The darkness continues for Clegane.
Still signed to Almost Famous, the band composed of Laurent (bass/vocals), Guillaume (guitar/backing vocals), and Olivier (drums) released their new album, Ocean of Black Thoughts, in 2026.
Right from the start with Abandoned Temple Fate, the opening track, we discover a sound that’s certainly minimalist yet as unsettling as can be, setting the mood so that we’re hit full force by the onslaught of saturation, whether rhythmic or vocal which immediately creates a sense of oppression, perfectly aligning with the band’s waves of darkness, interspersed with a few softer, lighter passages. The contrast is instantly captivating, allowing the musicians to glide naturally toward tranquility before returning to aggression, as on Luminose which fully embraces its grunge roots before adding a heavy dose of Doom to weigh it down despite clean vocals that make the whole thing much more accessible, forging a sound that’s quite experimental at times, such as during the intense and unexpected eruption, but also in the intoxicating harmonics. The band shifts to a much rawer and more chaotic approach on Mutt, a relatively short track that feels almost infused with Post-Hardcore so aggressive is it that it leaves us almost no moment of respite, but A Room Full of Strangers ultimately soothes the spirits with a dreamy introduction that transforms into hypnotic melancholy. The heavier riffs once again emerge very naturally, like a kind of release of the negative energy accumulated over the years, and suffering serves as a weapon for the musicians to hone their riffs before Sun Decay takes over, offering a slow, heavy explosion as yet another outlet, all while weathering the contrasting waves. The track ultimately lets us drift between rage and calm toward the title track Ocean of Black Thoughts, which marks the end of the album and first overwhelms us with a few haunting riffs, then suddenly bursts into flames and sweeps us away in its tornado of intensity, burying us under its raw sounds one last time.
Even though I’m not familiar with Grunge at all, Clegane manages to use it to give his doom metal a raw and visceral edge, which translates on Ocean of Black Thoughts into a truly addictive outlet of darkness and melancholy. A must-listen.
90/100
