Released: Sep 9, 2008
Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: Epitaph
Number Of Tracks: 12
Rich Balling has stated in interviews that it will be similar to the Tiger and the Duke EP.
The Ocean And The Sun
Reviewed by:
Krallox, on october 03, 2008 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: When I first heard the music to the Ocean and the Sun, I was a little disappointed that it lacked a sort of "passion" to it. But for some odd reason, after listening to it over and over again, I've found a sort of love to it that exposed it self if you listen deeply inside the music and lyrics. You get this "need" to want to listen to the music again. For example, Cellophane is a song that had a sound from The Tiger and the Duke, and it gave you this feeling of "what if?" I don't know if TSOAF has this effect on other people but they have ways of getting inside your mind. As in Uzbekistan, Lauren Coleman speaks words of wondrous questions, like "What are you thinking?" in a whisper.
Matt Embree and Anthony Green have their own melodic music. Just their voices alone would qualify for their own album. I The Swan is an excellent example of their music. Starting out with low harmony with Matt and it progresses through the music with Matt's vocals along with children reciting the song near the middle. Near the end, the grand feeling of what this band is really about, is when Anthony Green amazes everyone with his soprano voice. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics in this album, along with the other two will always be questionable until the band themselves actually releases the lyrics. In Uzbekistan, near the end, a poem or something along the lines of one is recited. It explains how we should live our life and how we should appreciate every second of it. You won't get this lyrical sense anywhere else. There is another poem in The Ocean and The Sun, and the lyrics were released to the poem and the whole song. This poem talks about success and how one person can make the world a better place. Lude is an instrumental that doesn't contain lyrics. I have always thought of Lude as an "interlude" but with a shortened title. In Wikiepedia it states that it's "not" a reference to the character Lude in The House of Leaves.
Ahab is one minute of static and a voice reciting something about being "In the desert". Most of the albums lyrics are hard to define. Unfortunately because of this, points are taken off. I know absolutely that their lyrics have great meaning, but it kills me that I don't know what those lyrics are. // 9
Impression: The Sound of Animals Fighting has the only sound I've ever heard. It absolutely has the same sound as their previous albums, mainly Lover the Lord has Left Us. I give all the kudos in the world to the songs Cellophane, The Heraldic Beak of the Manufactures Medallion, Uzbekistan, and Blessing Be Yours Mister V. The only thing I missed from this album was this "messed up, what the hell" sound that I've always appreciated, like the Overture in The Tiger and the Duke. I appreciate that The Ocean and the Sun has again reached into us and showed us meaning to real music. And you have to appreciate music A lot to really like The Sound of Animals Fighting. I hope they will again make a new album in the future that will amaze us yet again! // 10
The Ocean And The Sun
Reviewed by:
ryot44, on september 10, 2008 0 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: The latest album off The Sound of Animals Fighting has more qualities similar to "Tiger and the Duke" than anything else. Their experimental aspect in their sound isn't shown as much in this album, but there is much more progressive rock in it. Progressive lovers will be pleased at songs such as 'The Heraldic Beak of the Manufacturer's Medallion' and "Cellophane'. The duets and harmony between Matt Embree and Anthony Green are almost addictive. The only draw back is that some of the guitar riffs are similar in some ways. All in all, the music has amazing techniques, but if you're a fan of 'Lover The Lord Has Left Us' and more of their old experimental music, this album is a lot different, but still worth listening to. Just when you think the song is done, TSOAF is just getting started. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: TSOAF's lyrics have always been much different but in a good way. Anthony Green's almost supernatural lyrics are always helpful to the band and improves their style a lot. Off this album, the lyrics in 'I, The Swan' uses a lot of big words and strange lyrical structure. At the same time, they don't fail to make most of their parts catchy and interesting like in the song 'Blessings Be Yours Mister V.' The eerie song "The Ocean and the Sun" has amazing lyics and a good message towards the end of the song. All in all, lyrics are just about perfect along with Anthony Green's amazing high pitched vocals and Matt Embree's smooth vocals collaborated to make a terrific band. // 10
Impression: TSOAF's 'The Ocean and the Sun' is practically the definition of experimental progressive rock. Perfect vocals and music. With masterminds like Green and Embree as well as their amazing guitarists it's nearly impossible to not have a good album. It may be hard keeping up with all the songs because they're really upbeat and sound the same in some ways, but The Sound of Animals Fighting is one of few bands that never fail to surprise people. // 10
@garf69 I'm working on The Heraldic Beak of the Manufacturer's Medallion and I submitted some tabs for it, but I'm not quite yet done. It's still pending to be submitted.
In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter – bitter", he answered,
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."
that is the poem from Ahab.
I really like this cd, but i don't think it is as good as Lover the Lord Has Left Us. But then again it always takes a little while to really get into a sound of animals fighting cd and truly appreciate
First off, Matt Embree is not the main singer with Anthony Green on this album, Rich Balling is. Matt sings back up in most of the songs and lead in "Blessings Be Yours Mister V." He is also the lead guitarist for them. Rich sang in all of the songs from Tiger and The Duke as well. I loved how they brought back The Wolf? to sing in "On The Occasion of Wet Snow." I love the style that he sings in when the song picks up. I do wish that you could understand a lot of the lyrics better, but you couldn't really in any of their other albums, so why start complaining about it now? They're still amazing no matter what.
P.S. I was talking to Wade, the guitarist for Alexisonfire the other day at Warped Tour and he'd never even heard of TSOAF. He was like "Anthony Green and a ska band (Rx Bandits)?" I just thought it was funny.
P.S. I was talking to Wade, the guitarist for Alexisonfire the other day at Warped Tour and he'd never even heard of TSOAF. He was like "Anthony Green and a ska band (Rx Bandits)?" I just thought it was funny.
That's crazy that he's never heard of them. Did you give him a hug for being amazing? Alexisonfire is probably the best live show I've been to.
i know this was primarily a positive review but i really wish the reviewers of this band would do some research before they decide to type stupid shit. i really don't find it hard to differentiate the voices of Rich Balling and Matt Embree. but obviously no one else can lol. anywho, this album is effing sick. possibly their best, which is pretty hard to say since the rest of their material was so amazing. its just a damn shame they won't come back and do a nationwide tour seeing as how balling is doing, well nothing and RX broke up.
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They do make a better return with this album though.