The Great Sea – Noble Art Of Desolation

Written by on 27-04-2025 at 20:00.

The Great Sea is a duo whose country of origin I can’t find right away. Ah look at that, it would be Germany after all. Noble Art Of Desolation comes to us via AOP Records and then you know that you are often dealing with black metal with an edge, an edge full of atmosphere, gaze- or post-influences. JR (Long Distance Calling) and SH (Ordeal & Plight) are the two multi-instrumentalists who have formed this band. Both gentlemen have the wish to make music that reflects the atmosphere when you are riding high peaks and exploring deep lows. But also when you are confronted with the deepest depths of the sea.

JR and SH aren’t the only ones having worked on this record, as A comes to provide vocals on a number of songs. HW is also lending his bass parts to four songs. And we’re not done yet, because Azathoth (Gráb) also sings on No Peace Among Men as does Phil “sG” Jonas (Crone) on Eden Unfolded.

I like being by the water. It brings peace, it lets you contemplate the everyday things. Mind you, the water I’m sitting by is often calm and quiet. Don’t ask me to sail on an ocean that is churning and wild. Looking at the water is also a kind of reflection process. It allows asking questions about the quiet moments of life, the still water, but also looking for answers to difficult questions when the water is churning. You can probably interpret the music of this The Great Sea in the above context. You can hear this already in the first song, and in analogy on the rest of the album, in the multitude of changing dynamics as if the water is sensitive to the emotional attitude of the band members.

In this context you can safely say that this Noble Art Of Desolation has become a typical AOP Records album. There is malice and aggression but at the same time room for storytelling as well. Take the third track on the record, The Maze. It sounds like a ship in distress that needs to find its direction, the right course on the brutal sea. There is heavy blasting, the melody is piercing, the vocals brutal and that is exactly why you have the feeling that the whole thing actually knows the right course. The lonely lead guitar part in the middle of the song sounds more like a fog horn, a signal to let you know that the mainland has almost been reached. The most powerful song on this album, however, turns out to be the closing Walking At The Edge Of Death. Rolling and thundering drums are combined with powerful bass parts and strong, narrative guitar lines.

Noble Art Of Desolation is a pleasant atmospheric black metal record with post-black and a few gaze-sides. The members in this The Great Sea have understood perfectly how to convey the waves of life in a musical way.

Score:

80/100

Label:

AOP Records, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. The Water Remains
  2. Eden Unfolded
  3. The Maze
  4. No Peace Among Men
  5. Fading
  6. Upright In Nothing
  7. Walking At The Edge Of Death

Line-up:

  • JR- Guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums, vocals
  • SH – Guitar, keyboard, vocals

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