Oceansize – Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up

A friend of mine recommended Oceansize to me. I’m glad I checked them out, because I was completely blown away by the originality and intricacy of Everyone Into Position and especially Frames. When I got the news that the band is going to release a new album I was hellbound on reviewing it. Here it is, my review of Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up!

Surprise, surprise, the album starts with a stoner rock song in the vein of Kyuss and Masters Of Reality. After this musical surprise, entitled Part Cardiac, the album continues with SuperImposer and Build Us A Rocket Then. Those two songs show a more familiar side of Oceansize and are mostly up-tempo with slight psychedelic overtones. Porcupine Tree comes to mind here.

Oscar Acceptance Speech and Silent/Transparent are the two longest and most experimental tracks on this album. It’s all about postcore influenced soundscapes and psychedelics here with a slight nod to the lighter side of Isis and Neurosis.

The heaviest track on this record is It’s My Tail And I’ll Chase It If I Want To, which has clear Deftones and Tool references to it.

Muse is also a major influence on Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up, especially on the calmer closing songs, entitled Pine and SuperImposter. But it’s still vintage Oceansize with lots of psychedelic effects.

The Oceansize lads are not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves, yet they combine them all in a very interesting musical stew. Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up is all about dynamics and experimentation pinned together with a very progressive edge. It’s not an easy album to get into, but hell, it’s a musical gem and arguably one of the best records of this year. Recommended!

written by Raymond Westland

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