FRAMES

A L B U M O F T H E Y E A R

First of all, I was one of the few who have heard FRAMES' promo (thankfully to a rock magazine' editor, fellow of mine), and it made my September. I have always had high expectations as for these guys, and FRAMES' demos ("Red Rag to a Bear" particulary) made me want this album badly!!! I got it recently on CD and got down to reviewing.

First of all, FRAMES sound like a child of first OCEANSIZE albums - it's heavy and psychedelic as EFFLORESCE and melodic and structured as EVERYONE INTO POSITION. With "Unfamiliar" being the shortest track (6:30) and two 10-min long epics (one of them is instrumental!) you get one hell of an album, without a single 4/4 bar through the whole 66 minutes of the record. OCEANSIZE has matured immensly, leaving anything that could make them weaker off the album (but man, I simply adore "Red Rag to a Bear", I'd love to see it released on EP or something later!). Keyboard sound is more prominent now, it serves not as atmospheric background - man, they play harmonies and melodic lines on them ("Trail of Fire", "Commemorative T-Shirt", "Only Twin")! Orchestra is beautifully added in some songs as well ("Only Twin", "Savant", "The Frame"), reminding me of astoundly mesmerizing "Long Forgotten" track. Vocals range from subtle to screamy, and I must admit Mike has grown in his vocal matters since the last album. Some additional words for Mark Heron - he's amazing. He has sound of his own, a distinctive manner and style, and I think he's the next in the "Mike Portnoy- Dany Carey-Gavin Harrison" Row of Fame.

1. COMMEMORATIVE T-SHIRT (10/10) - the first track kicks in with catchy 11/16 tune ("earworm" effect guaranteed!), and later unfolds beautifully, twisting through structures, layers and other tricks (like 11/11/9/11/9/11 signature pattern in the second part, dealing with 9/11 issue I guess). This is some kind of an overture, but 8 minutes long, he-he ;)

2. UNFAMILIAR (10/10) is probably the most ear-friendly and catchy track on the whole CD. It was chosen for video edit, as "Catalyst" and "Heaven Alive" (as you remember these songs are "track n.2" as well on previous OCEANSIZE albums). Agressive, complex, it rises in full bloom in magnificient 13/8 coda.

3. TRAIL OF FIRE (10/10) starts with a subtle piano pattern (7/16// 7/16// 7/16// 7/3...I apologise for these neverending phone numbers :) ), very much in early OCEANSIZE vein. Progressing further, song turns into astonishing epic with some memorable heavy parts in the middle (that one in 5/4), and breathtakingly returns to a main theme. Essential OCEANSIZE!!!

4. SAVANT (10/10) - time for a little ballad here (only 8 minutes long ;) ). Very David Lynch-like intro...and then, from Heron's signature cymbal sounds to strings' crescendo in song's coda, it feels like magic. It's pretty simple (putting aside the complex signatures' combination, it doesn't spoil the whole mood) and moving song, very OCEANSIZEble, close to "Musi for a Nurse" and "Long Forgotten" in terms of genius' level.

5. ONLY TWIN (8/10) - this is where I lost the point a bit. I still can't get use enough to this track...it's not bad or something...it's just totally DIFFERENT from ANYTHING the band has ever done before. Beginning with a gentle keyboard arpeggio, later it mutilates into RADIOHEADesque/MUSE-like intense orchestral nervousness (good part for some movie climax), and ends pretty dramatically as well. I feel like I can easily adore this track, and actually it has everything to be loved...but I can't stop thinking about "Red Rag to a Bear", that could have replaced it. But it's not bad after all, just different! It's only me finally!

6. AN OLD FRIEND OF THE CHRISTIES (10/10) - unreleased PELICAN epic, stolen by Mike Vennart via brain tube :) I can't imagine another description, because this is where OCEANSIZE play real Post-Metal, deep, lush, heavy, with thick Church organ (intro) and wonderful guitar riff (very memorable!)

7. SLEEPING DOGS AND DEAD LIONS (9/10) can be labeled as THE WILDEST OCEANSIZE TRACK up to date! Intro would make MESHUGGAH guys blush from their immaturity, a "song itself"-part sounds like a ballad co-written by Mike Patton and Chuck Schuldiner, and closing instrumental part features some insane effected vocals from Mike (groovy!). A good breakpoint after some sleepy tracks.

8. THE FRAME (9/10) - IMHO, less impressive than "Savant", closing track is another ballad, nevertheless perfect for ending such a marvelous album like FRAMES. Subtle Post-Rocky intro (again some math-like structures here, but hardly noticeable for newbies ;) ), and a BIG orchestral thing then. Yes, it's BIG in the way THE BEATLES or LED ZEPPELIN were making their BIG things - like "A Day in the Life" or "The Rain Song".

9. VOORHESS (10!/10) - this is simply my favouritest track from them now. It's a signature epic, it has everything OCEANSIZE are able to show, and I regret they've made it a bonus...but it's a good chance to purchase a special edition!

As Mike sings: "What the f@&k you want by now?". Some smart thoughts? Words about how OCEANSIZE are underappreciated and that they need more attention? Proclamations like "they MUST be in one league with TOOL and PORCUPINE TREE"? Relax, folks. They shall get what they deserved soon. I've already found some OCEANSIZE clones in the Net, and that means that they're getting influental. They're already BIG...but not everyone recognizes this fact. Give them some time, and the world shall fall onto its knees. Long live Modern Prog and viva OCEANSIZE. You've just made me write my longest review this year guys :)))

EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another excellent release by Manchester's Oceansize!

Oceansize is a relatively new band out of the depths of the UK that have been dominating my playlists for quite a few weeks now. They seem to be gaining a small, but ever-growing fan base now and I can only hope they eventually gain the attention they deserve. They've released two albums before this one, Effloresce and Everyone Into Position, each of which I consider to be excellent efforts. Now they have just released Frames, which honestly, may perhaps be the best album of them all. They seem to have found their own sound, combining many elements from a variety of different genres. Excellent 3-part guitar harmonies and epic build ups comparable to post-rock acts such as Explosions in the Sky or Godspeed You! Black Emperor, are common among the works of Oceansize. Not only that, but the songs are immersed in emotion and melodic hooks that could rival those of Porcupine Tree. Ranging from dark and melancholy, to intense, anthemic, and epic, Oceansize are on their way to becoming one of the greatest progressive rock acts of the decade.

In comparison to Everyone Into Position, Frames is equally strong if not better. It wields all the same psychedelic aspects and continues with more tightly structured tunes and great melodies. So what's different? For one thing there's a greater feeling of confidence. Though some of the songs could easily get the attention of an every day pop/rock listener, it doesn't feel as if they are trying to. Everyone Into Position almost had a feeling that they were aiming for commercial success. Frames is completely independent.

Normally I wouldn't review each song on its own because I feel albums should be listened to as a whole, however, I will make an exception for this album. It is meant to be listened as an album, but I also feel each song is so strong on its own that it must be reviewed individually.

It all starts with the simple piano melody of "Commemorative 9/11 T-Shirt" (at least I think it's a piano), marking the beginning of an epic, haunting journey entirely in 11/8. Eventually the drums kick in and one can already tell that Mark Heron is on his path to becoming one of the greatest drummers of the generation alongside Gavin Harrison and Mike Portnoy. His style is very improvisational and uses a great amount of variety, jazzy at times, metallic and explosive at others. The song goes on for over 5 minutes before any sign of metal distortion, but it doesn't drag the slightest bit. It just builds and builds until reaching it's epic finale in which Tool-like riffs with an explosive guitar solo concludes. It's quite intense and I can't help but feel the need to destroy stuff (or drive incredibly fast) when I hear it. One of those songs that just gives you goosebumps if you know what i mean.

Immediately following is the song Oceansize chose to be the single on this album, "Unfamiliar". It doesn't surprise me they'd pick this song considering the indie-rock vibe it has to it with the vocal style and arpeggiated pedal-ridden guitar. That doesn't necessarily mean this song is weaker than the others, on the contrary it's one of the best songs on the album. Very easy to sing along to and a real headbanger. Both melodic and complex, "Unfamiliar" bombards the listener with pounding riffs and great guitar harmonies. After the first two monumental tracks I couldn't imagine the album getting much better.

Then "Trail of Fire" came along. It starts off as a very beautiful, almost symphonic piece. Despite it's seemingly simplistic and calming nature, there's an unusual amount of tricky time shifting. I still can't quite figure out half the time signatures in this song as it's almost impossible to count. Anyways, some epic 5/4 riffs ultimately build up to a climactic crescendo drenched in strings and tremolo guitar. My mouth is left open in awe after that one.

Next comes what seems to be a lot of fans' favorite, "Savant", a beautiful, melancholy ballad. So far it's the most straightforward and simple song (beginning only in 3/4, that's right still no sign 4/4!)

Everything is very well produced here with some nice processed vocals and extremely clear guitar harmonies as usual. Everything eventually ends with an incredibly moving orchestral climax, and delivers everything I hoped it would offer. The best ballad Oceansize has thought up since "Music For Nurses". Superb.

Now, like I said I'd love to review each track individually, unfortunately this is taking far too long to write! I'll finish listening to album before I finish reviewing it! The album continues with the same fashion as the first four songs, but truthfully I find a few weak moments.

"An Old Friend of the Christies", while utterly gloomy and ominous, stretches for far too long in my opinion. It raises tension and builds up to a great memorable riff, but it just takes forever, repeating the same notes for over half the song (and it's a 10 minute epic). There's just not enough variation compared to the first half of the album, and it could've been shortened by 5 minutes. What it loses due to length is made up by the heavy riffage, which is just completely awesome.

The following song is somewhat of a disappointment as well. As soon as the down-tuned opening riff began I instantly thought of Meshuggah. The main riffs are EXTREMELY Meshuggah-esque and in my opinion that's not a good thing. Though this song is the best track Meshuggah never produced, it's just too chaotic and ridiculous to fit in with the rest of the album.

Frames ends well though with it's final 10 minute epic. Keeping the main feeling of the album and combining everything that Oceansize does best, it concludes Frames as another successful Oceansize album. Overall, I would say Frames is just as good as Effloresce and Everyone Into Position with only one really weak track. If you're looking for some more conventional prog though or aren't fond of dark metal, then you might want to stay away from this album. If you're looking for some top-notch Modern/Alternative Prog (a term created by my good friend, the Prog Jester) though, then you'll want to get your hands on this. It combines everything Oceansize does best and is a great starting point for someone to get into the band. Definitely pick this one up when you get a chance. You won't regret it.

My rating: 9/10

This is an album I so much wanted to love.

However I found myself disappointed at the direction the band has taken. In their quest for complexity they appear to have further neglected composition. Further, they have abandoned any psychedelic/space rock feel they might once have had. The changes to the band's sound seem to have received wide approval, but I'm not convinced. I set a great deal of store by the vocals on any album, and to my mind the understated, whispered, heavily processed, buried-in-the-mix singing through the majority of this record robs it of warmth and personality. Ultimately the vocals rob the first half of the album of any real passion it might have had, and raise an impenetrable barrier between myself and the music. I understand that others may not have this reaction, but I feel obliged to record it.

'Commemorative T-Shirt' is an excellent opening track, an instrumental lead-in to the album that unfortunately sounds too reminiscent of 'Meredith' from their previous album to give 'Frames' the distinct personality it needs. 'Unfamiliar' has a post-rock beginning, but rapidly descends into alt.rock sensibilities. Nice enough, but I expect OCEANSIZE to be painting on a far broader canvas. To my ear it suffers in comparison to the similar second tracks on their previous albums, being not up to the standard of 'Heaven Alive' and certainly not 'Catalyst'.

'Trail of Fire' and 'Savant' pass in a blur of tedious technical complexity (woo, look at all the different time signatures) and vocal forgettable-ness. The singers either whisper, or have their vocals obscured by annoying fx. Has someone told them they can't sing? If so, what a pity. The great dynamic range of the singers and the musicians alike seem to have been wiped off this record. The guitars are more recessive, the rhythm section louder, the vocalists merely adding texture. 'Savant' is the worse of the two, with the heavily processed vocals almost completely obscured by admirable but ultimately unrewarding drumming. Oh yes, the song grows into a superbly memorable track, with a real symphonic quality when the guest musicians on their strings finally rise to dominate the rhythm, but the damage has been done.

It's not until we get to 'An Old Friend of the Christy's' that the album really comes alive. The band stretch their compositional legs on these longer songs (including the bonus track, 'Voorhees'). I'd quite happily listen to the opening track, 'Savant' and the last four. I would have opened with 'An Old Friend', a slow post-rock builder with wonderful guitar-led melodies. No attempt to throw a million time changes at us, just simple, effective, powerful songwriting. Then when the song explodes half-way through they've taken us with them. 'Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions' roars at us in a math/tech-metal frenzy, its high energy lifting it above 'Trail' and 'Unfamiliar' from earlier in the album. Fans of MESHUGGAH will recognise and appreciate the riffage. 'The Frame' brings the album to a climactic close, a ballad rising to a powerful orchestral finish.

Yes, it's a good album. More than good. OCEANSIZE have confidence and class, and this is reflected in their music. I do hope they pay more attention to their composition in future, however, and provide us with something of beauty as well as power and complexity. 'Effloresce' showed us they are capable of it.

Many say an artist's third album will either make or break them and basically decide their longevity. Well step up to the plate..Oceansize with their 3rd album 'Frames'. With a line up change due to personal circumstances which saw Steven Hodson coming in as the new bassist; I expected 'Frames' to unlock a new door in terms of the direction of their sound and it certainly did.

My first impression of Frames was that it was heavier than its predecessors. However after further inspection it became apparent that it is both their heaviest and their mellowest. They have basically taken their sound spectrum and stretched both extremes even further. This is no more apparent than in the track entitled, "Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions", which is probably one of the heaviest tracks they have ever done and certainly heading into metal in places, the intro in particular reminds me of The Deftones. Then right next door to this track you have album closer 'The Frame' which is your slow moving epic in the same vein as "Ornament/Last Wrongs" from 'Everything into Position'. They are completely different songs but both achieve the same thing which is a great and fitting climax to their respective albums. The beauty of 'The Frame' lies in the simple build up; starting off with a slow a gentle guitar riff and gradually all the other instruments come in one by one. Then Mike Vennart's voice enters with "I can hold you all together". It's such a relaxing while epic song, never in a rush, letting their sound expand till eventually it bursts with a crashing climax.

The best song on the album for me is 'Unfamiliar'. It took me a while to realise that 'Unfamiliar' was a song in its own right because of the seamless link from the first track 'Commemorative 9/11 T-Shirt', I thought it was part of that song until I looked down at my MP3 player when it clicked. Its starts off easy, then it's as if the song swaggers into bar, knowing every other song is looking at it, thinking I wish I was that good. My favourite bit in particular is the very last quiet/loud part where Mike Vennart sings "And all who sail in her" then really explodes into "Saw the seashore, unfamiliar". A great song and one I would definitely recommend if you want to get pumped up for the day.

On the other hand, the worst song on the album is "bonus" track 'Voorhees'. I put the inverted commas round "bonus", because I feel this song ruins the album. The main thing I have got against this song is that it feels so disjointed, as if it is two different songs glued together. It is not a bad song apart from that, but at the same time compared to the rest of the songs on the album I feel it is somewhat sub standard in comparison. Not only this but "The Frame" is for me is the natural album closer and that is how it should finish! A twenty second gap does not make me think "ahhhh that's the end of the album...oh wait there's a bonus track". Instead, it makes me think that after 'The Frame" has finished, "that's it, what a finish to an album...then there's more". It's like when your up for a promotion you deserve to get and you've done everything right then all of a sudden just when the finishing line is in sight you somehow manage to talk yourself out of it. This is exactly what effect 'Voorhees' has on the album.

One of the reasons I feel the bonus track may have been included is to give the fan 'Value for money' by filling the CD which comes in at staggering 77 minutes and 41 seconds. The irony of it is if this was indeed the approach is that if the bonus track was taken out, the CD would still have been 67 minutes long which is still twice as long as your average album. Anyway, on a more positive note, the lengths of the songs are one thing I love about Oceansize, while many bands have songs 3 minutes long. In your average Oceansize song, the song is probably still not reached the chorus in that time. There is never a rush, as the let their ideas flourish and expand naturally as opposed to forced and condensed into 3 minutes. Nothing shows this more than the fact the shortest song on the album 'Unfamiliar' is 6 minutes and 29 seconds. To make this into a single they had to edit over 2 minutes out of the song!

Overall listening to 'Frames' feels like within each song you're going on a journey through different countries and cultures; all within the world of Oceansize. From post rock to epic rock ballads, from metal to Indie rock, it's like a genre hopping extravaganza mastering each impeccably. What excites me about this band even more is a feel there are vast territories with in the world of Oceansize which are still lay undiscovered, even to the band themselves. This is not one of those albums that you will listen to for a month move on to the next band. This album is a slow burner and one which will be on my CD player for many months probably years to come.

I like the music offered by "Oceansize" although it is not truly original IMHHO. Those metal feelings have been deeply investigated already, especially by PT of course.

But still, there is nothing wrong with this good UK band. They aren't playing easy listening music, that's a given but their songs do have an inexpressible savour. "Oceansize" sounds so enigmatic, melancholic during the opener "Commemorative 9/11 T-Shirt". An excellent start, I must say.

Even when the band is so close to PT during several songs, they just sound better, fresher than the last PT works. As if the pupil outclassed the master ("Unfamiliar"). The next highlight of this album is the 100% "Muse" oriented "Only Twin". One might feel that this album lacks a bit in personality, which is true. Of course all these songs are very good, but the déjà vu feeling is very much present throughout this album.

Derivative and repetitive sounds out of "An Old Friend Of The Christies" for almost five minutes are a bit indigestible, but the second half of this instrumental number is slightly better, fully hypnotic beat and a great spacey atmosphere are compensating the relatively weak start.

This "Oceansize" album is more on the melancholic side than their previous offerings, but to prove me wrong "Sleeping Dogs & Dead Lions" has this heavy metal attack close to the sound that could be noticed on their debut "Efflorescence". Somewhat chaotic structure and noisy vocals. To be honest, this is absolutely not my cup of tea. Press the only key of which I can think of : the next one of course.

The closing number holds no surprise. Same sort of tempo, riff, melody during more than ten minutes. Longish and uninspired. Could have been dropped with no problem.

This is not a very diversified album but it is pleasant to see that a modern band holds the prog banner. Like lots of current bands, they have integrated some metal sounds in their music (but not too much on this one). When I see the huge amount of reviews for PT (even if most of them are without comment), I can only suggest you to dedicate some time to discover "Oceanside". Not essential but well above average.

Three stars for "Frames".

I completely agree with Russellk's opening line. I wanted to love this one and thought I would, but no dice. This one isn't as melodic as "Everyone Into Position" or as heavy for that matter. It probably reminds me more of their debut with that strong alternative flavour, only not as psychedelic.

"Commemorative T-Shirt" is a definite highlight for me. Gentle guitar gives way quickly to piano as drums join in. A full sound before 1 1/2 minutes. Vocals arrive 2 minutes later. Some heavy guitar 5 minutes in that sound great. The sound lightens a little after 7 minutes. "Unfamiliar" has an uptempo and heavy intro that lightens when the vocals arrive. The contrast continues. "Trail Of Fire" opens with piano and light drums as vocals arrive before a minute. The sound gets louder and the guitar stands out after 4 minutes. It becomes more intense after 6 minutes. "Savant" opens with synths that are joined by gentle guitar and light drums. Reserved vocals a minute later. Post-Rock styled guitar after 5 minutes.

"Only Twin" slowly builds and it does have a Post-Rock flavour while the vocals are more in the alternative style. "An Old Friend Of The Christies" along with the first track are my favs. It's an instrumental that opens with synths as drums beat slowly. Some dark sounding guitar takes the place of the synths. It's building slowly. Synths are back 3 1/2 minutes in. Suddenly we get a full sound 5 minutes in with scorching guitar. It calms back down to the earlier melody 7 1/2 minutes in. "Sleeping Dogs And Dead Lions" is heavy and intense with upfront drumming. Theatrical vocals rant and rave. "The Frame" opens with gently picked guitar. Soft vocals 2 1/2 minutes in. The sound gets fuller a minute later then releases back. This contrast continues.

A definite disappointment for me compared to their last one, but worth checking out as you can see the many high ratings it has received on this site.

I had done just a little bit of research about Oceansize, saw on our site it was categorized as psychedelic/space which can be an interesting category so I decided to check it out. Played it a few times and couldn't help thinking: psychedelic ??? space ??? This is a pure mix of Tool and Anathema to me and if I'm not mistaking they are in Post metal or something. And that's where this band belongs (probably already a discussion in the forum by now) and this is essential information because that is a category I would have thought twice before buying something out of it.

How does Oceansize relate to the mentioned bands ? Well, I have to be honest, it's only a strong resemblance not a copy of TOOL and ANATHEMA. The similarity lies in the way they approach their songs. The songs are not about producing melodic tunes but more about producing original sound and sound effects. And that's simply not my cup of tea although I think it's fair to say Oceansize is better suited for my taste than the two mentioned bands. In the case of Oceansize I don't have the urge to switch it off immediately so that means the music doesn't annoy me like with the other two is often the case.

There are even a few very good songs (1st, 3rd and the bonus track Voorhees) on the album that make me doubt about giving it 4 stars. It's actually 3,5 for the album as a whole and the fact it all does make a classy impression makes me give it the benefit of the doubt. 4 stars this time.

Oceansize is my kind of band! From the minute I heard them I knew I would love them. The atmosphere, musichip, melodic propensity, emotional propulsion, etc. was all there. And what a great sound! A fantastic modern blend of alternative rock, metal, and space rock bearing some musical resemblance to Porcupine Tree, Tool and Anathema in sound with a melodical approach similar to Coheed and Cambria, Radiohead and The Dear Hunter. The vocals have a quite soothing sound to them even when the guy is belting. They get kind of lost in the mix occasionally, but they do their job. The music isn't bombastic, but it is very intricate. The band hardly uses your standard time signatures and their arrangements are pretty elaborate, but they never lose focus or memorability.

Frames, the band's third studio album, is a bit less melodic and heavy than their prior releases, but it is no less powerful. In certain aspects, it's easier to get into and in certain aspects it's not. It's easier to get into because the songs have more instantly gratifying moments, which retain their impact after repeated listens, but some of the songs stray from their typical approach so you may have to take a few listens to acclimate to their vision. The sound is generally a bit less melodic as I had stated, but the atmospheres and moods fill those gaps. These songs have more light/heavy contrast within each song, but they may require a bit more patience to click or build to the climaxes. Regardless of how long it takes you to get into this album, those who try will be greatly rewarded.

The highlights for me are the peppy and powerful "Unfamilar," the brooding and climactic "Trail of Fire" and, the proof that Meshuggah could pull off some clean vocals if they put some effort into it, "Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions."

Oceansize are really gaining momentum with each release. I wouldn't be surprised if they get pretty popular over the next year or two. New fans will have the pleasure of discovering a very impressive catalog! Frames raises the bar again, and currently stands as the band's best effort. Highly recommended!

Marching to a drummer.period!

This album is one I would cite when people say they know on the first play whether they love or hate an album, a sentiment I have always thought ludicrous. Definitely in the grower category it gets better with each spin. I notice lots of people mentioned Tool and Porcupine Tree when talking about this album but I'm surprised more people don't compare them to the first Kayo Dot as well. Much of this album has that ambient guitar spell occasionally broken by fits of noise. Less screams than Kayo but I'm speaking more to the instrumental vibe of the guitars. What really is unique for me about this release is the way it reverses the roles of the instruments. This album is literally *led* by the drummer Mark Heron! The drums are the lead instrument setting the path for the others.extremely busy, complex, conversational percussion throughout. Meanwhile, the guitar is more ambient and rhythmic and supporting, often laying down very similar sounding colorings while the percussion talks to you. Same with the vocals.rather a laid back Coldplay/Radiohead smoothness that creates textures. It's an interesting experience to be so locked in on the drums first and foremost but I can't help myself. So it's appropriate that they list Heron's name first in the CD booklet. Certainly there are moments when the others wrest away the focus with exceptional sections of overloaded space guitar and keyboards but the masterful drum work is never completely relocated to a background role. The music itself is very introspective feeling and haunting to me.I like to play this driving and it becomes a bit of a soundtrack in your mind allowing you to tune out the traffic madness and be somewhere else. On the nay side the long songs which tend to sound somewhat alike could be boring for people needing more obvious peaks and valleys. I also understand the reservations in songwriting expressed by both Russell and John though I am able to enjoy this anyway. I think it lacks the pure charm of PT, the maniacal mysteries of Kayo, but is more interesting than Tool and far more delightful than what I've heard from Thom Yorke Corporation in the last decade. While perhaps worthy of 4-5 stars in pure execution of their vision, on the emotional level it is just too one dimensional to get me there, too stuck in the same color. The CD booklet is a bit of a Spinal Tap moment-while sufficiently artsy they made the text in a color so close to the background color as to be nearly unreadable. Real hip, guys! But the music is good stuff. 6/10

Simply Outstanding

The album starts with an accessible piano melody in 11/8 accompanied by tight drumming and various background effects. Guitars start playing over the piano melody, the theme keeps developing, and excellent indie rock vocals debut in the song. The guitars begin having distortion, first playing along the rhythm then playing a separate riff. Suddenly, the distortion stops and the guitars sound jazzy. A non-conventional, yet brilliant vocal melody is the final feature and highlight of the song.

Sounds good? Well, that's my second least favorite song in here, including the bonus track. I have recently discovered Oceansize like many others do: thru their atmospheric "Music For a Nurse". The music seems to take one step further without sacrificing the beauty of that song. The music is generally accessible, despite the complexity and length. Except for "Sleeping Dogs", there is a fine balance between hooks, rock, post-rock ambience, tonality and dissonance. "Sleeping Dogs" is a well-composed song that mixes elements of Meshuggah with elements of Mars Volta and Van Der Graff Generator, resulting in a composition that does not belong musically in the album. The band has excellent technical, songwriting, and creative chops and love to create deep textures. The drumming is the highlight of the band for me as it reminds me of a mixture of Danny Carey (Tool) with drummers in the post-rock genre.

Apart from 'Sleeping Dogs' I love the remaining songs. Unfamiliar is predictably the single of the album due to its melodic nature, familiar indie-rock style, massive hooks, and anthemic finale. It is far from a pop song: thanks to its implementation of melody and depth, it is an outstanding song. Trail of Fire , while sporting a conventional intro, gets more exciting after the second minute. It eventually reaches a wonderful, energetic climax that sounds like it gives off positive energy to me. Savant is a very fine ballad, full of texture, that ends with a symphonic sound that features a very memorable melody. Only Twin , the band's masterpiece, starts with a haunting odd-timed keyboard line playing along with melancholic electric guitars in the background until a differently timed (5/4) drum pattern appears, somehow not bringing as much dissonance as you might think. The rhythm is developed while the keyboard line is kept in the song until there really is no noticeable dissonance. The song is simply amazing and possibly the most complex song they ever did.

An Old Friend of Christy is a very different song. A slow, brooding song with an aggressive drum. The song develops a guitar line in the beginning and a much more beautiful guitar line afterwards. The first guitar theme reappears in a metal-fashion and the song ends with gentle versions of the two themes. The Frame is definitively the appropriate closer for this album as the second half of it slowly builds up into an epic finale.

The Bonus Track is simply amazing. The song works on a 9/8 time signature with a creative keyboard line and a bass line that is high on the mix. The choruses are mesmerizing passages of pure darkness. While the second half is not as great as the first five minutes, this is still a very effective composition that could have replaced "Sleeping Dogs".

4.4 stars

Where Post-Rock meets the modern dark-new-wave of progressive.

If it wasn't already clear from their sophomore effort that rocked the progressive world, Oceansize have stolen the flag of progressive rock and are waving it high. While this effort may not be quite as extreme, mood wise in their compositions on this output it's glaringly clear that they know what they're doing, and are the best at it. While Everyone Into Position was a masterful work of art and an album that blissfully combined the more soft and the more heavy side of the modern progressive scene this album takes everything that they were doing before and cranks it to the next level.

Extreme moods, maybe not, but the overall consistency of the tone and darkness on the album is truly impressive. The easiest song to compare any of Oceansize's modern work to is actually the easily most impressive opus from their former output ? imagine Ornament/The Last Wrongs, the incredible closer of Everyone Into Position, turned into a full length album and you pretty much get Frames. This one is a lot more subdued and subtle than anything that Oceansize has attempted before, which ironically turns it into a very ambitious project overall, one that has to capture the audience's mood and hold their attention while trying to manage the build and climaxes from the best of the post rock world in a decidedly ''Heavy Prog'' environment. Somehow it all works very well.

Take for instance, the opening trio of songs ? this must be the finest opening trinity of tracks this side of Dark Side Of The Moon. Commemorative T-Shirt opens the album and sets the tone with a couple of delicately picked notes before things get a little bit louder, the vocals softly and subtly join in and the rest of the instrumental tracks (including backing vocals) do everything in their power to make the ride as emotional as possible. A very tough thing indeed to pull off, but somehow they do it flawlessly. Soon enough there's a seamless transition and the incredible Unfamiliar jumps into play with its manic time signatures and highly impressive riffing. This is easily one of the standouts on the album, especially coming into the shouting part at the end which can send shivers down the spine of even the most hardened progger. Coming into the end of the first three songs, Trail Of Fire tones things down a bit, if only for a moment, with a soft and textured introduction before turning into a heavy, yet gorgeous track.

Onwards the songs only become more and more impressive. Savant and Only Twin are both a couple of chilling tunes that can easily move you to tears if you're not careful, both utilizing the band's tendency to rock the house while still maintaining that tense atmosphere that makes every song so intense and worthwhile. Things really change in pace with An Old Friend Of The Christy's, a song entirely post rock in structure. It works as a nice break in the mix, as an instrumental tune that builds and builds until its apocalyptic climax ? thank god it was well done, because for a moment there the band risked destroying the momentum of the album. Things take a left turn at Heavyville when Sleeping Dogs And Dead Lions kicks into gear with its almost extreme vocals and metal riffing. This would be the last time that things get very heavy, since the album ends with Frame, a fragile opus that closes the album brilliantly.

When people got excited about Fear Of A Blank Planet they've overlooked a major gem back in 2007. When you want to talk about ''release of the year'' this should have been the one to take the title. New editions of the album also include a brilliant live DVD of the entire album, which compliments the overall package greatly. If you've never heard the album then there's never been a better time to pick it up. 5 Frames out of 5, it doesn't get much better than this.

Stay tuned for a full review of the live DVD of Frames...

I believe everyone sets Frames in his life; personal, moral, social and in our case, musical. The good thing about setting them is that there comes a time that you go beyond them and realise there is something worthwhile out there that could surprise you.

I am most of the times biased towards bands that claim to play this sort of post/modern prog rock as I usually find is just a tag and not really progressive rock music - rather it is a well-polished mixture of new rock and pop. While OCEANSIZE are under psychedelic/space rock I would describe them as an innovative post rock band judging from this latest album.

I have not heard their previous two studio releases but this one was a very pleasant surprise to me. OCEANSIZE present a beautiful album mainly influenced by the new stream of crossover/post rock with intelligent additions from the psych and metal scene. The touch of Pink Floyd is here, but not dominant while there are moments where I could hear a bit of Tool, Pain of Salvation (!) (Unfamiliar) and Black Sabbath-influenced riffs (Sleeping Dogs and Dad Lions). The music sometimes resembles to bands like Radiohead, Muse, Sigur Ros and even Coldplay but has a much more challenging character.

The opening track starts off with a melodic clean guitar pattern which afterwards builds up with vocals and distorted guitars. Although remaining similar for most of the track's duration it is still highly interesting with a clever break riff after 5.5 minutes. Unfamiliar seems to be the album's 'hit' with a powerful opening and an fantastic prog riff kicking off before the track turns into an indeed 'unfamiliar' modern post rock pattern. Exceptional bass work is the highlight here. Trail of Fire seems to calm down the mood for a few minutes with a melodic start but its dynamic middle part breaks the silence.

What did not happen before occurs in the next two tracks which flow on slow melodic tunes, with Savant introducing beautiful sounds of violins; Only Twin probably consists of the strongest vocal melodies in the whole album. The instrumental An Old Friend of the Christies changes the mood to a dark and painfully slow, even gothic/doom, atmosphere, reminding me of the good moments of Anathema and The Gathering. The heaviest track on the album is Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions - a completely different song than anything in the album, reveals the heaviest, darkest and most obscure side of OCEANSIZE. Here you will hear the most prog, complex, heavy and weird riffs in the album with even a touch of eclectic and fusion (!). The closing track sums up nicely the album, flowing in simple nice melodic tunes dressed again with solid vocal sections and violin/cello sounds.

Repetition is a slight problem and occurs only limited times (a problem that happens to most post rock bands in my opinion). I would like to hear even more innovative songs from OCEANSIZE as I believe they can produce even stronger and more interesting compositions. The second half of the record sounds more challenging musically and I would recommend it to any prog fan.

Oustanding production... One of the best I have heard this year...

I have been spinning this album for about three entire days now and it's still growing on me. First, I didn't expect too much from these guys because all the comparisons -most in a negative way- to Porcupine Tree and Tool, both bands that I feel soulless and quite boring... but Oceansize stands above and without hesitation... It seems like the formula is the same, some mellow moods, strong alternative rock presence, a lot of interesting riffing and a standard singer directing the music... well, I'm not a fan of all of the above but feel very good about this album... the progress of the songs are interesting but never lose the soul focus, the emotions are always there and they redirect the songs into a more agressive feeling just in the right places and times... the music flows nice and smoth and you can feel surrounded by a great vibe and little mellow atmosphere... just great...

I feel this band is really amazing, now I'm digging on they other productions and what I'm not sure is which album is better... each one has it's own direction and everything sound great about each... so, if your'e looking for a band with great feeling and development in the routes of Tool and PT, this will satisfy you... is just like them but better, no pretentious "we are so original" music but tight and well performed. When you hear and album like this, you wonder how they manage to keep the whole album in such a great vibe and flowing so well...

The highlights: the whole album... com'n, try it... dive in and enjoy this amazing journey. This is a great place to start trying progressive rock, it conserves the regular alternative rock vibe but in a musical way and alouding the songs to grow... so, 5 stars is what this deserves for sure... and I'm afraid the other albums will get it too...

Unlike the albums that preceded it, Frames sounded slightly disappointing at first. I heard flashes of good songwriting, but somehow Oceansize seemed to have lost some of the appeal, diversity and emotionality of the predecessors. As it turned out, this is their first album that has grown on me instead of gradually losing my interest. And that is always a good indication that there are proggy things abound. While I would not really add my voice to the legion of fans who call this their best album to date, it's certainly not less then the preceding ones. Only different.

Commemorative T-Shirt starts as an homage to Oldfield's Tubular Bells. It grows into a captivating epic rock song with beautiful vocals, brilliant drumming and 3 thick layers of guitars. It's one of the first Oceansize songs that doesn't remind me immediately of some other band. Oh yes, they have grown up. Unfamiliar continues the thick guitar tapestries and varies them with catchy and intricate riffing. Again it's remarkable how much they have matured. The verses still have a regular indie vocal line, but the music below it explores more sophisticated areas and time signatures. Quite ironically, even though it's the shortest track here it's a tad too long.

Trail of Fire is another big composition. I sure hear some Porcupine Tree influences here, more so then on their previous albums. If Oceansize didn't want to be tagged prog before, then they sure fully embrace it here. Savant is a welcome rest-point, it's a slowly progressing post-rock study with plenty of spacey guitars and vocal effects, which might be another indication of the Porcupine influence. Only Twin gradually picks up a higher speed again. It's not the easiest track to get into, a lot of gloomy atmosphere is built up during the first half, but the melodic development in the second half could have been better.

An Old Friend is one of the most chilling moments here: brooding minor chords, ghostly whispers and a slowly pounding drum beat. Almost hesitantly, beautiful guitar picking is added on this funeral march. Halfway in, heavier guitars lift up the mood. Not for long, the ending progressively decomposes the sonic texture again, till only the bass note remains.

A bit of creepy feedback builds up and launches into the heavy Sleeping Dogs, featuring complex time signature riffing that is similar to how Porcupine Tree incorporated math rock influences on In Absentia. It has potential but the wilder section with the distorted screams should better have been handled by a guest vocalist with a real death throat. Now it lacks that stroke of real aggression to make it work.

The Frame ends my version of the album. (Even though the package says 'bonus Live DVD', they didn't deem it necessary to add the superior bonus Voorhees!). The Frame hasn't yet convinced me of its qualities, the vocal lines aren't really remarkable. As far as I'm concerned, Voorhees should have been the preferred pick to end the album. It's an 11 minute epic with rich textures, dramatic crescendo's and passionate playing.

This band never sounded much like space-rock to me, more like post-rock or experimental/post metal. This trivial notion is still relevant when it comes to rating the album. It's a 3.5 stars that I would have to round down when comparing it to Floyd masterpieces. However, when compared to similar bands like Tool, Maudlin of the Well and Anathema, 4 stars are deserved.

I'm sorry, but some of the songs on this album sound as if two or three old tracks that had been laying around from previous years were (rather badly) spliced together ("Savant," "Only Twin," "Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions," and "Voorhees," ) and the best song on the album, "Trail of Fire" (the only five-star song, IMHO), has some rather incongruous and innocuous sections to it. Gone are melody, variety, and experimentation (unless you want to call venturing further into the land of dissonance and repetition 'experimental') of "Everyone into Position;" here are a harder edge and more dissonance. There's even a song or two I hope to never hear again in this lifetime ("Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions" and "The Frame"). I still love (the concept of) the drummer who hates to play in straightforward time signatures, the repetitive math rock guitar arpeggios are still catchy (if played ad nauseum), but something like 'charm' or 'charisma' is missing from this album. There is a lot of music on this album--the nine songs average about eight and a half minutes each--but much of it fails to engage and win me over--especially as they 'develop' into either noise and cacaphony or repetition like Chinese water torture. Good, I guess, but not great or even excellent.

I began listening to Oceansize in late 2010, only a few month before the band made an official announcement of calling it a day. My journey began with the band's latest offering, Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up, since I was planning to see their live gig. But I soon shifted my attention to Frames since it clearly was considered the pinnacle of the band's career featuring fan favorites like Trail Of Fire and Only Twin.

Let me start by saying that I've never really understood the whole Indie Rock phenomenon, which might explain my presence on this website, and have to admit that Oceansize definitely has that vibe. Likely, the band is much more versatile than most Indie Rock artists. These qualities do come into play and even hijack Frames halfway through the album, but more on that later. The first few tracks have more of a commercial approach to them and I doubt that they alone would be enough to certify the band's status as a progressive rock act. Here is where we get the most clear definition of the ups and downs of their style where Trail Of Fire is dreamy, melodic and appealing to my ears, while Unfamiliar features that emotionless and generic approach to songwriting that I honestly never cared for.

The second part of the album ditches all the need to show off the band's versatile approach to music making, for the sake of it, and concentrates on creating really passionate music that I can easily stand behind. The only pity comes in the fact that the 10 minute closer, The Frame, is just not on par with any of the material that preceded it and I'm truly surprised that Oceansize decided to keep it instead of the superior track Voorhees.

Overall, Frames showed me a new atmospheric side of Oceansize and their repertoire. The compositions generally run a few minutes longer than the tracks off Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up, giving way for the band's Space Rock sound to really grow. I can't exactly say that I'm a huge fan of Oceansize due to the reasons that I've mentioned previously and the big stylistic shift between the tracks does make it difficult for me to see this album as a whole. Still, it's definitely an enjoyable experience well worth checking out.

***** star songs: Trail Of Fire (8:06)

**** star songs: Commemorative ____ T-Shirt (8:37) Savant (8:07) Only Twin (7:22) An Old Friend Of The Christies (10:19) Sleeping Dogs And Dead Lions (6:42)

*** star songs: Unfamiliar (6:32) The Frame (10:08)

Oceansize's Frames finds the band following an approach reminiscent of early Porcupine Tree - blending classic space rock textures with techniques and motifs drawn from modern indie rock. Here, they select harder-edged precedents from both traditions, yielding an album prone to both hardcore trippy excursions and snarling rants. Add in some influence from the seedier side of post-rock, and what you end up with is a modern-day New Prog trip which has something to offer listeners of all generations. If you can, snag a version with Voorhees on it, which is a somewhat superior album closer to The Frame (to the point where I'm amazed it was relegated to the status of bonus track).

Oceansize's 3rd full length album is another amazing journey into some of the best new progressive rock and they continue to be a band that proves that progressive rock is alive and well and still has a lot of territory to explore. Even though it is considered psychedelic/space rock here in the Archives, this album leans more towards the post rock/heavy prog sound. This one is a bit heavier than "Everyone Into Position" was. Oceansize wanted to make an album that didn't have any radio friendly songs on it whatsoever, and that is what they have accomplished. There is less melody than the previous album and a lot more exploration, even though that album was still a masterpiece. But this one is amazing also. Borrowing more from post rock, this takes that genre beyond it's own borders and mostly ignores any rules.

There is definitely a good enough variety here to keep things interesting, but the album is also more structured to a specific sound. Full of complexity, the meters are very difficult technically, yet there is so much emotion in their music as there always is. They definitely accomplish the goals of so many post-rock bands that try to achieve an orchestral sound with rock instruments, especially with dense guitars and long crescendos. Oceansize doesn't always follow that formula here keeping things surprising and fresh throughout. The closest thing to post-rock formulation is "Trial of Fire" which builds into an amazing climax that puts many of those bands to shame. And that orchestral sound is accomplished so well as you get in that symphonic like ending. "Savant" is probably the least interesting track, at least at the start, but it develops as it goes and finally floats into a lush 2nd half that approaches a psychedelic leaning, albeit vaguely as strings enter and give this song a beautiful way to cap itself off.

"Only Twin" is a definite stand out. Extremely complex, yet a softer sound that still holds a lot of tension building, but not in the form of dynamics as much as in atmosphere. I love this track and think it is one of the most original tracks in new progressive rock. Stunningly beautiful, yet not in the way you would expect it to be. When I say it's a softer sound, that is only in comparison with the rest of the tracks that come before it. No, it's not mellow at all, just softer.

The excellent complexity of the album continues through each track. There is only one instrumental on the album which is "An Old Friend of the Christy's" which holds a lot of mood changes and character as any other song on the album. "Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions" is the shortest track here and it clocks in at over 6 minutes, but it packs a solid punch as it is also the heaviest and loudest song here, with vocals approaching screaming, but never in an obnoxious way, more in an emotional way. The last track "Frames" slacks off in the noise factor a bit, but still carries it's weight. Even though it ends the album in a satisfying way, you need to search out the special edition of this album that has the bonus track "Vorhees" which in itself is over 11 minutes (a bonus track over 11 minutes you say?). There are many that compare Oceansize to Tool, which I don't agree with because they have their own sound, but if there is a track that sound the most similar to Tool, it would be this bonus track, even the crazy dissonant guitar solo that also uses keyboards to push it forward to even more of an extreme. Definitely as great as any of the regular tracks on the album and worth searching for.

It is so hard for me at this point in Oceansize's discography to find an album that is not a masterpiece. Everything they have released up until now has been some of the best progressive rock that I have heard and each album has been amazing. There is never a lack of complexity, excellent dynamism, originality, challenging and genre stretching progressive rock in their music and I continue to recommend this band highly. Consistently excellent and once again, another masterpiece of progressive rock music. 5 solid stars.

Oceansize is one of those bands that very subtly fluctuates between calm and serene soundscapes to absolute bone crushing distortion in an instant.

When I first heard "Everybody Into Position", my first exposure to Oceansize, I just dismissed them for a carbon copy Riverside or half-baked Porcupine Tree, but once I heard "No Tomorrow" (still the best song they've made, in my opinion), I realized they had tried developing a heavier sidebar to their aesthetic in order to avoid being lumped in with their contemporaries.

But while "Everybody Into Position" had a much heavier outlook than "Effloresce", the intro song "Commemorative T-Shirt" off this record has an altogether different sound. A long buildup and miminal vocals are categorized by a post-grunge influenced sound, perhaps even a shoegaze inspired sound from the 80's Brit rock boom? Surely the Smiths, New Order, Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine influenced prog-based successors like Porcupine Tree, Riverside The Pineapple Thief and Oceansize.

Overall, the chords are heavy and resonant, "wall of sound" type chords, but it's not boring at all. As the music segues into "Unfamiliar", the vocals make their presence more pronounced, the guitars begin to move and shift, the drummer springs into life, only for the song to abruptly end.

"Frames" is a stunning album. It's far more cohesive than the outfits previous two albums. It's a sound of their own that manages to combine soft, retrospective and melancholic tones ("Trail Of Fire", "Savant") with some explosive instrumental prowess ("Unfamiliar") and even some doom metal-esque sludge and drone stylings ("An Old Friend Of The Christy's"). Oceansize to me always had a bit of shoegaze stylings around their music, and this album screams shoegaze in many ways, but their textures, changes in sound and direction and cohesive musical visions make each song stand alone and give life to this album. An excellent album with a sound all its own.

4.5