… AND OCEANS

The Regeneration Itinerary

As their name suggests, the Finnish …And Oceans have a dynamic and shifting history. Emerging from the late ’90s symphonic black metal wave with complex, philosophical works, they abruptly pivoted in the early 2000s, diving headfirst into industrial and electronic experimentation on albums like A.M.G.O.D. and Cypher. This bold move traded frostbitten riffs for synthetic textures, alienating some early fans while intriguing others. After a lengthy hiatus (including a period as Havoc Unit), the band resurfaced, first with Cosmic World Mother (2020) and then As in Gardens, So in Tombs (2023). These releases saw them reclaim their black metal identity, now infused with sharper melodies and potent aggression.

Their new album, The Regeneration Itinerary, continues this trajectory, further emphasizing raw, melodic black metal steeped in a profound sense of desolation, while electronic elements still flicker occasionally. Across ten tracks, the album conjures an atmosphere of apocalypse, embraced with a visceral, almost celebratory acceptance of suffering and collapse. It’s a sound rooted firmly in human failure rather than speculative synthetic futures, delivering the kind of cathartic ruin many blackgaze fans crave.

The journey begins with ‘Inertiae,’ the album’s first single and most experimental offering. Its jarring shifts, including a notable electronic break reminiscent of Skazi, pique immediate interest. This is pure black metal with a touch of forest rave; however, this level of overt experimentation isn’t replicated elsewhere. The second single, ‘Förnyelse i Tre Akter’, follows, contrasting hellish screams with a dramatic, almost gothic chorus, evoking cycles of creation and loss with raw power. ‘Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics’ is arguably the best song on the album; its lyrics critique blind devotion and the loss of self (‘The Mender’s influence leads to stagnation’), serving as a chilling anthem for the day silicon might overtake humanity, its closing chorus seals the coffin.

‘The Form and the Formless’ begins with raw black metal and unexpectedly shifts to a synth-driven break, similar in structure to ‘Inertiae’, before launching back into a fierce assault. This brief detour amplifies the impact of the final onslaught. ‘Prophetical Mercury Implement ‘, the longest track and another single choice, weaves dreamy keyboard lines with melancholic rage, recalling the epic scope of bands like Caladan Brood. It serves as a substantial midpoint, an appetizer for the remaining songs, which, while proficient, don’t quite sustain the inventive heights of the first half. 

Tracks like ‘The Fire In Which We Burn,’ ‘The Ways Of Sulphur,’ and ‘I Am Coin, I Am Two’ deliver competent atmospheric black metal, blending Dimmu Borgir-esque synths, Windir-like epicism and cavalcades with the shadow of Emperor in the background. They provide satisfying rides into perdition, though they tread more familiar ground. Unexpectedly, the closing pair, ‘Towards The Absence Of Light’ and ‘The Terminal Filter,’ don’t quite build to the anticipated crescendo. They return to melodic black metal filled with rage and apocalyptic weight, but feel similar in structure and tone, potentially working better as a single, extended piece rather than two distinct closers.

The Regeneration Itinerary is conceptually rich, exploring transformation, duality, and cyclical existence through a lens of oppressive despair and cathartic release. The blackgaze undercurrent of pain and fury permeates the record: the first half delivers surprises and memorable arrangements, while the second half, though skillfully executed, settles into a more uniform, less experimental path. Despite this, The Regeneration Itinerary cements …And Oceans as alchemists of rage and melancholy, delivering a potent record that blackgaze and melodic black metal fans will devour, even if its finale doesn’t fully match its fiery start.