Review: …And Oceans – The Regeneration Itinerary

Review by Ralka Skjerseth

…And Oceans – The Regeneration Itinerary

Record Label: Season of Mist

Year: 2025

Rating: 8/10

As a long-time Finntroll fan, I’ve been accustomed to seeing Mathias Lillmåns in his Viking Metal/Folk Metal setting, singing about trolls and Finnish mythology with poetic, archaic-leaning Swedish lyrics and anthemic undertones. In this other project of his, namely …And Oceans, he is –while also in charge of vocals just like he does in Finntroll– more inclined towards Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal undertones; including on their most recent album The Regeneration Itinerary which was out via Season of Mist– which is a label heavily focused on Extreme Metal subgenres and has worked with many legendary names such as Mayhem, Kampfar, and Carpathian Forest.

…And Oceans

Though they retain their Symphonic Black Metal roots on The Regeneration Itinerary, …And Oceans also somehow managed to blend them with a touch of electronic elements incorporated through the use of synth works and ominous EDM sections, making the release a meticulous, masterful balance of intense tremolo-laden riffs and enigmatic synths. It is, to me, a meticulously crafted act of sonic subversiveness that they have done on this album; how they come across as bold enough to experiment with unconventional passages that dismantle the binary musical norms and expectations.

While the original duration of the album takes over 45 minutes, it has an additional 10 minutes for deluxe bonus tracks, which are “Copper Blood, Titanium Scars” and “The Discord Static”. It’s almost like this album is the epitome of blast-Heavy Symphonic Black Metal regenerated using intricate eclectic intensities– combining the grandeur of symphonic sounds with industrial nuances and avant-garde lines of celestial synth works. A lot of sources have compared this album with a myriad of renowned names, including Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, and Machinae Supremacy. The blend between Industrial and Symphonic Black nuances helps build a bizarre atmosphere that is adjacent to the imagerie of experimental science fiction; one that incites the belief that to live is to not be afraid of taking risks and making noises– in which, I think, it’s one of the things that helped built the album’s core identity.

Imagine a Black/Death act that plays in Berghain, or vice versa– a usually goth rave-bound Industrial act that plays in Midgardsblot; that’s the concise summary of this album is all about.