I’ll delve into that wide-ranging aesthetic, but not before acknowledging that Sea of Consciousness is built on a foundation of good ol’ fashioned heavy metal. In the album’s first third especially, every third riff seems to invoke Iron Maiden, or even my beloved 3 Inches of Blood. Countless genre branches explode from this bedrock; this record owes a lot to Voivod and late-era Death, with secondary inspirations as far-reaching as Kalmah (“Persistence”), Immortal (“Solitudo”), and Celtic Frost (“Torchbearer”). And for its pollock-esque approach, Sea of Consciousness is often damn good. Its aggressive sections flow infectiously, and aside from one riff on “Torchbearer” that practically steals one of the best riffs from Death’s “Spirit Crusher1,” Sea of Consciousness refrains from leaning too hard into any one influence. They are absolutely derivative, which makes it all the more impressive that they’ve still crafted a distinctive experience.
There is a flashing red weak point in all of this, and it reveals itself through Sea of Consciousness’s inscrutable desire to kill their own flow. The eponymous / title track and “Misconception” might have been Sea of Consciousness’s two best compositions, if not for thematically empty detours into vapid clean sections defined by water-flavored arpeggios. Early Opeth may be the inspiration here, but these tangents are a far cry from those on Orchid and Morningrise2. Tracks from the record’s midsection rely on clean passages as more of a central hook, which pays off in more memorable and emotive fashion (see: “Reflections”), but still feel like they play against the band’s more propulsive strengths. Frustratingly, this results in a gulf of quality, with Sea of Consciousness seemingly unable to differentiate between compelling and stale ideas.
With so many stylistic pivots, one would expect a similarly dynamic singer, and Bionda Honings takes up the task while swinging for the fences. Those swings are, ultimately, a bit too wild. Bionda is certainly chameleonic in adapting several styles of harsh and clean vocals, but in a fitting metaphor for the album as a whole, certain modes work better for her than others. Her upper-range harsh vocals drip with venom, but her gutturals and mid-range growls are oddly lacking in force. Cleans are similarly hit or miss, with her loose vibrato and jolting volume shifts being detrimental in instances such as the otherwise nuanced “Solitudo.” Yet for all my gripes, these surprisingly prevalent cleans are Sea of Consciousness’s most distinctive asset, aiming for raw emotion over theatrical precision and injecting the proceedings with considerable character. That’s not to say that she overshadows the instrumentalists; the band as a whole is immensely talented, but that’s a baseline requirement when debuting in the bottomless ocean that is underground extreme metal.
Sea of Consciousness’s range of sounds is novel and often admirable. That said, I think there’s a reason why we don’t often see such wildly eclectic acts receive critical acclaim or a wider audience. The idea of an artist that pays genre lines no heed is enticing on paper, but without expert care, it feels like a glorified collage. Thankfully, most of the pieces Sea of Consciousness grabbed in cobbling this debut together are individually intriguing and occasionally unique. It frequently frustrates, of course, but I think the fact that I want to keep talking about this record regardless speaks volumes for the band’s potential. Scraps of greatness have been gathered here, and if Sea of Consciousness can rearrange them into something truly compelling, their sophomore effort could be monumental. Until then, I give this record a cautious recommendation to adventurous, omnivorous, and forgiving extreme metal connoisseurs.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 73 | Format Reviewed: .wav
Label: Self-Released
Websites: seaofconsciousness.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/SeaofConsciousness.official
Releases Worldwide: January 12th, 2024
