Review by Jack on October 14, 2001.

...And Oceans second full-length album is much the same as their first release; “The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts”, elite symphonic black art that is in a class of its own. What is particularly intriguing about “The Symmetry of I” is that ...And Oceans as a extra have added an ambient lounge music CD: “The Circle of O”.

“The Symmetry of I”: ...And Oceans have refined their fantastic debut with this album and created a superior mold for future black amateurs to say: “Yep, that band is for sure, ...And Oceans influenced.” There is nothing to really to separate one track from one another, except for ‘Mechanic Hippie’ and ‘The Black Vagabond and the Swan of Two Heads' which both contain truly memorable keyboard melodies. ...And Oceans do hold one truly exceptional card up their sleeve, all their songs do not reflect religious and primeval trappings of their genre mates. Song titles being ‘Baby Blue Doll – Merry Go Mind’ and ‘Acid Sex and Marble Teeth (You Phoria)' being truly track names for their comedian or light-hearted individual who does not require their black metal to be taken with issues like famine and world pollution.

“The Circle of O”: Pure ambient, lounge music from ...And Oceans. There is not a lot to say regarding this bonus CD, except it is a welcome relief from the harsh and unforgiving world that metal may sometimes drag you into. ‘Higher Levels of Microbotic Fields’ is a very interesting track, as it takes the keyboard elements of “The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts” ‘Mikrobotik Fields/Ur Idrig Saga Och Sng’ and creates them into a pleasant relaxing ballad. Beautiful.

Bottom Line: If you enjoy symphonic black metal in the vein of ...And Oceans first album and/or Dimmu Borgir’s “Stormblast” and “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” then “The Symmetry of I” is a joy to behold. “The Circle of O” is pure keyboard driven ambient music, perfect as a release from the day to day trappings of metal.

Rating: "The Symmetry of I": 8 out of 10 / "The Circle of O": 6 out of 10