Oceans Ate Alaska
Special Guests: Invisions & Resolve
Venue: The Joiners, Southampton.
Date: 21st September 2022.
Review By: Ryan Payne
Hot off of releasing their latest album “Disparity”, Oceans Ate Alaska have been taking the UK by storm with their most recent tour, accompanied by British heavyweights Invisions, French melodic metalcore quartet Resolve and solo artist Kubrick. Unfortunately, Kubrick was unable to play this show, due to concerns over losing his voice but he still made an appearance and made sure to say hello to all the fans that intended to see him.
Resolve
The night kicks off with Resolve, making an appearance in the UK all the way from France. The quartet are on the softer side of melodic metalcore with several hard-hitting elements thrown in to the mix to engage with the crowd. The band played incredibly well, sounding tight and in sync with one another, almost pulling off a perfect take from a recorded track. These boys have got the sound nailed and their vocalist was perfectly in control with his voice, hitting all the right notes and not sounding like he was either running out of breath or struggling through the set. It was clear that the crowd hadn’t intended to see this band, but the vocalist eventually swung them all around, even including the night’s first wall of death. The only let-down from the set was the fact that the backing vocalists couldn’t be heard and when it was clear they were the main focus, it stood out. 
(3.5 / 5)
Invisions
Main support Invisions took to the stage next, bringing their aggressive metalcore to destroy another stage. These boys are no strangers to Southampton and were very well received by the whole crowd, who were participating with the energy, creating waves of jumping fans and several mosh pits that took no prisoners. The volume on everything was turned up to 11 which turned more of the melodic riffs into walls of sound that were difficult to interpret unless you had previously listened to the songs. That being said, the volume made every breakdown hit another level and the fans were pleased to hear it. Some of the choruses were a bit off-key from the lead vocalist, clearly a symptom from the hectic touring they’ve done recently, but it was certainly made up by the crushing delivery of every scream and growl. There’s a reason why these boys are a must-see band. 
(4 / 5)
Oceans Ate Alaska
Now on to the main event as Oceans Ate Alaska take the stage and everyone couldn’t be happier to have seen them. From the first note to the last, these boys captivated the audience with their stage presence and perfect blend from all aspects of sound. Everything was clear to the ears and visually an incredible sight to watch. The band played through hits from previous records, as well as performing several new tracks from the most recent album, but the intensity the crowd bought didn’t change. The singing and screaming were both executed very well, again showing a great technique while performing to an audience. OAA are ready for the bigger stages and I look forward to seeing what they bring. 
(4.5 / 5)
