The Ocean – Anthropocentric

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Metal Blade Records
Produced by Robin Staps

Anthropocentric is the sister album to Heliocentric, both of which comprise a lofty and ambitious double full-length project by German post-metal veterans The Ocean. Unfortunately, the second album of the two may ultimately be the analog to the unlucky younger sibling who receives a great deal less attention and praise due to the mere pre-existence of its prodigious older predecessor.

In short, Anthropocentric is a fine album. Like its predecessor, it has all of the elements that fans of The Ocean have come to expect and love throughout the years, and also includes some of the new wizardry which was introduced on Heliocentric as well. There are passages in odd time signatures which seem uncannily smooth in the deft hands of a group of truly fine musicians. There are angular riffs and driving tempos interspersed with slower melodic intervals. There are beautiful clean vocals which are counter-pointed by harsh screams (which is one of The Ocean’s more recently developed talents, thanks to new their vocalist Loic Rossetti). There are more classical/non-metal instruments being played here than ever before.

It’s all here. However, somehow, it all just pales in comparison – and while evaluating an album in the light of other works by the same artist is often not the best way to review an album, these comparisons will ultimately be made by the casual listeners as well as die-hard fans.

So Anthropocentric, while a fine post-metal album in its own right and an excellent release by an extremely talented band, may ultimately be relegated to the seat at the proverbial kids’ table while its older sibling (by only a few months, mind you) enjoys the warmth of the spotlight. In any other year, though, the praise for this album – or half-album, as it were – might likely have been much more significant.

“ an excellent release by an extremely talented band ”

Tracklist: Anthropocentric / The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov Baseness / She Was the Universe / For He That Wavereth? / The Grand Inquisitor II: Roots & Locusts / The Grand Inquisitor III: A Tiny Grain of Faith / Sewers of the Soul / Wille Zum Untergang / Heaven TV / The Almightiness Contradiction / The Grand Inquisitor IV: Exclusion From Redemption

Written by Chris Poling
More: 2010, Albums, Post Rock/Metal, The Ocean