Amazing!, November 7, 2005
Reviewer: Dark Whorse (The netherworld) -

Wow- I wasn't expecting to be this blown away. I had heard good things about these guys w/ comparisons to buried at sea and neurosis. But to me these guys really build some trance like feeling that is not present in metal today. I think comparing them to YOB is not a good match. YOB is more formulaic. Ocean is like if (early) pink floyd was a a metal band. Slow, sprawling, building, climactic w/ an onslaught of distortion that will melt your soul. Highly recomended to doomers or any metal fan looking for something a little more interesting.

Gloomy, November 3, 2005
Reviewer: Joukahainen (Kennesaw, GA United States) -

Ocean plays a sludgy, thick, reverberating style of doom that will appeal to fans of Sunn O))) and YOB, while not quite living up to their Northwestern bretheren. But what they lack for in songwriting, which isn't much, they more than make up for in effect.

Ocean hails from Maine, so I'm guessing they've had their share of doom n' gloom - and it shows. These songs are dark, bleak, and wonderfully desparate.

"The First Reign" starts things off slowly. And that's just how doom should be, so no complaints from this end. But after the 21:05 song loosens its grip, and I can breathe easy until the next monolithic anthem of sadness starts, I feel that something was lacking. Going back, the song is very repetitive, and takes over ten minutes to truly find itself, and by the time it does, it's over. While I think the emphasis with this genre - and this band especially - is on the creation of a particular mood, and not so much on songwriting, there needs to be something to draw me back for such a long song, and this one just doesn't offer that certain something..

Luckily, "Salt" does. Still depressing and overwhelmingly crushing, while remaining very interesting.

"The Fall" changes things up with a riff that feels fast compared to the forty minutes of sludge that preceded it. Things quickly fall back to a meandering, plodding, trudge through distortion and minimalistic soundscapes that could best be thought of as Godspeed You Black Emperor! meets Filosofem era Burzum. At around the five minute marker the vocals enter, giving voice to the bleakness. And quite a voice it is! Not as powerful as YOB's frontman, and not as "Varg" as all the promoters say it is; it's more of a deep growl that really manages to capture the nature of the music: more-or-less monotone, raw, thick, but rife with passion nonetheless. Easily the best song on the album. And it's the longest too! Even at 24:45 it managed to hold my interest throughout.

Doom fans should pick this one up. Excellent debut.