Sunday: The Ocean - Firmament

     If you're a regular reader, or even if you just happened to catch my Ten Best of 2013 post, you may well have noticed that I really liked The Ocean's 2013 album Pelagial. But The Ocean didn't spring into being out of thin air to release their watery opus. They have earlier work, and some of it is pretty fucking solid.

     Like 2010's Heliocentric, the first part of the band's 2010 double album critiquing Christianity. As someone coming to The Ocean's catalogue late and through Pelagial, I can definitely hear in Heliocentric some foreshadowing of the masterpiece to come: big, heavy riffs; the contrast of said heavy riffs with some piano and strings; the weaving of lyrics around a central concept.

     If you're going to check out Heliocentric (and why wouldn't you?) you had best start at what is essentially the start with second track and true album opener "Firmament". It's just heavenly.