Album bleeds experimental music

German band The Ocean Collective have been performing music since 2001. Their career as a band is impressive, with seven critically acclaimed records to their name, as well as an EP where they collaborated with Japanese rock legends Mono. Now, the band is back with an album titled Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic, and the music offers listeners a righteous dose of powerful instrumentation and vocals by Loïc Rossetti, Robin Staps, Peter Voigtmann, Mattias Hägerstrand, Paul Seidel and David Ramis Åhfeldt. Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic is an album filled with rich noise, and fans won’t be disappointed with how the band expresses themselves through the music.

Head-banging “Palaeocene” is a great tune because of how Rossetti delivers his vocal style in a powerful way. What is noticeably good about this track is how strong Rossetti’s voice is while he shouts, and the sound of his authoritative yelling not only contributes to the insanity, but draws in strong emotions that are filled with anger. Rossetti is a gifted vocalist, and he carries “Palaeocene” on his shoulders while he is singing,

Dark “Miocene | Pilocene” is a composition with great guitar playing by Staps, Åhfeldt and Hägerstrand. The lead guitar riffs by Staps and Ahfeldt light up the atmosphere with energizing notes that help keep the band and music together. The bass guitar playing by Hägerstrand shakes the background with low, deep riffs that can shake the bones of those who are listening. When all three guitarist’s skills collide, the music is gripping, and listeners will be captivated.

The mysterious “Oligoence” is one of the most powerful songs on Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic because the keyboard playing by Voigtmann shows the band isn’t afraid to test the waters with their music. Voigtmann introduces listeners to an experiential musical world by playing mysterious sounds from his synthesizer and piano. The sound of the synthesizer adds depth by creating a nebulous noise that will leave listeners guessing what is going to happen next. “Oligoence” is a well-played tune that displays how creative Voigtmann can be with his keyboard.

The intriguing “Triassic” is a pleasant piece, with Rossetti’s vocals constantly changing pitch throughout the tune. At the beginning of the song, Rossetti can be heard wailing harmonically to the music, and his wailing holds the song together because his vocals match the musical pattern the rest of the band is playing. Also, Rossetti does a great job speaking the lyrics before he starts shouting. “Triassic” is a fun song because of how the talented Rossetti constantly switches up his vocal style throughout.

Mesmerizing “Holocene” is a piece that lets listeners know the end is near. The tones are lower, and the instrumentation is on a slower tempo. Staps, Ahfeldt and Hägerstrand play clean guitar riffs, but the noise is soft and delicate. Voigtmann adds volume on this piece, playing mystical sounds from his synthesizer, and the drum playing by Seidel blazes it with thunderous drum beats. “Oligoence” is a great closing piece for the record, and The Ocean Collective did a fine job on this track.

Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic is an album that displays how magical music is. The vocals and instrumentation blends in well with the theme on the album.