The Ocean are one of post-metal’s longest-serving acts, having been a band since 2000 and releasing their first demo, Islands / Tides, in 2002. A lot has changed within the music industry and the band in that time, something they detail in a new video exploring their new album, Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic.
As the follow-up to The Ocean’s ambitious last album, Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic, Phanerozoic II has big shoes to fill. Drummer Paul Seidel and guitarist Robin Staps discuss the new album and how the creative process differed on the second part, pointing to the fact that Phanerozoic II has more of a “spiritual vibe,” noting that they approached songwriting from a perspective that was atypical of previous releases.
As the title suggestions, Phanerozoic II continues on the path that the first album laid out thematically, continuing into the next two eras of Earth’s history. The documentary-style video is a fascinating look both at the album specifically and at the creative process of a progressive metal band that has entered its second decade of existence.
You can watch the video below and pre-order Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic through Metal Blade.
