Portuguese band Above the Ocean fuse elements of metalcore, groove metal and nu-metal in a modern metal sound that’s equal parts aggressive and melodic, and they describe as “heavy, catchy, and cathartic.”
The Évora quintet of José Saroga (vocals), Andre Vicente (guitar and vocals), Pedro Santos (guitar), Andé Bagorro (bass) and João Carvalho (drums) got together in 2022 with the purpose of writing and playing the music they love. They got their first gig in October 2023 before releasing their debut single Love Song (For the Broken) – which opens with the line “this is not a love song motherfuckers” – in May 2024. Then, last year, they won a contest to play at Portugal’s premier prog and modern metal festival Comendatio Music Fest, where they earned plaudits for their stage presence and audience interaction.
On the sound they’ve crafted since, the band told us: “It’s heavy and melodic in equal measure. We pour our hearts into every song, so you can feel every riff, drum beat, and scream. It’s a mix of a lot of our influences — ranging from metalcore, nu metal, djent, and groove, to electronic elements, so it’s easier to just call it Modern Metal. At the end of the day, we just make the music we love and never care too much about labelling it or fitting it in a box.”
Our latest taste of this is Above the Ocean’s third single Thank You, which was released last week. It opens up with ominous synth sounds before pulsing synth noises that continue as chunky guitar chords dive in. The guitars drop out as José’s engaging vocals take over, then jump back in as the vocals intensify and flow into a big singalong chorus. Intense screams lead into a quick verse that continues into another big chorus. The pace slows with atmospheric synths and light guitars and vocals, before a sweeping guitar solo and a delicious riff support intense vocals, which feeds into another chorus. The guitar solo sneaks back in under powerful screamed vocals and it fades into light instrumentals to bring the track to a close.
On the track, they told us: “The reception has been great! The song is a bit different from the previous two singles we’ve released, but thankfully, our fans have embraced this change very well. Some people have even said this is the best song we’ve released so far, which, of course, is subjective, but it’s always really nice to hear.
“For those who haven’t listened yet, they should expect a very emotional and cathartic song, with a good mix of punchy and melodic moments, and a chorus that will probably live rent-free in their minds for a good while!”
That follows on from the aforementioned Love Song (For The Broken), which brings big energy through a powerful chorus that feeds into a mellow chorus and comes to a vicious conclusion. Then their huge second single Therapy dives into deliciously chunky guitars and a wild verse supported by piercing synth sounds before calming down and feeding into a chorus of dual vocals. Check them both out in the videos below.
Those singles are building up to Above the Oceans’ debut album, which should be out sometime next year. “It’s still in a rather early stage of the recording process,” they told us. “Musically, it’s going to be a very diverse record, as each song has its own vibe and represents a different side of Above the Ocean’s musical range. Songs like Thank You stand at one end of it, with a more modern and electronic sound. In contrast, others like Worthless (our upcoming fourth single) belong on the opposite end, with a much heavier and metalcore-oriented sound, which hasn’t really been explored in the songs we’ve released so far.”
From the album, the band told us they’re most excited about Worthless, which offers an insight into their heavier edge, and Until My Dying Breath, on which they say: “We believe (and hope) this one will be one of the biggest hits on the album. It’s the most emotional song we’ve ever done, with very personal and beautiful lyrics about what it feels like to love someone unconditionally, until your dying breath. The planned title for the album is actually a line from this song’s lyrics.”
The Above the Ocean sound is influenced by the likes of While She Sleeps, Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, Spiritbox, Slipknot, Gojira, Parkway Drive, and many more.
And on what inspires them to write music, they explain: “All of our lyrics are very emotional and cathartic, and come from José’s life experiences. But he manages to write them in a way that people who’ve been through something similar can relate to the lyrics and feel connected to the songs.”
There’s plenty more to come from Above the Ocean, who continue to work on their debut album with a few gigs already lined up for next year. And they added: “We want to thank our fans for their amazing support so far, and we hope our music will reach as many people as possible in 2026.”
You can follow Above the Ocean on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.
Listen to Above the Ocean and more new bands on our Spotify playlists GigRadar Core and GigRadar Metal
GigRadar 
Leave a comment