Haishen – Awaken the Endless Deep

Haishen is a new up-and-coming progressive metal trio from Rochester, NY. Haishen can be translated from Chinese as God of the Sea (Or Sea Cucumber, whatever you think is proggier) the band’s inspiration came from the bands like Gojira and The Ocean, with the apparent lyrical focus on the sea and Chinese mythology.

“Awaken the Endless Deep” is a first full length release from the Americans, previously they released an EP called “Haishen”, which, while rough around the edges, presented some interesting ideas and gave us some clues about what the band is about.

Compared to the first release, “Awaken the Endless Deep” definitely feels more fleshed-out, both in terms of the mixing and the composition, and songs like ‘Leviathan’ reminded me of Gojira, but also doesn’t feel like a clone of the frenchmen.

The album is definitely a fun listen; with a lot of prog elements(just look at the track lengths, there are two epics, one 16 min long, as one just one second short of 10 minutes), but also quite a lot of what feels almost like classic rock riffs and solos your dad would also enjoy. There is also a bass solo in ‘Goddess in the Machine’ (played masterfully by Justin Montione), which is always appreciated.

The vocals (by Xuhao, who is also a guitarist in the band) has definitely improved since the self-titled EP; in their debut, it felt a little bit rough, but here it varies from quiet narrative parts to high screams, while sounding very solid overall.

Lyrically and thematically, “Awaken the Endless Deep”, as clear from the name, takes us to a journey to the depths of the sea: mysterious and terrifying, it tells a story of the gods of the Sea and Earth, and humankind, trying to coexist. This album proves once again that the depths of the ocean hide not only a lot of mysteries, but also a lot of inspiration for the artists, old and new.

One of the highlights for me is ‘Flesh of the Earth, Child of the Sea’ – I have not heard such a fun intro to a song for a long time, very tasty guitar riff and baseline, leading to the ever increasing tension of the song, and also followed by a hooky chorus. The song is 10 minutes long, but it doesn’t drag too much and has enough going on. The sound reminded me of The Ocean, and it’s a good thing. It is followed by a very intense ‘Undersea Battle’, and a ‘Pyrrhic Victory’ aftermath – a ballad full of sorrow and grief that normally follows the battle.

The album closer, ‘Nüwa Awakens’, brings hope and hints at possible continuation of the story; this energetic and hopeful tune is a great one to finish the album with.

“Awaken the Endless Deep” is a journey to the depths of the sea, and it’s a fun one. Haishen is definitely a band to keep an eye at, with its own identity and curious mythical themes. While inspired by the greats, the band has its own identity, and I am curious to see what else the guys have in stock for us, and I definitely recommend this album if you are on the lookout for something fresh and progressive.

Track List:

1. Crimson Sun
2. Leviathan
3. 20,000 Leagues
4. Goddess in the Machine
5. Flesh of the Earth, Child of the Sea
6. Undersea Battle
7. Pyrrhic Victory
8. Nüwa Awakens