Album #13; 'How We Both Wondrously Perish' - Being As An Ocean

Lucky #13 on this countdown is another new band I discovered this year, Being As An Ocean, with their album 'How We Both Wondrously Perish'. An emotionally charged release that I was lucky enough to find during the middle of the year, it's a very solid album overall.

Featuring two lead vocalists and a very full sound, this band knows what it is doing and does it well. One vocalist handles most of the soaring choruses, and the other vocalist handles the screamed verses; though the screamer also has a tendency to have a 'talking' voice, so to speak that, personally, I think absolutely highlights most tracks on this album.

Housing one of my favorite songs of the year in 'The Poets Cry For More', this album is an emotional roller coaster of an album. 'The Poets' is an incredibly emotionally powerful song with lyrics that really grab at me. "We have all made mistakes, and God I've made mistakes, but my mistakes haven't made me" is a wonderful lyric that ends a haunting opening monologue of sorts; add in the fact that the title track comes before it and leads into it perfectly, and you've got the recipe for an amazing part of this album. Other highlight songs of this album include 'We Drag The Dead On Leashes', 'Mothers', and 'Grace, Teach Us What We Lack', all of which tug emotionally and really make the listener think.

When I first picked up this album, it had a place inside my Top 6, but has since fallen; mostly due to the fact that I believe the screaming on the album doesn't really add much; the album is at its best during is melodic choruses and during clean vocals from the verses. Given that and the short runtime (39 minutes), it was knocked down a couple pegs. I'd still suggest giving it a listen, however, because overall it's quite strong.

Tracklist (favorites in orange again, right?):

Mediocre Shakespeare - 3:40

Death's Great Black Wing Scrapes The Air - 4:18

L'exquisite douleur - 3:55

How We Both Wondrously Perish - 1:10

The Poets Cry For More - 3:29

We Drag The Dead On Leashes - 4:55

Even The Dead Have Their Tasks - 3:26

Grace, Teach Us What We Lack - 4:24

Mothers - 5:06

Natures - 4:46

That's all for #13! #12 is next!