No bats, vampires, ghouls, ghosts or serial killers wearing hockey masks to terrorize you on the new EP, Nexus, from New Jersey deathcore outfit Ocean of Illusions. Nope, just a heavy dose of reality, and some even heavier grooves and crushing breakdowns. This trio—Zachary Howard (vocals), Kedwin Ramirez (drums), Kevin Kim (guitar)—together in various forms for more than a decade, offer up a dynamic mix of extreme sounds countered with moments of beauty. The six-song effort we’re previewing here is an eclectic combination of the songwriting forces in the band, and their varied influences. At its heart, though, it’s laden with drop-tuned brutality and harsh, enraged vocals.

Nexus was mixed and mastered by Dave Ricco of Face Yourself. It’s set for release digitally via Bleeding Art Collective on October 30. Place your order here.

Here’s how the band described the concepts and themes behind its new EP:

“This release is a culmination of our individual styles and preferences of music taste. No matter where you stand on the spectrum of heavy extreme music, we can assure you there is something on this EP just for you. Take the time to listen and find a piece of the music that resonates with you. This EP continues our cosmic journey following the divine entity known as the World Eater that presented in our previous album Unrecognizable. This EP provides different perspectives of its havoc across time and space. Offering different stories for those affected by the calamity and its horrors. We explore the themes love, greed, loss, resilience and more. This release is a perfect balance between cosmic dread and hope for a new future.”

The post Full EP Stream: Ocean of Illusions –<em>Nexus</em> appeared first on Decibel Magazine.