Solaris

Taking inspiration—and its name—from Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 sci-fi masterpiece, The Ocean’s 12th album sees founding guitarist Robin Staps leading an almost entirely different lineup than the one he maintained for the last decade-plus. With two new guitarists, two new vocalists and a new drummer, Staps somehow corrals members from six different countries—everywhere from Australia and Italy to Bolivia and his own native Germany—to maintain his singularity of vision. Like The Ocean’s previous work, Solaris is a sprawling post-metal opus with thrilling highs and crushing lows. Featuring seamlessly progressive arrangements, haunting vocals from Chinese-born vocalist Lane Oshi and many songs nearing the 10-minute mark (album centrepiece “Simulacra” is over 17), the album is as impressive as it is remarkably on-brand.