Review by Andrew Bansal, photos by Robert DeAnda
November 9th 2016, Complex, Glendale CA: Returning to the States for the first time since their summer 2014 co-headline run with Scale The Summit, German progressive metal group The Ocean recently completed a two-week US headline tour with support acts North and The Gorge, ending with the final show in the LA area at Complex in Glendale, for another Church Of The 8th Day presentation, albeit with no local openers, for a change. The Ocean’s 2013 full-length concept album ‘Pelagial’ certainly catapulted them into the absolute top bracket of active prog bands, and they performed it in its entirety on the said 2014 US tour, strengthening their fan-base around these parts. They released a split EP called ‘Transcendental’ with Mono in 2015, but fans eagerly await the full-length follow-up to ‘Pelagial’, and to whet their appetite for the band’s next creative step, The Ocean played a powerful and unabatedly insane 75-minute set which not only showcased the class and quality of their musicianship and live performance, but also displayed the clear extent to which they are loved and admired in the LA prog metal circles.
But prior to the main attraction, this touring lineup boasted two great opening acts, firstly The Gorge from St. Louis, Missouri taking the stage at around 9:15 for a 30-minute set of compelling, dynamic heavy prog jams that carried well-crafted transitions between segments varying in tempo and vibe, with strong growling vocals leading from the front and keeping the aggressive element intact throughout. The influx of jazz and classical music is evident in their tunes, but the contrasting hardcore and extreme metal traits balance it out. Fans of The Ocean instantly gravitated towards this band and awarded them with warm applause. The Gorge played tunes off of their 2016 sophomore LP ‘Thousand Year Fire’, which is a must-listen for prog fans. Here they proved to be the perfect opener for a great lineup, and folks in the crowd would most likely want to see this band again on their future visits to the LA area.
Sandwiched between two very proggy bands and perhaps providing the essential change of genre and pace in the middle of the show were Tucson AZ trio North. They hit the stage for a set of sludgy atmospheric doom tunes that held the audience’s attention in a manner much different from that of the other two bands, through relatively simpler song structures but riffs, vocals, solos, melodies and rhythmic patterns put together with much purpose and conviction. The strength of their musical expression came across as all the more potent in a live setting such as this. They’ve been around the block in their 10-year career thus far and are coming to fulfill their potential this year, specially with the release of their newest album and Prosthetic Records debut ‘Light This Way’. North has the doom flavor but is by no means a conventional doom metal band, and demand attention and recognition through their epic, grand heavy music that possesses uncommon degrees of depth, despair and darkness.
And lastly at 11 PM, it was up to The Ocean to bring the evening to its desirably enthralling conclusion, and they sure did that and more, playing several tunes off of ‘Pelagial’, selections from ‘Heliocentric’ (2010) and ‘Precambrian’ (2007), as well as the song ‘The Quiet Observer’ off of the latest split EP release. While his four band mates laid down the instrumental layers to perfection, vocalist Loïc Rossetti was, as always, the lifesblood of this live performance, diving into and surfing on top of the crowd multiple times throughout the set, even at the expense of facing technical issues as a result of cables, power strips and wireless sets getting yanked out of position. The Ocean stopped for a few minutes during the first half of the set to fix these disconnections as quickly as possible with the help of the Complex/Church Of The 8th Day crew, but then carried on uninterrupted, and rightly played a Pelagial-heavy encore for fans that sang along to every word and truly deserved it. ‘Bathyalpelagic II: The Wish In Dreams’ was arguably the highlight of the entire set, but aside from the brief stoppage, there were no filler moments whatsoever.
At one point during this portion, both guitarists Robin Staps and Damian Murdoch dived into the crowd at the same time as Rossetti, and the sight of the three members surfing the crowd simultaneously was one to behold, and never seen before at any of the thousand-plus shows reviewed on this site. Rossetti in particular banked on the faith he had in fans catching him every time he ventured to dive, and the fans obliged, so much so that he came out of the show completely unscratched, which is not always the case. Prog bands of such high musical calibre are normally not associated with energetic live performances, which is why The Ocean stand out emphatically and will always have the support of their LA fan base. This, in essence, is a band that never disappoints and always exceeds increasingly high expectations.
All in all, a show to remember for a long time for all in attendance, thanks to three incredible bands constantly progressing in the right direction.
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