MusicRadar

Mark Heron - Oceansize

Listening to Oceansize is mind-boggling. Shifting time signatures, sweeping dynamics, ever-evolving mood and timbre – there's often so much going on that the players themselves describe latest album Frames as "the sound of the band ignoring itself."

But they're being modest. We reckon that at least one of them has got it all figured out - that man is drummer Mark Heron.

Hi-hat and snare positioned unusually dead-centre, Heron spreads toms and cymbals symmetrically either side like some vast control panel. With it, he leads the band through their gargantuan compositions like a musical Wizard of Oz. His poise and authority behind the kit is more akin to that of an orchestral conductor than a rock drummer – but make no mistake, he's got the drumming chops down, too.

Equally adapt at hammering home brick-up-your-face double-pedal as he is adding delicate cymbal washes and the lightest of snare ruffs, Heron's musical armoury is huge. He's one of the most innovative drummers in rock, plus we've never seen him hit a note out of place – ever. Given the complexity of the Oceansize's musical ambition, that's no mean feat.

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Recommended listening

Frames - Oceansize (Superball) Buy here: Amazon | HMV | Play
Home And Minor EP - Oceansize (Century Media) Buy here: Amazon | HMV | Play

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