Album Review: Solaris by The Ocean
Album artwork for Solaris by The Ocean
Post-Metal is a curious beast. Long songs, longer records. Coming in at around sixty-nine minutes, The Ocean’s eleventh full-length record, “Solaris”, is a goliath endeavour. Some records feel like they pass by in the blink of an eye, counteracting their run time and enveloping the listener in such a way that enables time to feel infinite. Others remind the listener that time is, alas, finite, and cling to each passing minute like reluctant fingertips desperately grasping at a doorframe. This record sits somewhere in the middle.
The record begins in such a manner as to make the listener question their choices. It’s long, it’s drab, it repeats. Repetition and post-metal go hand in hand; this is no surprise, yet in this instance you may find yourself wishing to be doing anything else. It’s a slog to get through, a slow burn that emphasises waiting for a reward. Does the reward come? At times. Is it worth the wait? This writer is as yet undecided.
It isn’t until the third track that things start to really amp up. Up to this point, the record takes its time to set you up. By track four, things get positively interesting. This track is also nearly seventeen and a half minutes long. No stranger to long songs, no stranger to hard work, yet unsure as to what the drive is. When one is acclimatised to such an endeavour, it can be seen as a fun challenge, or a simple exercise in endurance. And that is technically what it is. A sonic endurance test that, when executed with care and precision, feels genuinely rewarding. However, in the case of “Solaris”, this can fall flat, and you can find yourself wondering what you’re doing with your time. Reminding yourself that you could be listening to something else.
Elements of this record are genuinely astounding. Some of the compositions are exceptional, and the harsh vocals are delivered with tact and provide great impact. Belligerence is a certified rager; the production across the board is watertight. The dual vocal approach of the band in this current iteration is, to be quite polite, peculiar. Neither vocalist is bad; both have their own character and bring a very unique flavour, but on first listen can be somewhat grating. This lessens on repeat listens. Once you are used to what is being put forward, you can begin to enjoy it more, but with the track lengths as demanding as they are, not everyone will get that far.
It is important to stress that this record is NOT bad, and that may seem silly given what has been said thus far, but it is as true a statement as the rest of the review up to this point. The musicianship and composition is at times jawdropping. There is meat upon the bone for the listener to grab hold of. But does all of this justify the run time? Not really. When put alongside contemporaries such as Cult of Luna or ISIS, this iteration of the band can fall short.
Is this the result of yet another lineup change? Perhaps. Maybe with another record under their belt, the ideas will come forth in a more immediate way. The idea of post-metal being in any way immediate is genuinely laughable, but the point remains. Give us this day our daily bread, and lead us not into the ocean. At the end of the lane is frustration, a sense of time spent in futility, willing something to be more than the sum of its parts. Perhaps in time this will be more than it is. Repeat and repeat and repeat listens may transcend the listener beyond “yes, this is a post-metal record,” and towards a “yes, this is an exceptional journey I wish to repeat”, but how many hours can one expect an individual to spend willing that to existence?
Post-metal as a journey exists in many forms. Not all pay off. This record is worthy of an attempt; there is joy to be found here, but to promise the possibility of a repeat listen feels wrong. When one can enjoy four records in the time it takes to listen to one, or when one could listen to a genuinely astounding post-metal record for the same cost, why waste your time? Recommended listening experience: headphones, in the dark. Does that make it better? To a degree. When the electronics come in on the closing track, you might wonder what’s going on and there would be no blame in that. The payoff coming in such a form is confusing to say the least. The crescendo at the end of the lane. And it’s this? Sure. Whatever.
If you like to be challenged by your art. If you like slow builds, long walks to a conclusion, give it a go. This writer does, but was not exactly compelled to come back. But who is to say you won’t be? Art is subjective, music is subjective, and is anything truly bad? Yes. But this isn’t one of those things. It’s more disappointing than anything. Half of the record is powerful, commanding, absolutely worthy of your time. The rest just feels a bit boring. And honestly, that might be the worst part about it.
FFO: Cult of Luna, ISIS, Absent in Body, Pelican
SCORE: 5/10
Solaris released on all streaming platforms on the 25th of September via Pelagic Records.