Album Review: Oceanhoarse - Dead Reckoning

I've had my issues with what we today call 'modern metal'. That doesn't even have to do with how the 'modern' in that term extends back at least a decade, so it's not really all that modern anymore. No, my real issue is that what is now accepted as standard operating procedure for metal bands has pushed the genre further and further away from having the ability to cross over. More and more elements from extreme metal have crept in, and that leaves a bigger chunk of metal than ever impenetrable to all but the most dedicated of heavy listeners. It shoots the genre in the foot. If you want to know why people say 'rock is dead', it's partially because bands are making music that doesn't appeal to anyone besides their fans.

Just look at how Oceanhoarse starts out this album. After the pointless intro, "Locks" opens up with screamed vocals and a breakdown riff. If you aren't the kind of person who loses their voice in a mosh pit on the regular, this holds no appeal for you. Look, I get that metal bands making metal albums for metal fans isn't a controversial thing. However, you can only grow if you're expanding your audience, and songs like that aren't going to do the trick. Least of all without a big, hooky chorus to make the rest of the song worth sitting through.

Like a lot of modern bands, the riffs Oceanhoarse builds their songs from are of the mechanical variety, without much to them you can remember. One chugging pattern isn't much different than the other, nor are the angular runs of notes melodic in any way you are likely to hum to yourself. That puts all the onus on the vocals to deliver the bits that will make the songs memorable, and the band just isn't up to the task. "One With The Gun" is a perfect example of this, with vocals that go from strained to shouted, and all without even trying to put together a melody worth listening to.

As the album plays out, the whole affair sounds like a flatter version of the old metalcore sound. The band isn't as heavy as those groups were, they can't play with any groove, and the vocals are devoid of the sing-along hooks that propelled that genre. This sounds like an imposter trying to convince you it's the real deal, but it's obvious they're wearing a fake nose and glasses.

The appeal I see to Oceanhoarse is simply that if you love metal and only care that your music is heavy, they can fit that bill. If you're actually interested in hearing well-written songs that hold strong appeal, and that you might remember after hearing them, "Dead Reckoning" is not the album for you. And if you really like the album's title, go listen to the Threshold album of the same name. That one is far better than this.