Anthropocentric (album)

Last updated

Anthropocentric
The-ocean-anthropocentric.jpg
Studio album by
The Ocean
Released9 November 2010 [1]
Recorded La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, between April and December 2009
Genre Post-metal, sludge metal, progressive metal, art rock
Length50:06
Label Metal Blade
The Ocean chronology
Heliocentric
(2010)		Anthropocentric
(2010)		 Pelagial
(2013)

Anthropocentric is the fifth studio album by German progressive metal band The Ocean. It is the second album in a two-album series, following Heliocentric . Anthropocentric continues the critique of Christianity as in its companion album Heliocentric. The album was released in North America on 9 November 2010.

Contents

Theme

Like its companion Heliocentric , Anthropocentric focuses on critique of Fundamentalist Christianity and Creationism. It calls into question the beliefs of "creationists" and "modern fundamentalists" who assert that "the earth is at the center of the universe" as well as the belief that the Earth is "no more than 5,000 years old." [2] The band places focus on the concept of "man and his place in the universe". The band specified critiques of Christianity inspired by the questions of Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche and Richard Dawkins. At the base of the album are three songs with the titles "The Grand Inquisitor I, II and III". These songs have been inspired by the chapter of the same title in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov : a conversation between the brothers Ivan, an atheist, and Alyoscha, a monk. Ivan tells Alyoscha the story of a Second Coming of Christ in 16th century Sevilla. According to this parable, Jesus is arrested by the Catholic inquisition. The grand inquisitor who interrogates Jesus casts a new light on the legend of the temptation of Christ: he reproaches Jesus with having betrayed humanity and having deprived man of salvation by offering him freedom. The conversation between Ivan and Alyoscha mirrors, to some degree, the conversation between the grand inquisitor and Christ and raises more questions than it answers.

Music

While Heliocentric "continues where the Proterozoic half of Precambrian left off, Anthropocentric is a "bit more straight forward" while still employing the "full range of dynamic." [2] The band's comments on the albums reveal things about the music of the album felt "somehow heavier than Heliocentric." Describing the sound as "more dense" and "a tad more raw". The album covers a similar sonic and dynamic range as Heliocentric, also including a number of calm, acoustic moments but these are for the most part orchestrated with guitars, and not so much with piano and string section. The focus is on the heavy songs. Robin Staps comments on the production of the album stating the album "still has a very earthy, organic feel to it". Specifying, "We have spent a great deal of time on the basic sound this time around, drums, bass, guitars and vocals... and at this stage I am pretty confident that this will pay off in the end!" [3]

Recording

The albums were mainly recorded in the mountainous isolation of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, one of the highest cities of Europe. The band decided to record and mix the album with the band's house sound engineer Julien Fehlmann. The third song on the album "She Was the Universe" was released on to the official Metal Blade Records website. [4]

Track listing

All music and lyrics written by Robin Staps, except where noted.

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Anthropocentric" 9:24
2."The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov Baseness" 5:02
3."She Was the Universe" 5:39
4."For He That Wavereth..."Jonathan Nido, Loïc Rossetti2:07
5."The Grand Inquisitor II: Roots & Locusts"J. Nido6:33
6."The Grand Inquisitor III: A Tiny Grain of Faith" 1:56
7."Sewers of the Soul"Louis Jucker3:44
8."Wille zum Untergang"J. Nido, R. Staps6:03
9."Heaven TV"J. Nido5:04
10."The Almightiness Contradiction"J. Nido, R. Staps4:34
Total length:50:06

Personnel

The Ocean

Additional personnel

Reception

Anthropocentric has received generally positive reviews. AllMusic gave the album 3.5/5 stars, noting the band's intent to make listening to the album an experience both for the ears and mind: "...it's possible to just let the loud guitars and thundering drums wash over you...but that's so clearly not what the band wants to happen that Anthropocentric ceases to be cathartic, like all the best metal, and starts to feel like homework." [5] Sputnikmusic gave the album 4.0/5 in its featured review, considered "excellent" by the site's standards.

The Australian music magazine Blunt gave the album 5/5 stars.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ancient (band)</span> Norwegian black metal band

Ancient is a Norwegian black metal band from Bergen, formed in 1992. The band released six full-length albums released by Metal Blade Records to date and a variety of mini-albums, EPs and special releases. Ancient used to have the classic raw black metal sound, similar to Darkthrone's works. Beginning with The Cainian Chronicle, they moved towards a more Nordic/atmospheric black metal sound, akin to Emperor and a cleaner production. After a period of turmoil concerning their line-up, they went on to add gothic-style instruments such as violins, a female vocalist, and synthesizers to their music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falconer (band)</span> Swedish power metal band

Falconer was a Swedish power metal band from Mjölby, formed in 1999 by the former guitarist of Mithotyn, Stefan Weinerhall. Falconer carried on many of the traditions set by Weinerhall's previous band and played a fusion style of power metal that utilizes folk instrumentation and melody to create a more medieval sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwar</span> American heavy metal band

Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists, and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. Since the death of frontman and lead singer Dave Brockie in 2014, the group has continued recording and performing without any of its founding members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ocean (band)</span> German progressive metal band

The Ocean is a German progressive metal band started in 2000 by German guitarist Robin Staps. Loïc Rossetti has been the band's vocalist since the 2010 albums Heliocentric and Anthropocentric.

<i>Aeolian</i> (album) 2006 studio album by The Ocean

Aeolian is the second studio album by German progressive metal band The Ocean. It was released on 7 March 2006 through Metal Blade Records.

<i>Precambrian</i> (album) 2007 studio album by The Ocean

Precambrian is the third studio album by German progressive metal band The Ocean, released on 5 November 2007 through Metal Blade Records. It features several guest musicians, including Caleb Scofield, Nate Newton, Dwid Hellion (Integrity), Tomas Hallbom (Breach), Erik Kalsbeek (Textures) and musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revocation (band)</span> American technical death metal band

Revocation is an American technical death metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Dave Davidson, bassist Brett Bamberger and drummer Ash Pearson. The band has released eight studio albums, two EPs, and ten music videos since their formation.

<i>Heliocentric</i> (The Ocean album) 2010 studio album by The Ocean

Heliocentric is the fourth studio album by German progressive metal band The Ocean, released on 9 April 2010. The album marks the recording debut of vocalist Loïc Rossetti. It is the first part of a double album about the critique of Christianity from different philosophical and personal angles, with its companion album, Anthropocentric, which was released on 9 November 2010 in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omen (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Omen is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by lead guitarist Kenny Powell.

<i>Fluxion</i> (album) 2004 studio album by The Ocean

Fluxion is the debut studio album by German progressive metal band The Ocean, released in November 2004. It is the first part of a two-CD project that ended with Aeolian. The album was re-released in 2009 with new vocal tracks by then-lead vocalist Mike Pilat.

<i>Fire Make Thunder</i> 2012 studio album by OSI

Fire Make Thunder is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band OSI, released by Metal Blade Records on March 27, 2012 in Europe and North America.

<i>Pelagial</i> 2013 studio album by The Ocean

Pelagial is the sixth studio album by German progressive metal band The Ocean. It is a concept album with the track titles referencing, in descending fashion, the oceanic depth zones. Musically, the concept is explored by sequencing the music such that it is increasingly dark and claustrophobic in emulation of the diminishing light and increasing pressure that comes with oceanic descent. The album was initially conceived as an instrumental release, although vocals were subsequently added; the band has made both versions available.

<i>Sun Eater</i> 2014 studio album by Job for a Cowboy

Sun Eater is the fourth studio album by American death metal band Job for a Cowboy. It was released on November 11, 2014, by Metal Blade Records. The album features session musician Danny Walker on drums, and Cannibal Corpse vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher guested on the song "The Synthetic Sea".

<i>The Art of Loss</i> 2016 studio album by Redemption

The Art of Loss is the sixth studio album of Californian progressive metal band Redemption. This is the first album without guitarist and founding member Bernie Versailles, who is presently on an indefinite medical leave of absence from the band because he suffered an aneurysm in October 2014. To replace Versailles in the recordings, the guitarist and DGM member Simone Mularoni and former Megadeth guitar players Chris Poland, Chris Broderick and Marty Friedman were invited. Vocalist John Bush from Armored Saint also was guest to sing Love, Reign o'er Me, a cover of The Who in duet with Ray Alder.

The Zenith Passage is an American technical death metal band from Los Angeles, California founded in 2012. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. To date they have released one EP, Cosmic Dissonance, and one LP, Solipsist.

<i>Menace to Society</i> (Lizzy Borden album) 1986 studio album by Lizzy Borden

Menace to Society is the second studio album by Los Angeles metal band Lizzy Borden.

<i>Master of Disguise</i> (Lizzy Borden album) 1989 studio album by Lizzy Borden

Master of Disguise is the fourth studio album by Los Angeles heavy metal band Lizzy Borden.

<i>Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic</i> 2020 album by The Ocean

Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic is the eighth studio album by German progressive metal band The Ocean. It was released on 25 September 2020 and is the second part of a concept album series exploring the Phanerozoic geological eon, the first part being Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic, which was released in 2018. The first two track titles each reference a period of the Mesozoic era, whereas the remaining six each reference a period of the Cenozoic era.

<i>Fluid Existential Inversions</i> 2020 studio album by Intronaut

Fluid Existential Inversions is the sixth studio album by American progressive metal band Intronaut. It was released February 28, 2020, through Metal Blade, their first release through the label and since leaving Century Media.

<i>Holocene</i> (album) 2023 studio album by The Ocean

Holocene is the ninth studio album by German progressive metal band The Ocean. The album was released on 19 May 2023 through Pelagic Records and was produced by Daniel Lidén.

References

  1. ↑ "The Ocean | Anthropocentric". Metal Blade Records. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 "The Ocean". Metalblade.com. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Metal-Blade-Records Merch, T-Shirts, Hoodies, CDs". District Lines. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "The Ocean | Anthropocentric". Metalblade.com. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  5. ↑ Phil Freeman. "Anthropocentric". AllMusic . Retrieved 14 January 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.