The Ocean Premiere New Single "Belligerence" From Upcoming New Album "Solaris"

German post-metal collective The Ocean have shared another preview of their upcoming album "Solaris". The record is set for release on September 25th through the band's own Pelagic Records and draws inspiration from Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film of the same name.

The latest single, "Belligerence," arrives alongside the following statement from the band:

“‘Belligerence‘ is a song about the culture of arguing and about the destructive force of contained anger and belligerence as a trait of character, often transfigured as an attribute of reason and a critical mind.”

A press release further detailed the concept behind "Solaris":

”Solaris‘ is an album that tells a story of cosmic escapism: journey on that ship, which is essentially a celestial rescue boat escaping from a metaphorically sinking Mother Earth. The rescue boat can be imagined as a historic naval vessel, and the lyrics and episodes of the album make reference to the real-life explorers of the past who set out to discover (back then) unknown continents and uncharted territories: Da Gama, Magellan, Sir Frances Drake, as well as the Polar explorers Amundsen, Scott, Rasmussen etc.

The stories of these historic journeys all share similar elements: Storms, disease, wreckage, power games, personal rivalries, egos, belligerence, mutiny, AND finally the quest for truth and justice. While most explorers initially had noble motives and were driven by a limitless spirit of exploration and discovery which was stronger than the many hardships suffered along the way, their legacy is often stained with cultural imperialism, genocide and tales of dictatorial leadership.

Far from being a glorification of male, white explorers who sought to colonize unknown worlds, or a romanticization of patriarchal constructs, ‘Solaris‘ draws a line between these extremely driven explorers and present-day political leaders. It poses questions of the shadowy darkness of being a “great” leader, it queries the very notion of a divine calling and the cost of following such an instinctive pull. It also traces the shape of these psychological patterns into the creative world and applies the same lines of enquiry to creative forces. Can exploration be redefined to be conceived as a process of silent observation, documentation and learning, rather than bequeathing our own ideas and values on others?

The album serves as a critique of the underlying motives and psychological dispositions of an explorative mindset and a thirst for power. It is an existential questioning, a probe of reason of the general purpose of technological advance, in the specific light of the destruction of our habitat. It’s a dystopian outlook into a future where Earth has become uninhabitable – not despite, but as a direct consequence of human intelligence, as the foundation of technological advance.”

"Solaris" also marks a major lineup refresh for The Ocean, introducing vocalists Enrico Tiberi (ex-EyeHate, etc.) and Lane Shi (Elizabeth Colour Wheel, Otay:onii), alongside guitarists Emmanuel Jessua (Hypno5e) and Marco Gennaro.

The post-metal outfit will support the album with a European tour this fall, joined by Psychonaut and Hypno5e on select dates, while The Devil's Trade and Pothamus will alternate opening duties.