...And Oceans - A.M.G.O.D.

I've gone through tonight and edited in the genre(s) of the albums I've reviewed so far, as a comment by flammenstrahl last night made me realise that, what with the huge diversity in genres already covered, some people might have a hard time deciding which reviews are interesting to them. Hopefully this helps.
I've also been busy the past couple days with work, and (obviously) haven't had a chance to write the promised Mugison review. I'll be out early tomorrow and may be gone until late, as my Danko Jones concert is tomorrow night, but I'll see if I can get that written before I go. If not, then I will have another review by someone whom I hope will become a frequent contributor, Lord of Entropy. He contributed one of the Best of Deutschemusik.net reviews back in the fall, but this will be his first official contribution to the blog. Without further ado,

...And Oceans - A.M.G.O.D.

And Oceans is a Finnish band plays a near perfect combination of ferocious Second Wave Black Metal and almost techno influenced electronics. Anyone expecting “kvlt” or nekro” Black Metal need not read any further. Second Wave Black Metal is characterized by its cleaner production in comparison to older Black Metal acts of the 90’s such as Mayhem or Burzum and the cleaner production suits this music. The biggest element in this album is the electronics. Most Black Metal fans are turned off by the inclusion of electronics in Black Metal but And Oceans doesn’t abuse them, they use them to add an extra dimension to their music. “Tears Have No Name” has one of the most addictive techno synthesizer lines you will ever hear and “Intelligence is Sexy” is full of great synthesizer leads. The final track on the album, “New Model World” is even a full blown techno song! Not a guitar, bass or drum set to be found. It fits with the album and rather then sound strange seems like a logical end to the album. The Guitars have a pleasingly crunchy tone and do an excellent job of playing lead or backing up the electronics, which more often then not take center stage, in a way quite similar to Rammstein. The Drums are unspectacular, usually playing along with the music in a simple beat with some fills. The Black Metal style double bass is used occasionally, with good effect; it really makes the sections it is used in feel chaotic and thrashy. Vocals on the album are very often distorted or have effects on them and this serves to mix up the otherwise solid Black Metal vocals. The singer is easy to understand and this only improves his performance on the album. “A.M.G.O.D” (short for Allotropic Metamorphic Genesis Of Dismorphism…far too much to type) is one of the most unique Black Metal albums out there and would be a great listen for anyone who enjoys some electronics in their metal or any open minded metal fan.

Reviewed by: Lord of Entropy