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Oceana

The Tide (2008)
Rise Records

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: Jelone
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on August 29th 2008

I hate when people say, “Oh, I like everything, except for country (and/or rap)” when discussing music, for a few reasons. First, such a statement implies that you have almost no taste in and no opinion on music whatsoever, except for country. This means you rank The Beatles on the same level as your average white supremacy band like Prussia Blue. This means you like Limp Bizkit’s last album as much as The Clash’s first one. And I know you don’t mean that. Secondly, I hate it because I know you’re lying. There is no way you like For the Fatherland as much as Rubber Soul. No freaking way. And finally, I hate this sort of statement because it implies it is possible to hate an entire genre. Thinking in those terms is demeaning to art. Musicians should not be guided by genre labels, because that is too restrictive, and neither should listeners. Listen to bands, not genres.

Now, folks, when I say I hate Oceana’s The Tide because it’s a stupid piece of screamo bullshit, I don’t mean to imply that I hate screamo as a whole. Just because I shuddered when I read online comparisons between Oceana and Burden of a Day, another bad screamo band I had to write about for this Web site, doesn’t mean I’m biased against the entire genre. Taking Back Sunday’s first record has held up for me. And I think Thursday has actually gotten better with each album, although some would argue that A) I’m wrong, and B) Thursday isn’t really a screamo band anymore and that they’re happy to lose the designation. But I just want you, the lip ring-wearing, faux-hawk styling, black-clad masses, to know that I’m not trying to shit on your face.

I just really, really, really don’t like Oceana’s The Tide. It sucks.

After a brief, bland intro track, The Tide kicks into rock mode with “The Accountable.” The first line listeners hear is “The truth is found six feet underground or laying at the bottom of the sea.” Oddly enough, I’m wearing a black Plea for Peace t-shirt right now, so I’m probably not the right demographic for this song about suicide. I can’t quite figure out if frontman Keith Jones is arguing for or against it, and this really isn’t the sort of thing I like left ambiguous. Amid angular guitar parts and that nasally singing/gruff screaming combo that is screaming emotional hardcore’s trademark, Jones advises that “Misguided truths are right here within these walls / And to speak of them is a sin against the ones you swear to the most.” OK, so don’t discuss your family problems? Are you pro- or anti-discussing rape/incest? “To purge one’s self in such a misleading way is just a shame.” If that’s a suicide reference, then I think Jones is coming out against it. But then the alternative Jones comes up with is to “only wither away.” It’s a bit muddled, and the music’s piss poor use of breakdowns and machine gun bass drum hits isn’t really interesting enough to keep me invested.

After “The Accountable,” The Tide provides 10 more competent, yet annoying, screaming emotional hardcore jams. The variation is slight, the frustration great. Jones suffers from the same problem as a lot of this genre’s vocalists; he’s trying too hard to be heavy. While his screams are devoid of the whine of Taking Back Sunday or The Used, they’re so monolithically geared towards sounding deep and guttural that the record sounds like a 42-minute bowel movement. Somebody get this guy a laxative.

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Staytrueryan (November 10, 2010)

i personally i loved this album, it is not at all garabge that you're saying it is. keith jones is a great screamer/vocalist. this is their best album hands down.

Leonidas (December 31, 2008)

Nobody is getting pissed at you for hating Oceana for being "stupid screamo bullshit". If you don't like it, fine, whatever, I respect your opinion.

The thing that is pissing people off is that you don't seem to know what screamo is. Taking Back Sunday is not screamo, has never been screamo, and will never be screamo. Calling Thursday screamo wouldn't be completely inaccurate, though, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt there. But it still doesn't seem like you know what screamo is. You said on your Burden of a Day review:

"Same goes for the clean vocals – the whine makes me want to slag Burden of a Day as a screamo act."

Having clean vocals doesn't make a band screamo. Yes, plenty of newer screamo bands use clean vocals, but earlier screamo bands often used, well, screaming exclusively.

Look, I don't care if you write bad reviews for bands of a certain genre that doesn't appeal to you. But at least learn some shit about the genre first before tagging bands with that tag.

NICKYG (November 21, 2008)

Alright i def. agreee with your first paragraph but when talking to little bitches that dont know there shit thats the easy answer.

also oceana is probably one of the only bands rise records will fucking make money off of for years and years. leats see you make a band record two months later and get signed thirty hours after recording. and rise doesn't just pick any band they have to have talent although they have picked some shitty ass ones fpr the fallen dreams terrible and millionaires.

but oceana atleast has meaningful lyrics and has some fucking talent live if you go see devil wears prada they blow live oceana sounds the same or better than there cd live and new vocalist is better too.

internettroll (September 3, 2008)

yea that last Yanni album was brutal.

diplodocuscore (September 1, 2008)

yea this review kinda saddened me. i know this bands blows because it's being called screamo by someone who doesn't what screamo is, which almost always means terrible, terrible music.

elephantdwarf (August 31, 2008)

the last yanni record was pretty emo, dude.

chokingvictim (August 31, 2008)

although i see where you're coming from silentstorms, pop-punk fans would get pissed off that you're lumping TBS in that category, because they think TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET and THE ERGS are actually defining.

music is what you make of it. if it's a screamo record to you, then it's a screamo record. move on.

elephantdwarf (August 31, 2008)

thank you silentstorms. at least someone gets it.

dancelukedance (August 31, 2008)

I couldnt agree with sydbarret420 more...

However i did give oceana a listen a couple of days ago and the sound was definitely below par.

mikexdude (August 30, 2008)

I like when people about genres so they have an excuse to name all the bands they love. It shows they have sick ass taste.

SilentStorms (August 30, 2008)

Hmm. I'm torn. The first paragraph makes a lot of sense to me because I also hate when people say that, as my next response is always, "Ok, so who do you like?". It's almost like a politician avoiding a direct question.

But I seriously dislike your use of the term screamo for the shit you are describing. Taking Back Sunday is Pop Punk meets ... well crappiness I guess. But, as I've stated many times before, Screamo is the late 90s style light/heavy guitars with screamy (hence the fucking name) vocals ala FUNERAL DINER, NEIL PERRY, CITY OF CATERPILLAR, LOMA PRIETA, JEROME'S DREAM, STORM THE BASTILLE, SAETIA, HOT CROSS etc etc.

I hate when shitty neo-pop punk bands get lumped in with amazing epic screamo music. That shit finger snaps my testies. Score is for the entire review. (But not the band ... who I've never heard)

llmp (August 30, 2008)

Saying you like two different things does not mean you do not have a preference for one over the other.

danperrone (August 30, 2008)

what the fuck does your first paragraph have to do with anything

score is for reviews that don't get to the point

tonyhoag (August 30, 2008)

good review.

Pez (August 29, 2008)

Score is for the review.
My roommates/band mates went to high school with these guys and our ska band used kick their asses in BOTB's. Yet they get signed.

SydBarrett420 (August 29, 2008)

Score is for the review; your first paragraph makes absolutely no sense.

Just because someone says they like evrything except for country or rap, it doesn't mean they are ranking a Charles Manson album alongside Led Zeppelin IV.

Live a little first and realize music is subjective and EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinion. Your entire review comes off as some snobby young adult who thinks they have a leg up on everyone elses musical tastes. Sorry if thats not the case, but thats how it came across to me.

grownfromthecold (August 29, 2008)

Score is for the review, well done sir. I HATE when people say they like "everything except for country/rap". So fucking stupid and annoying. And I really do not like this band, I can't see at all why it initially got some praise. Talk about a borefest.