Search - And Oceans :: Cypher

3,5 starts, good mix of Black Metal and Industrial

Rick van der Ham | 11/25/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Cypher is the only album of the band I own, but from what I have heard and read about earlier albums, Cypher sounds different than those albums. And Oceans used to play Black Metal, but Cypher cannot be described as a pure Black Metal album. Sure there are still Black Metal elements, like the occasional blast-beats, the harsh vocals and the misanthropic atmosphere, but the band has incorporated many Industrial Metal elements, and more groove.



The lack of instrumental parts and the lack of tempo changes during songs, can for some people, make the album sound one-dimensional, especially when you listen to the album for the first time or when you are not focused when listening to it. The songs are mainly mid-tempo and rather short and simple, but catchy. The album is also rather short.



The industrial sounds give the music an extra layer. These sounds sound like being in an industrial factory from hell. The vocals are a mix of typical Black Metal vocals and a little bit over the top vocals like Lex Icon from The Kovenant on the albums Nexus Polaris and Animatronic. Although there are a few negative sides, the songs are good enough to enjoy this album. I can recommend Cypher to open minded fans of extreme Metal.



To conclude:



Positive points:



· Well written catchy songs.

· Unique music style, due to the combination of modern Black Metal and Industrial Metal.

· Misanthropic atmosphere.



Negative points:



· Songs have no interesting instrumental parts.

· The songs have to few tempo changes.

· The album can sound one-dimensional.

· Album is to short.

"

Bleak

RxxktheVote | maryland | 02/18/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"...And Oceans have led a rather interesting career... they seem obsessed with throwing out the rule book and leaving fans confused. From their black metal debut, to 99's brilliant, electronica laced AMGOD, these guys have always been at the forefront of scandinavia's avant garde movement. Cypher is a completely new direction.... in fact it sounds nothing like their previous work and could easily pass for a different band entirely! Instead of melodic, techno-black metal, Cypher is grinding, cold, and industrialized. Rammstein, Skinny Puppy, and even Fear Factory come to mind when I listen to this... alot of bleeps and sparse keyboard lines are layered throughout, giving the mechanized, driving songs an ethereal quality. The recent directions of peers Arcturus and the Kovenant were most likely an influence. ...And Oceans seem more devoted to the industrial cause, however, as songs like "Voyage, Lost Between the Horizons, Eaten By the Distance" (what a mouthful!) are almost entirely electronic. There are shades of brutal death metal ("Absolute Purification of Sins") and their melodic past for good measure. The vibe on Cypher is pretty much cold and bleak, perpetuated by vague keyboard washes and harsh vocals. I hear alot of Prong (!) in the straightforward tempo, but once again, Rammstein seems to be a chief reference point. My only complaint is the stupid song titles... such as "Aphelion, Light Evanescence, Into Extinction", which serve only to irritate and interfere with track distinction. Talk about pretentious. If you were a fan of And Ocean's previous work, or are into industrial at all, you might find alot in Cypher. Only open minds need apply, cos this is pretty hard to swallow"

Darkane meets Dark Tranquility plus techno with black vocals

Matt Stoessel | Tolland, CT USA | 08/03/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, I should congratulate you for finding such a rare jewel. Few bands can do what ...And Oceans does, Samael being the only other I know of. Cradle of Filth has a song as the last track on the bonus disc on Cruelty and the Beast but it is far from the same. It is really a full techno song with black vocals and lyrics. Also, Dismal Euphony's closing track on Autumn Leaves has a techno edge to it, but it's even worse. Tristania's World of Glass album has a song that tries to mix techno, but it is awful. These bands should stick with what they do best. So how does ...And Oceans do it? Well, I can't figure it out either! We metal fans should just take them for granted. Some fans of traditional black and death metal won't be disappointed with this sound. Every song is pure death metal (yeah, this album isn't as much black metal as other releases - there are only 2 short blast beats) with OCCASIONAL techno beats. Most of where the techno comes into play is in what would be the "by hand" equivalent of a bass and keyboards. If you want a pure techno song with black vocals, Cradle of Filth's song does the job and the last song on this band's previous release does the job beautifully. Also, what I miss the most on this album are parts like the beginning of "Tears Have No Name" on the previous release. Also, the CD is heavy enough to contain blast beats and sound good, so where did they all go? So overall, I'm not saying this is a bad release. It is just not atmospheric, making it not quite my cup of tea. I prefer albums "Allotropic Metamorphic Genesis of Dimorphisism" and "Eternal" more than this. Alright, let's talk about my title. Darkane is a Swedish hardcore band who sounds like black metal with screaming, non-grunting singing. And we all know Dark Tranquility, so that's that. Put the 4 elements together and you have Cypher."