Moonloop - Devocean album review

Though thematically similar and as creatively expansive as Mastodon’s Leviathan, the maritime-inspired tales of Devocean are a heady mix of Death’s dizzying six-string mastery and the experimental realms of progressive metal. Nightmare Gallery morphs into several different riffs within the first minute, paying homage to Opeth’s Ghost Reveries as each member trades off each other’s nimble skills without ever sounding indulgent. Megalodon’s guttural hammer blows and shimmering, eerie passages conjure a monstrous beast from the depths, while the gnarled edges of Medusa also live up to their name. Zeal and Expired Kings’ gorgeous Spanish flair come after a build-up of dense grooves and imaginative playing that, while decadent, is delivered with enough savage edge to keep the band grounded. With touches of light and dark and tangents at every turn, there’s a vastness to Moonloop’s art that, just like the album’s subject matter, demands study and exploration.