Band: Where the Ocean Meets the Sky
Title: Empires
Label: CI Records
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Review By: Steve
Track Listing:
1. On The Backs Of Your Brothers
2. We Are But Instruments
3. Victims
4. Mettle Of A Man
5. Regime Discarded
6. Delusions Of Grandeur
7. Empires
8. Who We Are
Where the Ocean Meets the Sky is a six-piece melodic, metalcore band out of Philadelphia, PA that uses underlying Christian themes in their music and lyrics. They are set to release their CI Records debut, Empires, on October 12, 2010. They previously released an EP in 2009 titled Sexy!
Empires starts out great with “On The Backs Of Your Brothers.” The track starts out with some electro/synth enhanced effects and clean vocals then gives way into some heavy drumming and Blake screaming, “I’m your master.” It is definitely and intro track that can get some blood pumping and get you in the mood for some good metalcore. Musically, WTOMTS is extremely talented, they effectively blend in some heavy guitar, aggressive drumming, and use some electro/synth effects to put a different spin on their music. Vocally and lyrically, WTOMTS is talented as well. Vocalist Blake explains that the lyrics on Empires are “directed towards our faults as human beings and the idea that we destroy ourselves from the inside out.”
I only have two knocks against the album. First, the clean vocals really seemed to distract me on the album. I really enjoyed Blake’s screams and was looking for more of them. There is nothing wrong with Marc and Alex’s clean vocals. It was more that I just wanted more screaming; however, I do think people will disagree with me on this and really enjoy the clean vocals. The only other knock I had was the mixing of the drums on Empires. In parts of the album, the rest of the music, particularly the guitars, drowns the drums out.
My favorite tracks on the album are “On The Backs Of Your Brothers,” “Regime Discarded,” and “Who We Are.” “On The Backs Of Your Brothers” and “Who We Are” are great because they are extremely heavy and I believe show off the best of everything WTOMTS has to offer as far as vocals and music. I really liked “Regime Discarded” because it is a slower piano backed ballad with Blake trading in his screams for some clean vocals. The arrangement of the track is excellent with the mix of Marc and Alex doing clean vocals.
Overall: This is a solid album. If you like aggressive riffs and raw brutal screams mixed with some clean vocals, then I highly suggest you check out Where the Ocean Meets the Sky. WTOMTS is a band and with tons of talent and potential and are blessed to be on a label with a proven track record of producing and developing great talent.
RIYL: The Word Alive, Divide the Sky, IAAAO, melodic metalcore