OCEANO

If there was ever a band to add credibility to the widely despised and often trendy subgenre of deathcore, that band is OCEANO. To be completely fair, the Chicago-based quartet is closer to an evolved and diverse take on modern death metal than they are to the throngs of faceless "breakdown-grind-groove-grind-breakdown" bands out there clamoring for the same ninth-grader's dollar, but many of the elements are present. Present, but very refined and much more effective than the examples given by those who have watered-down this brand of metal before it ever really got going.

At first glance, "Depths" is a rabid and rampaging pit bull on a mindless binge of violence and rage. The hate that seethes from tracks like "A Mandatory Sacrifice" and the particularly growly and bruising "Inhuman Affliction" is enough to take down a horse, but OCEANO is much more than just piss and vinegar. Tech-minded string shredding and haunting melodies add a dark aura of brutality to "Samael The Destroyer" while atmospheric soloing and richly layered guitars lift "District Of Misery", "Plague Campaign" and "With Legions" (which boasts a strong NILE influence) far above the status quo were tunes of this ferocity are concerned. Speed-addled quickies, "Fractured Frames, Scattered Flesh" and "Empathy For Leviathan" show a bit of a grind-y side to the band. Stepping as far outside of the death metal/deathcore box as they possibly can while still holding strong to the brutality and forcefulness portrayed by its accompanying twelve tunes, the instrumental title track is one of the most surprising songs included on an album with breakdowns. After several moments of inherently dark, yet brightly melodious and well-structured guitar work, OCEANO chug their way into more pummel and rhythmic battery.

In some regards, "Depths" comes very close to doing what WHITECHAPEL did with "This Is Exile", if you focus on and stop with the snarling, detuned guitars, punchy production and overly-guttural vocals. Scratch beneath the surface and you'll see that OCEANO has produced an album that surpasses the aforementioned and all others in its class. As atmospheric and intelligently written as it is venomous and violent, "Depths" has just made deathcore an acceptable label.