Review by Adam M on November 20, 2018.

The Ocean come back with another epic album of post-metal bliss that echoes the waves of the ocean once again.  Here we have music that echoes Cult of Luna in its power, yet has an extra dimension of grace to make for a more complete listen.  They even added a guest spot by Jonas Renske of Katatonia on Devonian: Nascent to add more variety to the proceedings. 

Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic definitely isn’t afraid to become more moody and morose at times and cataclysmic at others.  It is an album that balances power and majesty to craft a worthwhile experience for all to witness.  How does it differ from the last album Pelagial?  Well, one could consider it more atmospheric and less progressive, but the music is still complex enough to be considered progressive.  There are sections that flat out overpower the listener, but there are others that are used to create a more subtle mood as well.  The differences from the likes of Pelegial are clear and make this a wonderfully fresh listen.  It is still post-metal however and if you never liked the genre before, this will do nothng to change your mind.  The songs are still trance-like and require some patience to absorb. 

The vocals on the album are nicely done and mostly in the harsh sense although there are the occasional clean portions as well.  Guitars are cascading and deliver huge sounds towards the listener even when more restrained.  The solid drumming nicely rounds out the listening experience. This is an album that fans of the band will jump all over, but will probably not get the amount of respect it deserves.  This band has fully established itself now and has a diversity that is welcome to behold.  Post-metal pundits should jump on this, but so should fans of good music in general.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10