10 Shoegazing Epics You May Not Have Heard

9. Oceansize €“ You Can't Keep A Bad Man Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwzocCk6P3k Have you ever heard a bigger sound than the monolith of chords that open this song? Through combining the acid-drenched gospel of Spiritualized with the intense metallic complexity of Tool, this song is a mind-expanding heartline-twist rollercoaster for every second of its seven and a half minute sprawl. Oceansize sadly disbanded a few years ago, and for me their split proved to be a classic example of only truly realising how special something is when it's gone. They're therefore the ozone layer of bands. They slowly created a sound that was undeniably their own through dipping, over the years, in such seemingly disparate waters as metal, hardcore, sludge, prog, psychedelica, slowcore, post-rock and even trip-hop. However, seeing as their sound always revolved around an intense fascination with the textural possibilities of the augmented guitar, they were always broadly shoegaze through and through. Singer Mike Vennart is happily now making what might well be a very fruitful living as a session guitarist for Biffy Clyro. Further Listening €“ Music For A Nurse (Everyone Into Position, 2005)