69. Oceans of Slumber - 'Oceans of Slumber'

Self-titled fourth album from this unique Houston outfit. There are two distinct things that makes them stick out from the crowd. The first is Cammie Gilbert’s non-metal voice. Her vocal style is soulful, melodic and drenched in r’n’b (proper r’n’b mind); it feels a million miles away from Metal’s usual gruff growled delivery. The second is the intricacies of what they do. This is highly melodic prog metal, but it is a million miles from Haken’s stop-start delivery. There is a lushness to Oceans of Slumber’s sound. It is rich with textures and instrumentation. If Haken was minimal, then this is just packed to the rafters with ideas. High quality and highly inventive.