History Music / TheOcean

The Ocean (commonly referred to as The Ocean Collective) is a band formed by guitarist Robin Staps in 2000 in Berlin, Germany. While the group has always had a very firm grounding in Progressive Sludge metal, the sound has been shown to be fairly varied since inception. This is due in no small part to the wide variety of members that have been part of the band. According to [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150326183719/http://theoceancollective.com/pelagial/about-the-ocean/line-up/ the website]] over fifty people have been participants in The Ocean, so many that it's impossible to know exactly who has been involved. This has brought a range of sound into The Ocean, from post-metal to symphonic to hardcore. Robin Staps has consistently been the only member involved since the beginning, and has [[{{JustForPun}} orchestrated]] members and performers from the beginning. This has allowed him to bring in relatively well-known vocalists in from {{Music/Converge}} and Cave-In. This is why the band has been referred to more as a "collective" in the past, where various artists would record and tour with Staps, but not become permanent members. In 2009, Staps brought in a more stable line-up, cementing the band to function more as a group than a project by one person.

* ''Transcendental'' (2015) - Split with Music/{{Mono}}

* AnythingThatMoves: The lyrics to "Dead Serious and Highly Professional". Appears to be a threat.

The Ocean (commonly referred to as The Ocean Collective) is a band formed by guitarist Robin Staps in 2000 in Berlin, Germany. While the group has always had a very firm grounding in Progressive Sludge metal, the sound has been shown to be fairly varied since inception. This is due in no small part to the wide variety of members that have been part of the band. According to [[http://theoceancollective.com/pelagial/about-the-ocean/line-up/ The Website]] over fifty people have been participants in The Ocean, so many that it's impossible to know exactly who has been involved. This has brought a range of sound into The Ocean, from post-metal to symphonic to hardcore. Robin Staps has consistently been the only member involved since the beginning, and has [[{{JustForPun}} orchestrated]] members and performers from the beginning. This has allowed him to bring in relatively well-known vocalists in from {{Music/Converge}} and Cave-In. This is why the band has been referred to more as a "collective" in the past, where various artists would record and tour with Staps, but not become permanent members. In 2009, Staps brought in a more stable line-up, cementing the band to function more as a group than a project by one person.

->''Also known as The Ocean Collective''

The Ocean (commonly referred to as The Ocean Collective) is a band formed by guitarist Robin Staps in 2000 in Berlin, Germany. While the group has always had a very firm grounding in Progressive Sludge metal, the sound has been shown to be fairly varied since inception. This is due in no small part to the wide variety of members that have been part of the band. According to [[http://theoceancollective.com/pelagial/about-the-ocean/line-up/ The Website]] [[{{LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters}} over fifty people]] have been participants in The Ocean, so many that it's impossible to know exactly who has been involved. This has brought a range of sound into The Ocean, from post-metal to symphonic to hardcore. Robin Staps has consistently been the only member involved since the beginning, and has [[{{JustForPun}} orchestrated]] members and performers from the beginning. This has allowed him to bring in relatively well-known vocalists in from {{Music/Converge}} and Cave-In. This is why the band has been referred to more as a "collective" in the past, where various artists would record and tour with Staps, but not become permanent members. In 2009, Staps brought in a more stable line-up, cementing the band to function more as a group than a project by one person.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Over fifty people have been involved in the band. The website gives up altogether listing them all.

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: See the lyrics under "God is Evil".

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Most of their material up to ''Precambrian'' is around a 9. Among their metal material, they have dropped generally to a 6-8.

* UncommonTime: Naturally, as a progressive metal band. Probably most prominent in the ''Aeolian'' album, where they wear a lot of {{Music/Meshuggah}} influences on their sleeves.

!!Tropes:

* Koan: "Rhyacian" paraphrases Laozi when commenting on humans "Committed to burn twice as long and half as bright".

* ConceptAlbum: Precambrian is ostensibly about '''the entire geological history of the Earth'''.

* ''Phanerozoic II'' (2020)

** Heliocentric critiques Christianity based on Catholic dogma and treatment of heretics. Anthropocentric continues the critiques, focusing more on protestantism, fundamentalism, and apologetics.
** Pelagial was originally written as an instrumental journey from the top of the ocean to the bottom. When vocals were added, the lyrics seemed to bring personal and relationship struggles in as a parallel.

* DistinctDoubleAlbum: Heliocentric and Anthropocentric, which are two parts of a new sound album released in the same year, both of which criticize religion.

* EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: Discussed on Heliocentric, natch.
* EpicInstrumentalOpener: Fluxion begins this way.

* HorribleHistoryMetal: A couple cases in Heliocentric/Anthropocentric, considering they are critiques of Christianity. Notable examples being the trials of Galileo and the execution of heretics.

* {{Instrumental}}: An interesting case. Pelagial was originally going to be an entirely instrumental album as Loic's throat was recovering. When he recovered, the band felt that as the frontman, he was needed, and recorded vocals. The album usually includes both a version with vocals and instrumentally.
** The Fogdiver EP is all instrumental

* Koan: Rhyacian paraphrases Laozi when commenting on humans "Committed to burn twice as long and half as bright".

* LastNoteNightmare: Pelagial ends its concept at the bottom of the ocean, with a final drone, various noises, and studio sound, giving the impression of being crushed from all directions due to the pressure.
* LighterAndSofter: Heliocentric, after three albums filled with heavy doom and chaotic sludge metal.
* LyricalColdOpen: The whole Anthropocentric album is kicked off entirely like this on the title track. "Heaven TV" on the same album also does this, though gets through almost an entire line before the instruments come in.
* LyricalDissonance: What are the lyrics behind those harsh growls on Precambrian? Poetry by Charles Baudelaire, Comte de Lautréamont, and Georg Trakl?

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Most of their material up to Precambrian is around a 9. Among their metal material, they have dropped generally to a 6-8.
* NewSoundAlbum: Heliocentric was this, dropping any semblance of doom, introducing clean vocals, and becoming more melodic as a whole.

* RecycledLyrics: "You are trying to save me" is a reoccurring lyric in Anthropocentric.

* SerialEscalation: Pelagial starts with soft keys and strings, and generally gets progressively darker and heavier as the tracks continue. This is to give the effect of diving deep into the crushing depths of the ocean.

* UncommonTime: Naturally, as a progressive metal band. Probably most prominent in the Aeolian album, where they wear a lot of {{Music/Meshuggah}} influences on their sleeves.

* Fluxion (2004)
* Aeolian (2005)
* Precambrian (2007)
* Heliocentric (2010)
* Anthropocentric (2010)
* Pelagial (2013)

!!EPs:
* Fogdiver (2003)
* Transcendental (2015) - Split with Music/{{Mono}}

* Luc Hess - Drums
* Jonathan Nido - Guitar
* Louis Jucker - Bass

Listing past members would take far too long.

* Transcendental (2015) - Split with Mono

* Fanservice: A lot of the album art and even a music video features a nude woman prominently.

* Instrumental: An interesting case. Pelagial was originally going to be an entirely instrumental album as Loic's throat was recovering. When he recovered, the band felt that as the frontman, he was needed, and recorded vocals. The album usually includes both a version with vocals and instrumentally.

Current Members:

* LyricalColdOpen: The whole Anthropocentric album is kicked off entirely like this on the title track. "Heaven TV" on the same idea also does this, though gets through almost an entire line before the instruments come in.

* RecursiveReality: "Who made your architect?" in "The Origin of God".

* UncommonTime: Naturally, as a progressive metal band. Probably most prominent in the Aeolian album, where they wear a lot of {[Music/Meshuggah}} influences on their sleeves.

* FaceOfTheBand: Robin Staps has always composed for the band, even when it became "his" project less and more of a collective endeavor.

**

Studio Albums:

EPs:

--

--