Source: Album Cover
Since their inception a mere three years ago, Being As An Ocean have climbed up the ladder from noisy nobodies to hardcore heroes. Best known for their erratically bombastic live shows and brutal honesty, the Californian five-piece are back once more to do one better. If you were a fan of their second LP How We Both Wondrously Perish then get your mini fist-pumps out. If you were expecting a dose of something different, then you might want to get those face palms ready.
Beginning in a surprisingly odd fashion with what sounds like some kind of dance distortion, ‘Little Richie‘ is a half-hearted attempt at an opening. Blending pop tendencies with their already tried and tested vocal aggression, its a disappointing disjointed affair. On the flip side, its twin descents top it tenfold.
‘Ain’t Nobody Perfect’ packs a groovy punch through beautiful vocality and latter guitar moments. Its a nimble number that provides the calm before the storm as ‘The Zealot’s Blindfold’ kicks in. The track is the album’s reminder of why Being As An Ocean are continuing to thrive. From hostile emotion to almost rap-like hardcore elements, its the epitome of what we expect from the quintet.
Whilst this self-titled third offering has its saving graces, there’s a distinct feeling of a huge safety net engulfing the lot. ‘Saint Peter’ is a lacklustre and secure edition that provides no additional layer to the album, and a clear example of how the band could (and should) have gone further. The hardcore scene is in overload of the melodic meets metal fusion – that leaves a lot to be desired from the band whom are supposed to be pioneering it.
It may seem a tad doom and gloom, but the moments that this self-titled LP gets right, it really gets right. ‘Forgetting Is Forgiving The I’ and ‘Sins Of The Father’ are fuelled by an abundance of passion – and its hard to ignore. Although the band may not have to dared to go beyond their comfort zone, their comfort zone is one we can’t deny that has always worked.
Candid vocality mixed in with a breakdown for good measure – we can’t really resist, can we?
