This is the eleventh album from German progressive metal band The Ocean.
After 2023’s Holocene, The Ocean have returned a changed band, with a new drummer, two new guitarists, and two new vocalists. Bringing us 72 minutes of new material, Solaris is big, bold, and vast in scale and ambition.
Despite the significant lineup change, The Ocean’s core progressive/post-metal personality is intact and well. The heart of the band’s music lives on, and Solaris will be familiar to anyone who enjoyed albums such as Phanerozoic II. On the other hand, this new record definitely has its own character too. Of course, this is true of every album by The Ocean, so in this sense Solaris simply continues the band’s impressive track record of releasing quality, individual records.
The songs on Solaris are largely long, involved, and intricate. The songwriting is detailed and well-rendered, providing a listening experience that’s immersive and utterly compelling. The record manifests as a journey across progressive soundscapes that you can easily get lost in. Expertly balancing mood and atmosphere with hooks and accessibility, Solaris‘ worldbuilding is exceptional. The depth of songcraft delivers an album that’s simultaneously familiar and fresh. Solaris is hideously good.
The two new vocalists fit The Ocean perfectly. Enrico Tiberi effectively fills the role of previous iconic singer Loïc Rossetti extremely well, while Lane Shi unlocks a new aspect of sound for Solaris to ably explore. Her voice is expressive and charismatic, adding a new facet for The Ocean to incorporate into their extensive repertoire.
Filled with layered instrumentation, emotion-rich performances, and multifaceted songs, Solaris is the triumph many have hoped it would be. A new era of The Ocean has started, and Solaris is the first in hopefully a long line of new additions to an already excellent discography.
Essential listening.
Wonderbox Metal 