Windmills By The Ocean
Self Titled
7.6
Before patronizing a supergroup, it can be helpful to examine the members’ individual histories – mainly current/former bands – since those usually indicate who the supergroup will sound like as well as the quality to expect from such a release. In this particular case, Boston’s Windmills By The Ocean held in their ranks the esteemed musicians who have been or are currently associated with bands like Isis, Red Sparowes, Anodyne, and 27. It’s too bad this five-piece disbanded, though interestingly enough, this long-player is actually a three-year-old recording just now being heard for the first time.
Essentially, Windmills By The Ocean are a near-instrumental outfit that could’ve been overlooked completely – I’d never even heard of them – but Robotic Empire wisely chose to unleash both disc and vinyl versions of this tasty full-length. Nonetheless, the debut is somewhat repetitive, and while it hints at wondrous entities such as Isis during sludgy post-rock songs and Jesu during drone/doom tracks, WbtO fails to usurp those who would climb to great heights after this record was cut, although before anyone heard it. At first it may seem a slightly outlandish assertion, but I do indeed believe that the metal genre would be quite different had this appeared three years ago. Still, one must remember that despite the enjoyment to be gleaned, it merely reaches for greatness whereas the project’s successors would incontestably attain it, which in effect says that this functioned as a stepping-stone to bigger and better things.
While the absence of a tracklist and the overall, disjointed approach in regards to style variation may throw some off balance, Windmills By The Ocean are worth checking out for post-rock aficionados, drone/doom heads, and eager fans of Isis, Red Sparowes, among others. This 40-minute album will serve as a hearty appetizer before the two entrées by the aforementioned groups land in front of you this fall. In other words, it’s hard-earned money well spent. I should know – I bought it in not just one, but two formats.
