I didn't really like Holocene. I could, however, appreciate it. That distinction is important: while the album wasn't for me, I could see what The Ocean were trying to do with it. More than that, I accepted that experimentation and change was the entire point of the project. Hell, Pelagial (still my favorite album from the band) is built around the very idea of change and transformation. But the direction the band was going in wasn't for me; I didn't think they executed it with enough skill to hold my interest. And so, I approached Solaris with some trepidation. I knew what to expect, namely something different, especially when I heard that four new band members were being added. What form would The Ocean take this time? Would some of the "old" sound return and, more importantly I think, did I want it to?
Well, the answer to both of those questions is "sort of". Solaris is definitely more akin to Pelagial and Phanerozoic than Holocene was. It has plenty of electronic sounds and touches to it but it very much revolves around some of the tried and true elements of The Ocean, namely post-metal built around a concept album. But there are also differences. As you might be able to tell from looking at the cover art, Solaris is a "brighter" album. What do I mean by that? First, the compositions are less organized around crushing force and more around exploration and melody. Even Phanerozoic, which wasn't explicitly built around the concept of weight like Pelagial was, used its instruments to oppress and crush. But Solaris has a whole gamut of new sounds; check out "Light Pollution" for example and the undulating, mercurial segment around the four minute mark and especially the exquisite guitar bridge around four minutes and fifty seconds.
Have you really heard The Ocean do this in the past? Not quite. And while you're there, you probably picked up on the vocals of Lane Shi (Elizabeth Color Wheel, Fórn) who is by far the biggest new addition to this album. The Loic Rosetti style vocals, which Enrico Tiberi does an uncanny job of recreating, really benefit from having a counter-part on this release. It's not that Tiberi's voice is boring. But the interaction between his timbre and the rest of The Ocean's instruments is tried and true. Shi, on the other hand, brings a whole new texture and palette to the record, creating much of that "brightness" I was referring to earlier. Whether screaming, vocalizing, humming, or emoting she's a breath of fresh air to the record and my favorite change on it by far. Other changes include those I've already highlighted, like new ideas from new guitarists, new ideas for how tracks are "stitched" together, like the bells on "Simulacra" or the overall approach to leitmotifs and guitar riffs on the album.
Speaking about "Simulacra", holy shit do I love this track. It's perhaps my favorit example of what Solaris does so well. It's definitely The Ocean but it also sounds so different, the chords chosen, the structure of the track, the synths, even what Staps does with his singing on this track. It builds up to something much more exciting than just a retread. Rather, it's a rethink, an approach to the band's past that insists not just on regurgitation but a reprocessing that results in a new approach towards the same goal and sound.
Which brings me back to the question of did I want the "old" The Ocean back and my answer of "sort of". I am very happy to hear the heaviness come back to the foreground and The Ocean back to what they do well: creating meticulously constructed, concept heavy post-metal. But I am also equally happy that they did not go back to Pelagial or Phanerozoic, as much as I love those releases. I am extremely glad that they held on to what I think makes them unique and yes, what sometimes leads them to make releases I don't enjoy as much: their fierce dedication to change. You never know what The Ocean will do next and they have proven this once again on Solaris. Thankfully, the end result is also something I love.