The Regeneration Itinerary

4.50

PICKMETER

4.87

HMB

4.33

CRITICS

band:

...And Oceans

release date: May 23, 2025

label: Season of Mist

type: Full-length

HMB´S REVIEW

I first discovered …And Oceans back when symphonic black metal was still breaking out of its raw, traditional mold. They’ve always been one of those bands that aren’t satisfied with repeating formulas instead, they tear everything apart, rearrange the pieces, and create something hybrid, strange, almost futuristic. From the icy winds of black metal to the pulsing chaos of electronic music, they’ve never stopped moving. And The Regeneration Itinerary might just be the clearest expression of that restlessness.

Right from the start, I could tell this album isn’t interested in fitting into any boxes. It hit me like a living sonic collage, where industrial textures, electronic pulses, and symphonic atmospheres coexist with searing guitars and intense vocals. It feels like the band’s past and present are constantly in dialogue, the symphonic elements that defined their early years are still here, but now they interact with industrial grooves and almost danceable beats without ever sounding forced or out of place.

'Inertiae' the opening track, is a statement in itself. It made it immediately clear that this album wouldn’t follow a straight path. The song twists and morphs through rhythms and dynamics that made me feel like I was navigating a sonic labyrinth: one moment I’m lost in ethereal synths, the next I’m being torn through by razor-sharp riffs.

The use of keyboards and synthesizers is a whole character of its own on this album. They’re not just decorative, they lead. They shape moods, build atmosphere, and often take the spotlight with melodies that shift between the sinister and the transcendent. I felt like each track was its own entity, with a distinct mood, texture, and purpose.

Tracks like 'Prophetical Mercury Implement' and 'Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics' are impossible not to mention, they seem to constantly evolve, fusing black metal, electronic music, and even a hint of something cyberpunk. 'The Form and the Formless' feels like a chaotic breath, short and experimental, almost like a pause between storms.

The whole album tastes like renewal. Nothing about it feels safe or familiar. On the contrary, it demands your attention, your patience, your openness. This isn’t something you throw on in the background. It’s more like a ritual: you go in, walk through something unknown, and come out on the other side changed or at least shaken in the best way.

The Regeneration Itinerary is more than an album, it’s a sonic statement from a band that has never stopped experimenting. In a time when so many artists are just recycling themselves, …And Oceans proves once again that they refuse to walk backwards.

Review by Troadie - HMB´s Staff