…And Oceans is a band that wasn’t for long stretches over the eons they served their fan base. The Finns started their lengthy career back in 1995 with a first demo, but lasted only until 2002 when Cypher released to some limited fan embrace. After that, only bits and pieces graced our soundscapes until they hit the circuit again in 2019 with an EP.1 The RMR crew took real notice of them only once As In Gardens, So In Tombs hit our turntables with a bang.
So, we weren’t quite sure if …And Oceans‘ songwriting process would take yet another 20 years or so to produce new material. But – luckily – The Regeneration Itinerary appeared in our review pipe this uneasy year of 2025. So, the question is, will this band graze those same metallic pastures than before or will they lead off to richer fields? Prophetik Elektronix.
Well, in essence, The Regeneration Itinerary leans as much into what Moonsorrow should have done some time ago as they finally found the 50 amp switch to power up and get going. Meaning, the mix of sturdy Black Metal with the occasional foray into techno-esque electronica just got louder and more potent. The RMR crew found a record that allows a powerful whirlwind of riffs, leads, and solos to coexist with meaty synths. On top of that Mathias Lillmåns gritty growls and anguished musings perfectly integrate into the overall production.
The Black Metal mostly navigates in the atmospheric and – to a lesser extent – in some snazzier realms of symphonics. …And Oceans‘ knack to use industrially tainted vibes together with some (quasi) excursions into prog-country (The Form and the Formless, for instance) lends The Regeneration Itinerary an astonishingly sturdy backbone. In other words, the piece’s overall concept is proof of superior songwriting with a knack for creating cosmic soundscapes floating somewhere out in space.
The record seems a bit top-heavy with the tandem Inertiae and Förnyelse i Tre Akter throwing the book of all …And Oceans know to do at you. And this includes some bouts of weird electronica that always kinda stand out of the mix like the proverbial sore thumb. The band boasts a style direction they call Electronic Metal, but there isn’t much of that. And luckily so, you don’t want to become another incarnation of Amaranthe, right? Instead, The Regeneration Itinerary goes down strongly on numerous synth injections and ever-returning key patterns in a sea of blackened metal texturing. The band weaves a complex and metallic fabric of almost hypnotic soundscapes that risks carrying you along like some primordial avalanche on a journey to some cosmic netherworld.
You got gems like Prophetical Mercury Implement with all their vocal drama, roaring guitars, and thundering drums that’ll take you along for a wondrous ride. This particular track also highlights the versatility of the vocalist yet again. Scarce on clears, the roaring and raw growls, anguishied screams, and raspy shrieks neatly integrate into a somewhat overloaded mix. This contrasts with other tracks, such as The Ways of Sulphur, which somehow tried to reach high but failed. Meaning, TRI delivers a somewhat spotty tracklist with an ebb and flow of tracks ranging from excellent to somewhat mediocre.
Thus, unsurprisingly, The Regeneration Itinerary still failed to convince this here crew completely. TRI ain’t no bad record for sure. And the overall atmosphere generates that feeling of otherworldliness, of vast cosmic spaces, of ethereal beings floating about. On the downside, the endless repetitions of the same and similar themes, and the simultaneous injections of a myriad elements into the mix, make for an uneasy and confusing maelstrom of seemingly often unfinished ideas. And this creates an impression of a swirling and unstructured mass of sounds and flavors that somehow negate themselves. A sonic amalgamation gone too far on a foundation of too many ideas executed all at once.
In other words, a few pegs in the ground along the way for guidance and a better concept would have worked wonders. As this would have elevated a very good ranking up to outstanding levels. The song title Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics2 summarizes our point well. There’s a ton of talent here and a will to take this further. The vision, however, didn’t quite follow the general direction and got blurred. It is thus a pity that this band didn’t have the discipline3 to get to higher ground and let their wares shine brightly.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Season of Mist | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 23 May 2025