Album Review: The Ocean Collective – Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic|Cenozoic

The German progressive metal collective’s latest album is one you shouldn’t miss.

This review was originally published in The Kelowna Daily Courier under the title “Let’s review some metal albums“

Taking influence from a variety of genres and style, Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic, the latest album by German metal band The Ocean, is a triumph of progressive metal. Though not every song is accessible for every listener, Phanerozoic is an easy contender for album of the year.

Phanerozoic is a concept album, a continuation of the band’s previous work Phanerozoic I: Paleozoic. Lyrically, the album deals with the current geologic eon, with each track named for a major epoch within that eon, and recounting, to varying degrees, events that occurred within that period. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most epochs mentioned (with the notable exception of album-closer “Holocene”, named for the current geological epoch) ended in an extinction event. Accordingly, many of the lyrics on Phanerozoic II recount world-ending disasters – the end of standout track “Jurassic | Cretaceous” describes the devastation in the wake of the infamous meteor that killed the dinosaurs.
But far from simply describing historical events, the epoch each song is named for also informs more widely applicable and relatable lyrics. “Pleistocene”, named for an epoch that featured several ice ages as well as the extinction of most of the planet’s megafauna, is a song about loneliness and despair.
Album opener “Triassic” and “Holocene” tackle hopelessness and estrangement, particularly through the recurring line “you feel so disconnected, and yes I get it but there is just no point in further confrontation, dysfunctional communication skills.”

Musically, Phanerozoic II runs the gamut from guitar-driven extreme metal to synth-based progressive rock. “Triassic” starts on a melancholic, Western-tinged guitar riff by Robert Staps, before incorporating rhythmic synthesizers and Mattias Hägerstrand’s bass, and eventually building to extreme metal chaos by the end (anchored by Paul Seidel’s phenomenal drumming). “Triassic” is a great intro, showing off a bit of every style that ends up on the album, and even introducing several musical and lyrical motifs that reoccur in other songs.
“Paleocene” and “Jurassic | Cretaceous” are Phanerozoic II’s heaviest songs, featuring great breakdowns and chunky riffs. “Eocene” and “Miocene | Pliocene” are slower, incorporating more clean vocals and synthesizers. “Oligocene”, named for a transitional period most notable for the expansion of grass, is a dreamy instrumental interlude between the aforementioned slower songs. Phanerozoic is an album as varied as the era it takes its name from. Musically diverse, lyrically deep, and featuring some excellent standalone tracks, The Ocean’s latest album is easily one of their strongest.

9/10