As for 2013, 4 of 5 band members are from Switzerland, while its founder continues to live in Berlin. In addition, Chris Breuer, a touring bass player who also made a recording appearance on Pelagial, is a citizen of Berlin too. Breuer is touring member who is filling in for Louis Jucker (who has gone on hiatus due to his desire to finish university studies) for all shows in 2013, also has recorded some parts for band's 6th album "Pelagial" released in the same year.
The Ocean was founded in 2001 by guitarist and songwriter Robin Staps. During the following two years, about 40 musicians joined and left the band until a stable line-up was established. July 2002 saw The Ocean play their first concert at Berlin's now defunct semi-legal Eimer Club. Shortly after, the band released their eponymous debut album featuring Islands/Tides, a 30-minute-long song that also constituted the substance of their early live shows.
After a brief tour with Swedish crust punk outfit Coma in early 2003, the band signed to Make My Day Records, which then released Fogdiver, an EP consisting of five instrumental songs—despite the fact that on stage, at least two singers could be found. Unlike its predecessor, this recording received considerable acclaim from critics throughout a variety of genres.
During winter and spring 2004, The Ocean recorded what was to become the material for their two following albums. The calmer and more atmospheric half of this recording session was released as Fluxion in August 2004; a joint effort of Make My Day and Throne Records. While the fact that the band now used vocals on their recordings seemed to make the music more accessible to some, it also caused many other critics to consider the album a step backwards in terms of innovation and originality. In interviews, the band would comment on this by pointing out the perceived closed-mindedness of some of the reviewers and their supposed inability to deal with the harshness and brutality the anti-Christian, anti-theistic vocals now added to The Ocean's sound.
After signing to Metal Blade Records in summer 2005, all the remaining songs from the session were released as Aeolian. Since Fluxion and Aeolian had originally been planned as a double CD with a mellow and a brutal part — a plan that did not work out — Aeolian came across as very different from its predecessor. Unlike on previous albums, classical instruments and electronic sounds were hardly used here, making the record sound rather minimalistic. But whereas Fluxion had featured only one singer, seven of them could be found on Aeolian, among them Nate Newton, Sean Ingram, and Tomas Hallbom, whose names were also used extensively for the album's promotion campaign. According to the band, Meta's voice on Fluxion had created a monotony that was to be avoided on Aeolian. March 2006 saw the North American release of the album. Later that year, a joint vinyl version of Fluxion and Aeolian was released by Throne Records, featuring three records in different colors. Recently in late 2007, they released a new 2 disc album entitled Precambrian. In April 2008, The Ocean embarked on a year long tour through Europe and North America with bands like Intronaut, Opeth, and At The Gates. In April 2009 it was announced that primary Precambrian vocalist, and full time touring member Mike Pilat was leaving the band for personal reasons and other commitments.
On November 17, 2009, Robin Staps announced that a replacement vocalist had been found, Loïc Rossetti. The Ocean released two albums in 2010, Heliocentric on April 9 and Anthropocentric on November 9. Taken together, the two albums "represent a fundamental and philosophical critique of Christianity," with Heliocentric describing the internal battles within the Catholic Church over the heliocentrism of Copernicus and Galileo, and Anthropocentric critiquing the fundamentalist Protestant view of Creationism.
They announced that their first live DVD would be filmed on the 29 January 2011 in Berlin at the Museum für Musikinstrumente and will only contain tracks from their album Precambrian.
On August 3, 2011, The Ocean announced via its Facebook page that Robin Staps had been working on new material for an upcoming album. They stated that recording would get under way in early 2012 and hinted at the possibility of releasing another double album. In a September 2012 article on the website MetalSucks, Robin stated that the new album was due for an April or May release in 2013 and would have very few if any vocals, but elaborated that Loïc remains the vocalist of the group despite the change in style.
The band released Pelagial on April 29, 2013 in the United States. The CD version contained two discs - one has the songs with vocals, the other is purely instrumental.
On October 20, 2013, the band announced the departure of guitarist Jonathan Nido and drummer Luc Hess. It was later announced that Paul Seidel of the band War From A Harlots Mouth would replace Hess after the current tour. Additionally on the 8th of December Robin Staps announced via the bands Facebook page that Australian Damian Murdoch would be the bands new guitarist.
Heaven TV
The Ocean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How could it live on without the experience of the colour of the sea?
If Heaven was to be an empty white sphere
Devoid of anything that you could taste or feel-without feeling need
Then I take more comfort in the idea
That one day my eyes will cease to see what's right there in front of me
Are you prepared to face the one big question: Have you lived everyday as if it had been your last?
If Heaven was to be a blank projection screen for all your most secret dreams: What would you see?
What would be on Heaven TV?
What would you see?
What would you see?
All that you never dared
All the things you were to scared to try
You haven't lived everyday as if it had been your last
The infamous inventors of eternity have ruled our lives long enough
They refuse to see that we are animals
We need to feed, fight, sleep and make love
Have you lived everyday as if it had been your last?
Have you lived everyday as if it had been your last?
They refuse to see that we are animals
We need to feed, fight, sleep and make love
And I tell you one thing: When all you put on the table falls short of all your great promises
Then I don't want my share in any of this
The above lyrics are from the song "Heaven TV" by The Ocean. The lyrics express the artist's thoughts and opinions about the concept of the eternal soul and heaven. The artist seems to be conflicted about the idea that the soul lives on after death. He questions how the soul would experience anything without sensory experiences like the color of the sea. The artist then goes on to express how he is more comfortable with the idea that one day, his eyes will cease to see what's in front of him. He asks the listener if they have lived every day as if it was their last and if they are prepared to answer the big question about their life.
The artist then explores the idea of what heaven would be like. He questions whether it would be an empty white sphere or a blank projection screen for secret dreams. The lyrics ask the listener what they would see and what they would dare to try. The artist then takes a critical tone against those who "invented eternity" and "ruled our lives long enough." He argues that humans are animals who need to feed, fight, sleep, and make love. He questions whether people have truly lived every day as if it were their last.
Line by Line Meaning
There is no comfort in the idea of the eternal soul to me
I don't find any solace in the belief that the soul lives on forever after death
How could it live on without the experience of the colour of the sea?
I can't imagine the soul existing eternally without the sensory experiences that make life meaningful
If Heaven was to be an empty white sphere
If Heaven were to be a colorless and empty space
Devoid of anything that you could taste or feel-without feeling need
Without anything to stimulate the senses or evoke desire
Then I take more comfort in the idea
I find more comfort in the idea
That one day my eyes will cease to see what's right there in front of me
That one day I will die and no longer perceive the world around me
Are you prepared to face the one big question: Have you lived everyday as if it had been your last?
Are you ready to confront the most important question of life: Have you made the most of every day?
If Heaven was to be a blank projection screen for all your most secret dreams: What would you see?
If Heaven were to be a canvas on which you could project your deepest desires: What would you envision?
What would you see?
What would be your vision?
What would be on Heaven TV?
What would be the subject of your ideal Heaven TV program?
What would you see?
What would be your vision?
All that you never dared
Everything that you never had the courage to pursue
All the things you were too scared to try
All the things that fear held you back from doing
You haven't lived everyday as if it had been your last
You haven't made the most of every day as if it could be your last
The infamous inventors of eternity have ruled our lives long enough
The notion of eternal life has had too much influence on our lives
They refuse to see that we are animals
They fail to recognize that we are biological creatures with physical needs
We need to feed, fight, sleep and make love
We have basic bodily functions and desires that should be acknowledged and fulfilled
Have you lived everyday as if it had been your last?
Have you made the most of every day as if it could be your last?
Have you lived everyday as if it had been your last?
Have you made the most of every day as if it could be your last?
They refuse to see that we are animals
They fail to recognize that we are biological creatures with physical needs
We need to feed, fight, sleep and make love
We have basic bodily functions and desires that should be acknowledged and fulfilled
And I tell you one thing: When all you put on the table falls short of all your great promises
And let me tell you one thing: When everything you aim for fails to satisfy your expectations
Then I don't want my share in any of this
Then I don't want to be a part of it
Contributed by Muhammad F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.