"Heavy Is the Ocean" is a song by English rock band Bush, released as the second single from their 2022 album The Art of Survival.
| "Heavy Is the Ocean" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bush | ||||
| from the album The Art of Survival | ||||
| Released | 21 September 2022 | |||
| Genre | Sludge metal[1] | |||
| Length | 5:12 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gavin Rossdale | |||
| Producer(s) | Gavin Rossdale | |||
| Bush singles chronology | ||||
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Unlike its predecessor, "More Than Machines", "Heavy Is the Ocean" did not appear on any Billboard charts, but attracted significant attention from the music press for its bass-driven guitar riff and heavy sound. On its release in September 2022, songwriter and Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale described the song as setting the tone for The Art of Survival.[2]
Details
edit"Heavy Is the Ocean" is characterised by a sound described Phonotonal Magazine as "slow but heavy-hitting", opening with the bass, described as the "star" of the song, which is later accompanied by what has been described as "crashing drums and a smouldering guitar".[3] Loudersound described the riffs that characterise the song as being reminiscent of grunge mainstays Alice in Chains and even heavy metal trailblazers Black Sabbath.[4] Wall of Sound Australia similarly described the track as "stoner-Sabbath stuff".[5] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic described the track as stomping though "old-school sludge".[1]
Upon having recorded the track, frontman and songwriter Gavin Rossdale decided that the song should open The Art of Survival, with Rossdale explaining in September 2022: "it really sets the tone and the gravitas of the album. I love the power of the ocean. It’s mesmerizing to me. It feeds your soul".[2] Discussing the theme of the song, Rossdale told Kerrang! in October 2022: "things were so bad for so many people [during the pandemic]. And it just kind of hit me one day: that's what [the record] should be. And it makes perfect sense. "Heavy Is the Ocean" is sort of the universal acceptance of that – everyone's had mad suffering, but it's finding the way through it."[6]
"Heavy Is the Ocean" is in the key of F and has a tempo of 117 BPM.
References
edit- ^ a b Yeung, Neil Z. "Bush – The Art of Survival – Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ^ a b Uitti, Jacob (21 September 2022). "Bush Releases New Single Encouraging Uninhibited Love, "Heavy is the Ocean"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Fenton, Steve (20 September 2022). "BUSH - Heavy is the Ocean". Phontonal. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Aizelwood, John (7 October 2022). "Bush - Art of Survival - Some people still don't take Bush seriously and it's their loss". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 October 2022 – via LouderSound.
- ^ "Bush – the Art of Survival (Album Review)". 5 October 2022.
- ^ Rabsch, Thomas (7 October 2022). "Bush's Gavin Rossdale: "People believe other people's bullsh*t, and then weaponise that"". Kerrang!. Retrieved 6 September 2024.