Album Review: Oceans of Slumber - Where Gods Fear to Speak
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
Some bands make a career out of creating an established sound and formula and sticking with it whilst other bands constantly shift and progress their sound with each consecutive release. One such band that has never sat comfortably from album to album are Oceans Of Slumber. The Texan progressive metal band formed in 2011 with their debut album “Aetherial” arriving in 2013. The significant shift in their sound occurred in 2014 when Cammie Beverley joined the band elevating their sound with her incredible vocal skills whilst the band took a more atmospheric and doomladen approach to their progressive metal sound. Three incredible albums - “Winter”, “The Banished Heart” and “Oceans Of Slumber” - followed which are some of the finest the progressive metal world has seen but 2022 saw Oceans Of Slumber take a different approach with “Starlight And Ash” which was a more stripped back album with the metal elements all but removed and a focus on a southern gothic sound. It was still undeniably Oceans Of Slumber with some of the finest performances and best songwriting to date but unfortunately it did not sit too well with their label at the time who wanted more of the same that had come before. Inevitably Oceans Of Slumber changed labels to Seasons Of Mist and true to form have not sat still with another shift in their sound for their sixth album “Where Gods Fear To Speak” which features in equal measure some of the most beautiful music the band have produced as well as some of the most aggressive and vicious.
“Where Gods Fear To Speak” sees the band return to a metal sound but incorporating the mood, atmosphere and songwriting approach that could be found on “Starlight And Ash” whilst also adding more elements from extreme metal and some new vocal approaches. When you have a singer as stunningly talented as Cammie Beverly you are going to use her vocals to your full advantage and that is exactly what this album has done with her soulful gorgeous clean vocals ensuring hearts are broken and hairs are standing on end. What no-one expected from Cammie though were death metal vocals but that is exactly what we have scattered throughout the album. Oceans Of Slumber have had harsh vocals in their music on previous albums but it has always been done by other members of the band. Cammie has grabbed the challenge by the horns and excelled with some insanely guttural growls and snarls and it defies belief that this demonic voice could come from the same vocal chords as the angelic clean vocals that Cammie has become so known and championed for. They are seriously impressive.
The songs which make up show the band in fierce form as can be heard right from the start with the dark and brooding title track which quickly brings in Cammie’s new vicious vocal approach in a song that effortlessly switches between atmosphere and metal aggression. The more vicious side of the band continues in songs such as ‘Run From The Light’ (which includes some guest vocals from Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell), the beauty and darkness of ‘Poem Of Ecstasy’ and the calm and the storm of ‘The Impermanence Of Fate’. There is a cinematic element to the album with expansive songs of varying sounds and mood such as gorgeous epic ‘Don’t Come Back From Hell Empty Handed’ and the furious yet atmospheric ‘Prayer’ (also including some guest vocals from Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity). The band’s tender side can also be heard in the stunning ‘Wish’ and the gorgeous ‘The Given Dream’. Oceans Of Slumber have regularly included a cover song on their albums and this is no exception with the Chris Isaak classic ‘Wicked Game’ given a stripped back and emotionally driven treatment by the band.
When preview songs of “Where Gods Fear To Speak” were released showing the band returning to a metal sound after the experimental nature of “Starlight And Ash”, I was concerned that the band would be taking a step back but any fears were quickly quashed as Oceans Of Slumber have released another stunning album. The songwriting is amazing, the performances sublime and the atmosphere will ensure lumps in throats and hairs standing on end. Hopefully this will be the album that makes the metal world really sit up and take notice of Oceans Of Slumber as they are one of the most essential bands going in the genre right now and “Where Gods Fear To Speak” is another stunning release in a stunning run of albums.
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