compelling soundscapes, and crushing riffs on equal footing with each other. Where Gods Fear to Speak truly stands alongside The Banished Heart as one of Oceans of Slumber’s finest accomplishments to date.



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user ratings (43)
3.5
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Koris
Staff Reviewer
September 12th 2024


22006 Comments

Album Rating: 4.3

Not sure if everyone's going to share the same enthusiasm, but I was really impressed with this one (as if the rating didn't already give it away). The way this combines the band's older sound with the developments found on Starlight and Ash is just fantastic, and I love the increased emphasis on atmosphere. Awesome stuff

LilLioness
September 12th 2024


3709 Comments


My friend went to a show this year. It was sadly kind of a ghost town. I think Season of Mist is dropping the ball on promoting them

Ectier
September 12th 2024


2955 Comments


I may try this band again. Everytime i do though something just doeant click for me with them. On paper its everything i like, but for some reason in practice it just doesnt work. I do agree hard though they seem to be swept under a rug and everytime its "oh right they exist" for me

Vercetti
September 12th 2024


857 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I like Starlight & Ash a lot, but am not a big fan of their older material. Not sure how to feel about Where Gods Fear to Speak. Will listen to it tomorrow

Koris
Staff Reviewer
September 12th 2024


22006 Comments

Album Rating: 4.3

@Lioness: I really hope that doesn't prove to be the case over time, as Century Media wasn't promoting them properly either



@Ectier: That's fair, and I'm aware that I champion them more than a lot of others do on Sput. Idk, I just love the way all their styles combine, and of course Cammie's vox are a big part of the appeal as well



@Vercetti: Yeah, this one definitely falls somewhere between S&A and their older stuff. I'm inclined to say the doom metal is a bit more dominant, but yeah

Pikazilla
September 12th 2024


31308 Comments


is this once again hard carried by the vocalist lady

Dreamflight
September 12th 2024


2289 Comments


"Everytime i do though something just doeant click for me with them. On paper its everything i like, but for some reason in practice it just doesnt work."

This so much.

Izildur
September 13th 2024


14 Comments


«is this once again hard carried by the vocalist Lady»

Probably, but hey! Cammie is among the best, if not the best female voice in metal since Anneke van Giersbergen. So, imho its not too bad if she carries the whole band. Also, I'm glad to hear the male death grunts are gone. While they weren't bad per se, I never found them to complement Cammie's vocals at all.

Vercetti
September 13th 2024


857 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Okay, now I've listened to the album. I like it (maybe even a bit more than I expected). It's not the doom metal part I had any problems with. It's usually the proggy stuff that keeps me from really enjoying/connecting to the music. I'm also not the biggest fan of death growls. So this is not the perfect album for me, but I think Cammie's vocals are very very good and there are enough quiet and slow parts to keep me interested.



@Koris: I think you made a mistake: It's not the guy from Moonspell on Prayer, it's Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquillity (at least the description of this video says so: https://youtu.be/RwcsJCBKzkg?si=CDhwA2KgvgYUqMyd)

Dreamflight
September 13th 2024


2289 Comments


Yeah that's definitely not Fernando Ribeiro and he does sound like Stanne.

BallsToTheWall
September 13th 2024


51607 Comments


Dope review, need to jam.

Koris
Staff Reviewer
September 13th 2024


22006 Comments

Album Rating: 4.3

@Vercetti: Hmmm... I'll have to check, because the promo I got may have had the names mixed up. Thanks for the catch though, I'll make sure it gets corrected



Edit: Ok yeah, looks like Run from the Light is the song that has Fernando on it. I'll fix that now



@Balls: Thank you!

BallsToTheWall
September 13th 2024


51607 Comments


Impermanence of Fate is a monster jam.

Koris
Staff Reviewer
September 13th 2024


22006 Comments

Album Rating: 4.3

Yeah, that one is awesome. Love the sweeping orchestral vibe at the beginning of the song

DarkSideOfLucca
September 14th 2024


18527 Comments


I'm so excited to jam this today

Koris
Staff Reviewer
September 14th 2024


22006 Comments

Album Rating: 4.3

Hellyeah man, let me know what you think of it 🤘

DarkSideOfLucca
September 14th 2024


18527 Comments


Dude this is REALLY fucking good

New constant rotation for the foreseeable future

Koris
Staff Reviewer
September 14th 2024


22006 Comments

Album Rating: 4.3

Nice! Glad you enjoyed it

DarkSideOfLucca
September 14th 2024


18527 Comments


Yeah this is prob a 4.5 as of now

One of my favorites of the year like really really high up there

This is so fucking good dude

Koris
Staff Reviewer
September 14th 2024


22006 Comments

Album Rating: 4.3

Glad I could spread the good word of OoS 🔥🔥🔥



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