Ocean Buddha - Into Oblivion

Ocean Buddha

Into Oblivion
self-released; 2019

​3.6 out of 5

By Vidal Granandos

In 2016, guitarist Matthew Lal, bassist Anthony Molinelli and drummer Ty Gillis formed the Canadian rock trio Ocean Buddha. In March of the following year they released their first EP Ocean Fucking Buddha. After a yearlong hiatus, the trio began working together on their debut album Into Oblivion. The album’s sound is more aggressive compared to their previous work.

Into Oblivion opens up with “Son of the Mourning.” It blends the style of ska and metal. The intro has thunderous guitar riffs and smashing drums before evolving into a groovy vibe. Yet Lal’s raspy voice keeps the metal tone prevalent the entire way through. The song works for either fan of genres. The following track “In Empty Hands” is a much slower metal song with Lal’s vocals being the highlight.

The next few songs are pretty great. “No Horizon” starts off upbeat with fantastic percussion to get the energy going. Same thing for “Evil Machines” - the instrumentation is superb. “Evil Machines” is more of a blues song with its down and dirty sound of squealing guitars, smooth bass and relaxed high hats. Even though the song starts strong, it’s interrupted with lyrics. Had it stayed as an instrumental it would’ve been more memorable.

“Again?” and “Not Again!” are back-to-back metal songs. Both are lengthy songs that touch on that revisit the theme of falling into bad habits. Both songs work well at being a part one and part two with “Again?” being slow and “Not Again!” being aggressive with its tone and screaming vocals. The last song is the title track “Into Oblivion.” It’s a short song with a dark element lurking in the background that finishes the album on a solid note.

Into Oblivion is a strong return for the Canadian trio Ocean Buddha.  However an instrumental track or two could have gone a long way to give listeners a breather leaving a stronger impression to the overall album. Songs like “Son of the Mourning” and “Evil Machines” shows the band has more to offer than just heavy metal. Most tracks are pretty lengthy so you never feel cheated. Take a listen.

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