Pantheon of the Lesser

Ocean's second full-length album "Pantheon Of The Lesser" is a fantastic one to say the least. It really captures the fundamentals of the sludge/doom genre, and that is one of, but not the reason this album is so great.

The guitars have an excellent sound to them. They are heavy as fuck when they need to be, but they are also clean and hold a very dark vibe. But, not only is the sound of the instruments top notch; The timing is pristine.

There isn't much to say about the drums other than they were spot on. They had a very nice rhythm and they really played off of (and enhanced) the whole vibe of the album.

The vocals were pretty good as well. There were some very deep, sustained growls that worked phenomenally. The only negative thing I have to say about the vocals is that I thought there needed to be more! The guy has a great voice, and I wished I had heard him more throughout the album.

The only real negative aspect to this album is that the bass isn't very audible. The stuff that can be heard is great. It has a fantastic plodding rhythm that works well with the pace set by the other instruments. I just wish I could hear it more. It does add a certain element of heaviness to the overall album though, even if it can't be heard at times.

I highly recommend this album for anyone who is a fan of sludge/doom metal. You won't be disappointed. Don't let the lack of tracks scare you away. Both of them are amazing. You know you have skill if you can create such a monumental album with only two tracks.

This is a sludge/doom metal release by the band called Oceans. They are pretty well known to doom metal fans. This album consists of only 2 songs and still clocks over an hour! This is a pretty solid and a very atmospheric album. Most doom metal albums are depressing but this album actually made me feel relaxed!

The guitars are slow, structured and well timed. The songs start off on a slow tempo and gradually grow fast but dont expect any head banging stuff. They are very well timed and thus makes the songs flow well. The first song is really good and although clocking at 35 minutes, it never feels boring.

The bass is great. Though you can't hear it very clearly, you can certainly feel the heaviness it creates. Without the bass, this album won't be what it is. The production is good enough to project the bass in a controlled manner.

The drums are rythumic and slow and flow along the other instruments. The drummer has got some really good rhythm sense. The drums mostly get along the guitars and stay in the background.

The vocals are pretty average on the first track. The growling in the background does add to the atmosphere but I would have preffered more lyrical content. The female vocals on the second track were not good in my opinion and should have been avoided.

The production is near perfect. All the instruments are audible except the bass which is made to sound a little softer than other instruments but you can't really complain.

All in all, this a very solid album and do buy it if you stunble across it somewhere.