Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The vastness and emptiness of the great seas is such that it is possible to lose sight of both land and fellow travellers along the way, that the only company is that in which you choose at the outset and there is no way to replace any of them until dry land comes into view. No matter how big the Armada, it can be a lonely life unless you are resolute and firm in your command Of An Ocean.

The Florida based group, its roots firmly entrenched above the grass of the Everglades and the snarls and ripping teeth of the tasteless musical alligators that hunt after such richly envisaged pickings, ride the waves with their sails set high and with all cannons primed. This is not just a single ship in search of adventure and exploration; this is the proverbial Armada, the musical galleon on the high seas and one with a new fangled outlook of the lands they come to war, or to make peace, with.

Of An Ocean is the sound of energy echoing from the sandy floor of the seabed, the resonance that pounds against the crest of the wave and lets the hum of the engine join together with the voicing brawl of men searching for the dangerous kraken of indigestible pop and finding it easy prey. Of An Ocean is where all things come from and yet Armada find the beast within to be gargantuan and powerful, it is the rebellion on the high water and one which encompassing passing ships should respectfully be wary of.

In the six tracks on the mini album, the standout beasts roar as hard as the cannons that destroy hulls and doom an enemy. Bury The Wolf, Riot the Kings and The Fire The Flame are attention grabbing, full of pace and vigour, as keen as a musket ball fired from ten paces and as lethal as a fire storm in the dark. A riveting collection of songs that blaze with fury, Armada is a battle cry for a new generation.

Ian D. Hall