Oceans of Slumber

Oceans of Slumber defy any and all convention. For the past 15 years, the Houston band have come to redefine what it means to be Southern Gothic by mixing melodic death, doom and black metal with subtle electronic flourishes and the overpowering heat of their hometown. Now, after signing with Season of Mist, they’re extending their progressive streak even further by envisioning a dark and cinematic new subgenre that’s theirs and theirs alone.

“Where Gods Fear to Speak” opens with more of the sultry doom metal  headbanging that long-time fans have come to expect, but the band’s new single breaks entirely new ground. Punishing blast beats and a blackened torrent of melodic tremolo picking collide with Cammie Beverly’s powerhouse cleans, a skyrocketing guitar solo and synths that swirl like the aura of a mystical planet. So what do we call this otherworldly occurrence?

“Dark cinematic metal”, says drummer Dobber Beverly. In addition to drumming for grindcore legends Insect Warfare and American black metal trailblazers Necrofier, Dobber is a classically trained pianist who composed Oceans of Slumber’s new album. “We’ve taken the raw and heavier direction of our last two albums and elevated it to the scale of a blockbuster IMAX movie”.

The album’s concept blurs the ideological lines between Dune, Blade Runner and The Dark Tower, though its first single loops back to real life events. All five members of Oceans of Slumber are from Texas, where organized religion can be as suffocating as the dust or heat. Growing up, Cammie was caught in an especially hard bind. Her childhood home was divided over her father’s dedication to the Institute of Divine Metaphysical Research and her mother becoming a Jehova’s Witness. “Regardless of which one you believe, organized religion makes us suffer in order to please this heavenly deity”, Cammie says. “But the payoff is only an illusion”.

That tension – between the promise of divine pleasure and the pains of the flesh – raises “Where Gods Fear to Speak” to truly Biblical proportions. The chant that creeps in past the four minute mark could pass for the curse of an evil sorcerer. Your grace is sufficient / Made perfect in my weakness. But those lyrics are a direct quote from the Book of 2 Corinthians.

The video for “Where Gods Fear to Speak” ties in nicely with these themes. Taken captive by some unholy masked trinity, Cammie is strung up by ropes fashioned in the style of Shibari, an ancient Japanese torture method that’s evolved into a form of BDSM. Of course, nothing is strong enough to hold down Cammie’s voice. Her belt covers such a wide range, steeped in the blues as much the gospel, that it really could move mountains. Only now, she’s flexing a guttural new muscle.

“I’ve always wanted to do death growls”, Cammie says. “‘Where Gods Fear to Speak’ presented the perfect opportunity. Mixing harsh vocals in with my cleans speaks to that tug of war between pleasure and pain, though there’s a freedom that comes with pushing my voice past its perceived breaking point”.

On “Where Gods Fear to Speak”, Oceans of Slumber ascend to unimagined heights.

More news about their new album is coming soon. In the meantime, catch Oceans of Slumber on tour this May with Lacuna Coil and New Years Day.

Ignite the Fire Tour May 2024
May 2 – Wilmington, DE @ The Queen [TICKETS]
May 3 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony [TICKETS]
May 4 – Reading, PA @ Reverb [TICKETS]
May 6 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa [TICKETS]
May 7 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground [TICKETS]
May 9 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Rockville Festival [TICKETS]*
May 11 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl [TICKETS]
May 13 – Ft. Smith, AR @ Temple Live [TICKETS]
May 14 – Wichita, KS @ Temple Live [TICKETS]
May 15 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall [TICKETS]
May 17 – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple Festival [TICKETS]**
May 19 – Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Metal Fest [TICKETS]*

Line-up:

• Cammie Beverly : Vocals
• Dobber Beverly : Drums, Piano
• Semir Ozerkan : Bass
• Alex Davis : Guitar
• Chris Kritikos : Guitar, Synth