The Ocean Announces European Tour For 2021
With Support from Svalbard, pg. lost & Hypno5e
On 25th September, The Ocean will release their 8th full-length, Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic, via Metal Blade Records (CD / digital) and the band’s own Pelagic Records (vinyl). In 2018, The Ocean released Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic – the first half of a sprawling but superbly cohesive paleontology concept album. Now, the group is ready to release the eagerly-awaited concluding parts of the Phanerozoic journey.
The Ocean have now announced a European tour set to kick off January 7th in Wiesbaden, Germany. Check below for full dates. Support comes from PG. LOST, HYPNOSE and SVALBARD.
The Ocean comments: “This tour has been planned for a long time already and despite the unprecedented situation we’re all currently going through, we decided to announce it and put tickets on sale now. We hope that this will serve as a strong positive statement for bands, promoters and music fans alike. As this develops, we have to assess, analyse and make the right decisions for everyone involved. The tour going ahead in early 2021 relies on many elements to fall into place, and if it can’t go ahead, then we have a backup routing in place already for later in the year, and all tickets purchased for this tour will be transferrable to that. Be assured that we will keep assessing this situation as we head later into 2020, and be in communication with everyone. Much love and we hope to see you guys out there in January!“
THE OCEAN
PG.LOST • HYPNO5E • SVALBARD
07/01 – DE Wiesbaden, Schlachthof
08/01 – FR Colmar, Grillen
09/01 – FR Paris, La Machine
10/01 – FR Nantes, Ferrailleur
11/01 – FR Toulouse, Le Rex
12/01 – ES Bilbao, Stage Live
13/01 – PT Lisbon, LAV
14/01 – ES Madrid, Caracol
15/01 – ES Murcia, Gamma
16/01 – ES Barcelona, Boveda
17/01 – FR Bordeaux, Krakatoa
18/01 – FR Lyon, CCO
19/01 – CH Fribourg, Fri-Son
20/01 – CH Lucerne, Sedel
21/01 – AT Vienna, Viper Room
22/01 – CZ Prague, Nova Chelmnice
23/01 – DE Berlin, Festsaal
25/01 – DK Copenhagen, Pumpehuset
26/01 – DE Hamburg, Bahnhof Pauli
27/01 – DE Leipzig, Conne Island
28/01 – DE Munich, Backstage
29/01 – DE Essen, Zeche Carl
30/01 – DE Osnabruck, Kleine Freiheit
31/01 – NL Zwolle, Hedon
01/02 – DE Cologne, Volta
02/02 – BE Brussels, Botanique
03/02 – NL Utrecht, De Helling
04/02 – UK Bristol, The Fleece
05/02 – UK Glasgow, Slay
06/02 – UK Manchester, Club Academy
07/02 – UK London, 229
08/02 – UK Brighton, Patterns
For a first preview of Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic, the first single, “Jurassic | Cretaceous” (featuring Katatonia‘s Jonas Renkse), can be heard at: metalblade.com/theocean – where the record can also be pre-ordered in the following formats:
– deluxe edition CD (tri-fold digipak)
– instrumental CD (remus spine digipak w/ UV gloss)
– box set completion bundle (tri-fold vocal version CD digipak, instrumental version CD digipak, 2 posters, pin, and sticker)
* exclusive bundles with shirts and merch items, plus digital options are also available!
Widely hailed as their finest work to date, Phanerozoic I brimmed with moments of wide-eyed melodic brilliance, alongside the expected warping and weaving of post-metal conventions. “The first part of ‘Phanerozoic’ really is a ‘no-regrets’ album, which is quite rare,” says guitarist Robin Staps. “Maybe even the first time I can ever say that.”
In contrast with the compositional directness of Phanerozoic I, the new album – Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic – is a vastly more progressive and perverse piece of work. “‘Phanerozoic II’ is more experimental, more eclectic in musical style and direction, and more varied in terms of tempos, beats, guitar work and the use of electronics,” notes Staps. “This was an intentional choice: we wanted Part I to feel rather streamlined and to have a strong cohesion between the individual songs. We wanted to create a certain vibe to linger from the first until the last note throughout the whole record. We kept the weirder, more daring and more progressive material for Part II.”
Tracked in Iceland, Spain and Germany and produced by esteemed studio guru Jens Bogren, Phanerozoic IIis underpinned by some of the most imaginative and challenging music that The Ocean – completed by drummer Paul Seidel, keyboard maestro Peter Voigtmann, bassist Mattias Hagerstrand and guitarist David Ramis Åhfeldt – have made yet. Divided into two sections – Mesozoic and Cenozoic – the album once again showcases the detail and depth that have become two of The Ocean‘s most enduring trademarks. While ostensibly delving into the extraordinary realities of the Earth’s shifting temporal tides, Staps and his comrades have long drawn hazy parallels between their chosen subjects and the emotional experiences that their music strives to convey. Phanerozoic IIis essentially an album about time, with some very poignant and pointed allusions to the modern worldwoven into the new music’s spiritual fabric.
Staps explains, “The outcome is a record that is a real journey. It starts in one place, and concludes in a totally different place. In a way, it relates to 2013’s ‘Pelagial’, which was similar in that it was also a journey: but a more guided, focused and predictable one. ‘Phanerozoic II’ on the other hand is closer to the experience of free fall.”
Vinyl Pre-Order:
Pelagic Records – http://bit.ly/theoceanPZIIpelagic
The Ocean online: https://www.facebook.com/theoceancollective
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