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Stream As Ocean’s New EP, Willows

Ok, so here’s how it goes — you’re on your computer, you click on this article, possibly because you know As Oceans and their brand of precise, pummeling, progressive

9 years ago

As Oceans_Willows

Ok, so here’s how it goes — you’re on your computer, you click on this article, possibly because you know As Oceans and their brand of precise, pummeling, progressive deathcore already, or because you see this article on the HBIH facebook page, or maybe you’re on the website and you’re scrolling through. Something about this intrigues you. Maybe it’s this weirdly-written intro, maybe it’s the picture on the article, something, whatever. You read the article, or maybe you scroll down to the youtube stream immediately. Either way, it doesn’t matter. My point is this: what has happened to get you up to this point is different for you than it has been for everyone else reading this. But what happens next is unanimous — you’re totally blown away by the music contained here.

The new EP from the aforementioned As Oceans, Willows, is a packed 30 minutes of powerful, intelligent, djent-ish progressive deathcore in the same vein as Born of Osiris and After the Burial. It switches masterfully on the drop of a dime- twisting and turning, Willows delivers a style that can only be characterized as ‘forestcore’. It’s naturalistic sounding, climactic, and delivers the same intensity as a hike up a mountain or getting punched in the face by a bear. The intros and lulls in the harshness create an inviting atmosphere, and then the grooves pound your brain to mush. The varied tracks, peppered with individual touches that make each song unique, add a fantastic diversity to Willows. The whole thing is multifarious, lending itself incredibly well to multiple listens- it unfolds itself to the listener the more you hear it. Overall, this is a crushing and fantastic package of music, and I’d say it’s almost criminal to make something this great and then only make it a half-hour long.

Do yourself a favor and stream this EP right now. You won’t regret it. Willows is thoughtful in its writing, lethal in its riffage, and masterful in its execution.

Willows came out today, here’s a link to the As Oceans bandcamp page if you want to pick it up for yourself.

-SH

Simon Handmaker

Published 9 years ago