OUR OCEANS - Our Oceans
January 20, 2016, 8 years ago
(Independent)
Here's one for the proggers out there, Our Oceans slinking out of the Netherlands with two members of late-era Cynic in their ranks (guitarist/vocalist Tymon Kruidenier and bassist Robin Zielhorst), the band definitely going for the light, airy side of dreamy prog than anything technical or heavy. Given Zielhorst's preference for playing fretless, the sound definitely becomes one of smooth atmosphere, the band addressing this right out of the gates with opener “What If”, which sets the tone perfectly for this 46-minute affair. Cuts like the cool “Precarious” definitely make me think anyone who's spent some time tripping out on Pink Floyd will dig this, while if you enjoyed Cynic's last album or two, this is definitely going to be something that sits next to those in your playlist just fine. The maturity and sense of accomplishment on this album is huge for a debut, although it makes sense: Kruidenier and Zielhorst also play together in similarly minded Exivious. Here the chemistry is perhaps most apparent on the gorgeous “Illuminate”, which brings to mind later-era Anathema in its simple beauty.
