Ahead of their forthcoming debut album "Sirens" (due out 30th September through Hawk Moon Records), UK post-metal duo Oceanus bring a collection of tracks that have influenced them on the release.
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Tracklist
Playing tracks by Devin Townsend, Steven Wilson, The Beta Band, Katatonia, Enslaved and more.
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ROBS CHOICES
Devin Townsend - Storm Been a pretty big influence for a few years now, as with most tracks on this mix I could choose several from his back catalogue but this seemed like a pretty decent fit.
Steven Wilson - Harmony Korine Could have chosen a Porcupine Tree track but less people have listened to his solo work. I'm influenced by/largely rip off Steven Wilson while writing vocal melodies, and Gavin Harrison when writing drum patterns.
The Beta Band - Gone A track I hope to convince Alex that we should cover at some point.
Katatonia - Chrome Again could have picked several Katatonia tracks. This is from both of our favourite album of theirs Last Fair Deal Gone Down.
Enslaved - Ruun Probably my favourite Enslaved song, and I'm pretty sure they ripped it off of an old Oceanus song I wrote. Even if the dates don't quite match up.
Primus - Shake Hands With Beef Admittedly this is a bit of a stretch, but it's nice to have a little variety in a mix tape... and to be fair there's a pretty weak Les Claypool rip off/homage on Sirens Part III.
ALEX'S CHOICES
Alcest - Écailles de Lune (Part II) Probably my favourite Alcest track; 'oceanic' themes are very present here, which draws obvious comparisons to Oceanus. This lengthy track features extremely atmospheric and intricate melodies and an excellent variety of vocals.
Lantlôs - Kalte Tage A track by this rather special German band. To me this encompasses post-black metal at its finest. The simple, yet affective chord changes with blast beats and eerie screams are all finalised by the beautifully layered guitar riffs in the second half of the track, complimented by the effective use of samples.
Les Discrets - La Traversée Another track from the Prophecy Productions; without a doubt a lot of the artists from this label have had a major influence on the sound of 'Sirens'. Airy, yet powerful guitar riffs and ebow coupled with bittersweet vocal melodies are in full prominence on this track.
Cave In - Innuendo and Out the Other A band that has slipped in and out of the limelight over the past 15 years in one way or another. This track has always been one of my first ventures into the foray of post-rock/metal and this band still stands as a subliminal influence when composing much of the material for Oceanus.
Oceanus - Sirens (Part III) This track portrays a lot of the signature sounds of Oceanus. It was the last track written for the album and a personal favourite of Alex from the three part title track.