Burn the Ocean—Modern Ruins (2023)

Details

Recorded and mixed at Blackwave Studio by Fabio Palombi. Mastered by Giovanni Versari. Released on Argonauta Records on Friday 24 February 2023.

Band

Fabio Palombi—Vocals and guitar
Emanuele “Shuster” Pecollo—Vocals and guitar
Massimo “Kabuto” Repetto—Bass
Chris Parisi—Drums

Tracks

Almost gone
Precious things
Knives
Confined
Plastic wisdom
The botch
Morning light
The ruins
In solitude
Necessary pain

Review

Duality is the true creative force behind Burn The Ocean. In 2014, after more than a decade of activity, Nerve (Melodic Death Metal) and 2Novembre (Rock/Stoner), two of the most important yet extremely different Genoese local acts, disbanded. As an act of consequence, the two masterminds behind the projects, Fabio Palombi (Nerve, Ritual of Rebirth and owner of Blackwave Studio) and Emanuele “Shuster” Pecollo (2Novembre, Volumi Criminali), decided to join forces in order to create a new musical journey which could be able to melt the best of both musical worlds.

Supported by a rock solid rhythm section inherited by 2Novembre (Valentina and Davide Di Maggio) and finding a common ground in their love for 90’s rock, the band recorded the first album, Come Clean, released in 2015 by Sliptrick Records. Upon release, the band started extensive touring in Italy and broke the country borders in 2017 with a small tour touching some Balkan countries.

In order to consolidate an authentic and intimate style and following the lead to achieve a more organic sound, the band decided to hit once again Blackwave Studio choosing to capture the new performance live. As a result of this process Zeit (2018) and Perspective (2018), two self-produced EPs, were released. Shortly after the new music was released, Valentina Di Maggio (Bass) decided to leave the band replaced by Massimo “Kabuto” Repetto, well known bassist of the band Ghandi’s Gunn (now Isaak) who had previously left music to be fully focused on his activity as a Designer and Illustrator. As Covid19 became rapidly pandemic, Davide Di Maggio decided to quit music. Forced to redesign its rhythmic engine the band found in Chris Parisi its missing piece. Chris is a well known musician and veteran in the local and national scene who put its signature drumming in several acts such as Zorn, Athlantis, Raza de Ódio and Cadaveria during the last 20 years. With the renewed lineup, the band entered once again Blackwave Studio to record a full album during summer 2022.

Burn The Ocean’s sound is often described as modern, fresh, heavy yet organic and intimate. You can easily find the band jumping from a radio-friendly song to a more classic yet dirty rock track always trying to maintain its huge and groovy impact. Burn The Ocean’s secret weapon lies in having two very distinct and recognizable main vocals which often melt together, alternating solo and choral moments.

The new album entitled “Modern Ruins” has been recorded and mixed by Fabio Palombi at Blackwave Studio and mastered by Giovanni Versari (Muse). Modern Ruins is a solid rock album which is intended to act like a wormhole between contemporary rock and 90s grunge and alternative rock.

According to primary composer, guitarist, singer and producer, Fabio, “Modern Ruins is the sum of what we, as a band and rock enthusiasts, really love about rock music. Writing these song took us 4 years so there is no wonder about the fact that we consider it a large collection of singles. I mean that there’s so much cure in the arrangements that we really had difficult times choosing the right tracks to be used as singles in order to promote the album. Lyrically speaking there’s a lot of sadness and resignation within the songs. We wanted to explore the psychological consequences of dealing with modern society so that the music can be described as a soundtrack to the real life, which we believe is far form the one a lot of people try to show us on social networks.”

Conclusion

This is a solid rock album, filled with melody and groove, that draws on the attitude and freedom of 1990s grunge and alternative rock but with its feet set firmly in the present and its eyes gazing into the future.

Review score: 75%

Video

Disclosure

Grand Sounds PR contacted me inviting me to preview Burn the Ocean’s forthcoming album, thank you. I have no connections to either Grand Sounds PR or Burn the Ocean. I’m not being paid to review this. But I did get a free digital copy of the album to review which is pretty cool. Many thanks to Grand Sounds PR, and to Burn the Ocean for continuing to create fresh, exciting new music.