...And Oceans : " As in Gardens, So in Tombs"

I normally think of these guys as Finland's answer to Dimmu Borgir. The title track that opens their new album does not prove this kind of thinking to be unfounded, but there is a greater sense of identity to this one. It has been three years since their last album and production wise this is not a leap. The second song is more aggressive. It does not stay in your face blasty mcnasty, as varied riffs weave in and out of the assault. I like that the symphonic elements just color the background and do not turn this into a flowery Night Wish sound.  There is more of a gallop to "Within Fire and Crystal." The vocals are your typical black metal snarl. There is more nuanced riffing as this song progresses that might appeal to fans of more traditional metal. That is not to say they steer away from blasting; they just throw more at you than your typical black metal band. The keyboards were also factored into the songwriting and are not just the icing on the cake. 

What seems to work best for these guys is when there more thrashing metallic attack is tempered with melody and atmosphere, to keep them from sounding like hundreds of other black metal bands who blaze the more raw and rugged path of metal. When this does not happen, they are forced to rely on punchy riffs and slick production quality to distinguish themselves as the upper tier of black metal. For the first five songs this keeps things listenable enough. "Cloud Heads" Finds them firmly in the middle of the bed when it comes to high budget conventional black metal. The drumming breaks things up to make it more interesting with a break down midway into the song. Is it enough for me to same damn that one little drum part was cool I need to hear that again? No.  

There is more dynamic flow to " Water into Wine". This shows a sharper sense of songwriting smarts rather than just doing what is expected from black metal. The song after these launches into a straightforward blasting blitz that while accented well by the vocals sounds like every other black metal band from this corner of the genre. Thankfully two minutes in things break down to a creepier mood. Not as industrial flavored as some of their previous albums, you can hear where that influence colors things.  "the Earth Canvas" splits the difference between branching out and doing their own thing and working within the expected conventions, while the vocals working off a one-dimensional scream works against them in creating a wider range of sound. Sure, some of the riffs are smartly written, but cool riffs alone are not going to carry the weight.

There are two bonus tracks but for the purpose of this review I am stopping at the tenth and last song "Ambivalent God.". It is closer to the status quo for black metal, perhaps even more so than the rest of the album. If you are a fan of this band, I cannot imagine this being a detractor for you. I am less invested, so perhaps more capable of having a more critical ear. They checked off all the boxes when it comes to what you might expect from black metal, though I personally want from the genre what I am not expecting, so for that reason I will round this album down to an 8. But if you like your black metal sounded big and refined, while still full of fury then it is worth a listen when Season of Mist drops it on the 27thp;