Review Summary: To put things simply, due to their expansive genre experimentation and lack of boundaries there is a high chance that you will find something to like within Ruins.
Into the Ocean are a small band hailing from Melbourne, Australia who set out to play a combination of harsh metalcore and ambient electronica, although their sound runs much deeper that that. But before you groan at the notorious genre, Into The Ocean perform this task effectively and without leaving a sour taste with the listener. It’s hard to differentiate them from similar bands such as Attack Attack! or Dream On, Dreamer but it would mostly be that Into The Ocean has an overall better song construction, and doesn’t just throw in synth breakdowns for the sake of it.
Having said that, they should be labeled as something separate than the aforementioned groups but to be honest, to weigh them down with a genre is to do them injustice and miss the point entirely. It’s because Into the Ocean blend genres so smoothly and seamlessly that any one label would be completely inaccurate in describing their sound to someone and really must be heard to understand. It might sound a little contradictory, but while Into The Ocean share similar aspects towards that sound of music, they perform it with a lot more sophistication.
Each member performs their instruments exceedingly well, with special mentions for the synth and vocals. Both are strong and well defined without coming off as a replica of an already existing band or being overly cliche. Song construction and lyrics are both above the average mean, giving the EP a good sense of progression and song themes.
My only problem with the EP is that they seem to cover too many genres at once and aim a little too high. For example, the opening track ‘Migration’ starts off sounding like an indie rock band, following that ‘Idiots Of Noise’ is the most techno and electronica influenced, whereas ‘Atalanta Fugien’ is definitely the most metal sounding track. This is by no means a bad thing, as it gives the record an immense amount of variety, but it also leaves the listener worrying if the band can nail down their specific sound for a possible debut album.
To put things simply, due to their expansive genre experimentation and lack of boundaries there is a high chance that you will find something to like within Ruins. This bunch of musicians are surely talented, and should be checked out for fans of metal, rock or electro. I am greatly looking forward to hearing a full album sometime soon.