Oceans: Hell Is Where the Heart Is

If you were to get to know me outside of my reviews on SoT you'd eventually come upon quite a few of my quirks, one of which is my immense and almost debilitating hatred of butt rock and nu metal. It's not just simple preference for me, as my wife will gladly tell you. It elicits a violent, almost primal reaction that I have little to no control over. Gagging, loud and frankly uncouth grunting, and general brooding is what you'll more than likely encounter from me if I'm subjected to "modern" (I'd hardly call them modern anymore) rock radio. I hate everything about it. Well, imagine my excitement when I first gave the newest album by international professional whiners Oceans a listen. Hell Is Where the Heart IS is an ungodly marriage of most of the things I hate in life, and it's somehow making the bourbon i'm drinking right now taste worse. It's like ashes in my mouth.

Oceans are, from what I can tell, an amalgamation of modern melodic rock, metalcore/deathcore, and nu-metal. There is certainly growling, chugging down tuned guitars, and heavy bits and bobs all over HIWTHI, but the album is just completely drenched in constant whining and dissonant nu-metal-isms that I just can't help from cringing. There's annoying "sick in the head" snarling and teeth grinding performative angry teenager stuff to be had in spades here, my friends. Think of all the worst offenders from the late 90's to early 00's and you have a pretty spot on idea of what to expect. I didn't really think anyone even did this kind of stuff anymore. It just drips with adolescent angst, and not the cool rebellious kind, the "mom took away my Xbox" kind.

Opening track "The Awakening" is a minor outlier in that it IS a modern "red state rock" song that you could easily hear on your local douchebag radio station, aside from a few growls and grunts. While I hate it, the rest of the album at least tries to be a little more eclectic with keyboards, blast beats, and interludes but It simply can't escape the dreadlocked elephant in the room: This is Coal Chamber with a shiny new coat of paint. I simply can't express just how much I dislike the clean vocals on HIWTHI. If you can make it through the entirety of the abysmally moody "Skin" without wanting to insert red hot pokers into your ears then you are either a U.S. Marine or a glutton for punishment. It's dire, man. Do not say I'm without mercy however, for I shall throw an extra .5 onto this review because the song "Home" has a few decent melodies and the chorus vaguely reminds me of something The Used or Finch would have played in their heyday and they were alright. Aside from that, though...

Hell is wherever this album is playing.

Tracklist:
1. Love (Intro)
2. The Awakening
3. Sulfur
4. Skin
5. Longing
6. Home
7. I Want to be Whole Again
8. Living=Dying
9. Clarity (Interlude)
10. If There's a God She Has Abandoned Us
11. I Sing Alone
12. Hell Is Where the Heart Is

Added: May 9th 2023
Reviewer: Brandon Miles
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 583
Language: english

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