Formed from the remnants of stoner band Sulphur Dreams, Ockra have branched out and developed their sound, becoming a particularly thought-provoking band in the process. The trio venture between progressive doom, darker folk and ghostly and waiflike acoustic moments. It is an unlikely yet engaging fusion of styles and sounds.
Introspection (a judiciously named track) opens the album with wistful and contemplative acoustic guitar from Erik Björnlinger. A pensive atmosphere builds as this prologue unfolds; the dynamics and the instrumentation intensify and at the conclusion the band are in full progressive doom rock mode. This leads straight into the second (and longest) track Weightless Again, which starts (and ends) in the same vein. Cheering, laughter our on the streets / Makes me remember when this was me / Was there a time when I used to feel free / Did I forget? / When did it leave?
Written in the sable shade of the pandemic, Gratitude sways between the bleakest state of mind associated with the time and the potential foretaste of hope upon its conclusion. Three minutes into Weightless Again, a lugubrious and sombre mid-section captures emotions of solitude and isolation. I close my eyes / Silence for a while / To prepare for a world outside / Drowning in thoughts, clearing my head / Longing to feel weightless again. Ockra effusively understand how to layer atmosphere throughout their music.
That the album should capture such feelings is no surprise. In Summer 2021, Ockra decamped to Die Mühle (the studio of Peter Voigtmann of The Ocean – who mixed the album and contributes some additional synths) in the small village of Hesedorf near Hamburg. Although in some ways an idyllic location, this immersion in such a serene environment surrounded by nature allowed for ruminative thinking and innovative sequestration. Some of the more profound and fragile moments serves to remind us of the softer and more subdued songs of Opeth – no small feat.
As with several other tracks on the album, Tree I Planted progresses through several phases and what begins with a distinctive bass pattern and gently strummed guitar which alternates with a more bluesy metallic riff throughout the song. It is a cogitative manifestation on the effect of a global issue that affected everyone on the planet against the backdrop of passing time. Alex Spielhaupter’s vocal delivery is sincere and vulnerable. As years mark my face / I see you grow up, try and fail, fail and learn / Find your way into this fragile and ever-changing world. There are some incredibly intimate lyrics present but amongst the darkest moments hope is ever present even if tantalisingly distant. Even when my world falls apart / When all seems hopeless you’re my glimpse ahead / All doubts appear null and void / My reason to go on.
Acceptance has a belligerent attitude and is one of the more consistently heavier tracks on the album. Ockra’s diverse range of styles (although not jumbled or confused in any way) mean that their music draws on a range of inspirations and the moments of progressive doom, bring bands such as Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Cathedral (although the vocals are never as aggressive) and Witchfinder General to mind. Blended with the more bluesy and at times, folk tinted aspects of their sound, Ockra make for a compelling and fascinating band. Acceptance questions our ability to make rational decisions in irrational contexts. Situations where timing is crucial / Circumstances out of your hand / When it comes down to one turning point / Which move would you make?
We, Who Didn’t Know (lyrically a sister song of Weightless Again) is a masterclass in building intensity across the length of a song. Commencing with gently picked acoustic guitar and an almost whispered vocal, the opening third and a half minutes crackle with a brooding and painful truth. And now that you’re in pain / We just pretend being the same person as before / Pretending being immortal and that nothing could harm us. Raging into a heavier metallic, the track ardently crescendos both musically and lyrically until twenty seconds from the end a single plaintive guitar takes over, ending on a single sustained note of longing. It is the greatest song on the album.
Ockra themselves have made no secret of the fact that the making of the album was cathartic. “The lyrics have been written in the shade of the pandemic and severe illnesses amongst close friends and family members in this period. Writing these very personal lyrics has been therapeutic and despite the severeness of the topics they are meant to provide a glimpse of hope.” Following the unyielding Imorgon Här (Here Tomorrow), Tage Wie Dieser (Days Like This) (sung in German) provides this glimpse through one of humankind’s greatest strengths – the ability to move forward and find optimism in difficult times. Als ich in mir das Kind noch sah / Das Leben vor unseren Füßen / Stetig am Abgrund stehend / Einer muss zuerst den nächsten Schritt gehen (When I still saw the child in me / Life at our feet / Constantly standing on the precipice / One must first take the next step). It is a forceful end to the album and (as throughout the album) the trio’s use of their instruments is exemplary. Vigorous and puissant when necessary but with the ability to strip everything back for the more sobering passages, Ockra have produced an album of majesty while maintaining unquestionable dignity.
Many songs and albums have been written in the wake of the pandemic so it takes a special song or album to stand out. Lyrically, Gratitude (even the album title is steeped in positivity) is not always an easy listen (it is not meant to be) but anyone who felt suffered any illness, feelings of isolation or bereavement will find the lyrics resonant and may help to heal some of the remaining raw emotions. Step from the darkness into the light…..
Gratitude is out now. You can visit Ockra's bandcamp page here:
Written: 6th June 2023
Listen to We, Who Didn't Know below
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