Oceans Ate Alaska – “Lost Isles” [Album Review]

Oceans Ate Alaska recently tore up the live circuit across this fair isle (the UK) supporting U.S. deathcore favourites Chelsea Grin and, in the process, lived up to the reputation they’re getting as one of the bands to watch in 2015. So, does their debut album for Fearless Records, Lost Isles, see them further justify the hype?

Battering into life, from the start it’s obvious that Lost Isles is a very modern-sounding album. The production is polished, the tech-metal feel is very “now” but, at the same time, there is plenty of musical intelligence within Lost Isles that goes a long way to backing up media claims that the Birmingham outfit are “innovative” and “genre-bending”. Ridiculously heavy at times, the likes of “High Horse” are delivered with the kind of death metal technical ferocity that comes from really knowing your shit.

However, for the all the brutality, there is so much more to Lost Isles to keep you on your toes. One minute they’re tech-metal, the next things have gone all death metal. What about those cleans? Oi! Is that a bit of Dillinger? Hang on… doesn’t that sound like Bring Me The Horizon? And that is maybe my main frustration with this album. Yes, Lost Isles is unashamedly heavy and brain-twistingly innovative but I spent a good part of this album trying to second guess what the band were going to throw up next. My advice to you is to not make the same mistake I did, just sit back and simply let this lesson in modern heaviness tear you a new one.

Tracks like “Vultures & Sharks” and “Linger” demonstrate that, for all the guitar wanking and brain-boiling changes, Oceans Ate Alaska are really fucking talented and clearly crafted the music contained within this album with effortless ease. Lost Isles is undoubtedly innovative and certainly pushes the boundaries of heavy music but it’s one that you’ll need to truly immerse yourself into before you get the full understanding of how exciting this band are.

Track Listing:

01. Fourthirtytwo (Intro)
02. Blood Brothers
03. High Horse
04. Vultures and Sharks
05. Downsides
06. Floorboards
07. Linger
08. Equinox (Interlude)
09. Part of Something
10. Over the Edge
11. Entity
12. Lost Isles
13. Mirage

Running Time: 44:31
Release Date: February 23, 2015

Check out the album ‘Lost Isles’ here.