Album Review: Oceanica – OneDark (Self Released)

OneDark is the debut solo album from Ben Harris-Hayes of Enochian Theory under the name of Oceanica. All music is written and performed by Benedict Harris-Hayes and the album will be released on October 25th 2019.

Melodic and mellow, soft and haunting…after the wind-up toy intro of Youth, OVERCOME really sees Ben Harris step forth to make Oceanica a thing. An epic effort, the vocals plays off the twinkly melody nicely.

Taking things in a different direction, ALL THE COOL KIDZ R DOIN’ IT is a tougher and heavier track. Rougher guitar groove, the melodious side is still there though thanks to the vocals. It’s then followed by the moodier AMOUNTING TO NOTHING and the wickedly catchy START FROM THE START. The soft guitar melody is excellent.

Light and airy is OUBLIETTE and GOT A FEELING, the latter two serving as something of a more uplifting track. Whereas the album stumbles a little with the effects heavy/female vocal-led TOWARDS THE SUN but recovers for the exceedingly good rockier 8.

Ben’s imagination continues to give us high quality and impressively listenable tracks as we enter the latter part of the album. REVERENCE and THE ROSE, ABLOOM wowing with mournful melodies, The Entangled Roots Of… serving as a short spoken word intro to the huge final of THE OBLIVION TREE. Wow, what a finale this is. Utterly gorgeous and transfixing.

Oceanica – OneDark Full Track Listing:

1. Youth
2. OVERCOME
3. ALL THE COOL KIDZ R DOIN’ IT
4. AMOUNTING TO NOTHING
5. START FROM THE START
6. OUBLIETTE
7. GOT A FEELING
8. TOWARDS THE SUN
9. 8
10. REVERENCE
11. THE ROSE, ABLOOM
12. The Entangled Roots Of…
13. THE OBLIVION TREE

Links

Bandcamp