Album/EP

Ocean Sleeper – Maybe Death Is All I Need (EP Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Oct 23, 2024

7 min read

Ocean Sleeper – Maybe Death Is All I Need
Released: October 18, 2024

Lineup:

Karl Spiessl // Vocals
Ionei Heckenberg // Guitar & Vocals
Stan Liagourdis //Guitar
Daniel Stivens // Drums

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Thriving off the success of their last EP Is It Better Feeling Nothing, Gippsland metalcore group Ocean Sleeper showed no signs of slowing down. After jumping on awesome tours alongside international superstars - most recently While She Sleeps and Good Things Festival 2023 - and trickle-dropping singles, their latest offering Maybe Death Is All l Need is here. I’ve gone into this EP with a fresh set of ears, untouched by singles as I’ve honestly just been spinning Is It Better Feeling Nothing on repeat when I feel like an Ocean Sleeper fix. I was looking forward to seeing and hearing a step up, so let's see what they've done.

The EP opens with the ballad-like intro of ‘Cold’. Making use of modern poppy production, the first half utilizes Ionei Heckenberg’s purposefully downplayed lyrics to draw in listeners with a depressing emo vibe. The halfway switch up bringing in the rest of the band for an emotive chorus was a clever and welcome way to progress the track. The pretty instrumentals and singing are punctuated with slight piano notes and ambience, and it felt like a shame almost to go back to the colder start. Lyrically this thematic shift makes sense, even if I would’ve liked to end the song during the instrumental ascendance.

During the first 20 seconds of title track ‘Maybe Death Is All I Need’, I was excited. Karl Spiessl’s isolated title exclamation followed by chunky guitar riffs and high notes gave me the impression this was going to be one of the heavier tracks yet. The opening verses continue this energy, before an abrupt change into a more melodic chorus catches me off guard. I like that Ocean Sleeper is full of surprises, and part of their charm is the dynamic blending of influences. While the track does get heavier again (particularly in the multi-vocal breakdown), I would be lying if I said I’d prefer a full song of these genre-blending aspects, or at the very least a less abrupt transition between the two sides present here.

‘Heaven’ is an incredibly dynamic track, with synth-fueled melodies and clean vocals leading the charge, this track is undeniably catchy. It feels like another awesome genre-mashing of electronic beats and cool grooves, akin to the current trend of metalcore. The mental breakdown was a very welcome surprise too. After a couple of listens I was able to appreciate this addition to the boys’ catalogue though, as I found myself feeling more familiar with that Ocean Sleeper sound and how ‘Heaven’ harnesses this.

My favorite part about ‘Lonely Love’ is the chorus, because it gives me a dose of nostalgia for Don’t Leave Me This Way. It feels a little too poppy for my taste personally. There’s a bit too much going on with the vocals, and it misses the elements I’ve come to love from Ocean Sleeper. This song in particular doesn’t have what I look for when I listen to these guys. Could it be the poppier direction with the Lil Lotus feature? Whatever the case, this track just isn’t it for me.

‘Never the One’ is the lead single for this EP and it’s clear why. It’s a fucking tune. It’s an Ocean Sleeper song through and through, cleverly integrating quiet moments between invigorating building choruses. While this slight change of direction was a sign of things to come, I believe this single was the perfect example of striking new ground instrumentally while still retaining the identity of Ocean Sleeper.

Individually when I listen to some of the work on this EP, I find myself having a blast. Particularly with ‘Never The One’ and ‘Maybe Death Is All I Need’. This EP as a whole unit though, doesn’t grab me the same way Is It Better Feeling Nothing did. Ocean Sleeper’s last release was my first exposure to the band’s discography, so maybe my expectations were thrown off. As I listen to their previous work, I find myself understanding the direction of this EP to a higher degree. I don’t want to say Maybe Death Is All I Need is a step back for Ocean Sleeper, however for me, it’s not a step forward.

I’m always keen on what’s next from these guys, and maybe what comes next will align with my expectations and desires more. What do you think of the EP?