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"the banished heart" is the third full length studio album from American progressive metal band Oceans of Slumber, released March 2nd 2018 via Century Media Records.
User Album Review
When it comes to attention to detail, Ocean of Slumber’s dedicated leader and monstrous drummer, Dobber Beverly, leaves no stone unturned as the band venture down a darkened path to creating their bewitching new album, ‘The Banished Heart’. Yet this is no one-man show. Much of the magic on ‘The Banished Heart’ is channelled through the incredible performance by vocalist Cammie Gilbert. The result is one of their best albums to date.
If much of the beauty in Progressive music lies in its bottomless pit of hybrid possibilities, many who attempt this genre often get lost in just that. Oceans of Slumber might still be considered relatively new, but their painstaking attention to detail ensures they don’t fall too far down such rabbit holes, best illustrated by the albums closer “Wayfaring Stranger”. Not only does this track demonstrate multi-instrumentalist, Beverley’s, considerable talents outside the kit, creating a wonderfully melancholic atmosphere through piano and synth, it also recognises the band’s talent for simple and direct song writing. Stripped back to a simple glide of the hand along the keys,with an eerie and inspiring vocal performance from Gilbert, “Wayfaring Stranger” is one of the simpler, but standout tracks to be found here.
From then outset, ‘The Banished Heart’ highlights an attention to production, and it never lets up for the duration of the record. Like a punch from a velvet glove, ‘The Banished Heart’ strikes a beautiful balance between controlled, technical and structural chaos, while being courageous enough to rein it back in order to land a softer yet equally powerful punch. An album that commands your attention and compels you to listen, ‘The Banished Heart’ sees Oceans of Slumber producing what might already prove to be one the best Progressive Metal albums of 2018.
Reviewed by Carl O'Rourke for metalwani.com.
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