EPK – As Oceans Divide – Self-Titled (2026)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations.com
For fans of Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, All That Remains, Unearth, God Forbid
“This record came from a very real place for all of us. It’s a reflection of everything we’ve experienced over the past while, personally and as a band, and that naturally shaped both the sound and the message. There was no interest in forcing a concept. It was more about being honest and letting the music speak for where we were at.”
“We wanted to create something that people can sit with from start to finish and actually feel. There’s a lot of contrast throughout the album, heavy, aggressive moments balanced with melody and atmosphere, but it all serves the same purpose. Nothing is there just for the sake of it.”
“Lyrically, it deals with struggle, loss, and confronting what’s beneath the surface, but also finding a way to push through that. Musically, it’s more focused and dynamic than anything we’ve done before. Every part is intentional.”
“At the end of the day, this album is about feeling something real. Whether that’s intensity, reflection, or release, we want people to connect with it in their own way.”
Asoceansdivide.com | Facebook.com/asoceansdivide | X.com/as_oceansdivide
Youtube.com/@AsOceansDivide | Instagram.com/asoceansdivide
Asoceansdivideband.bandcamp.com
[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]
EP Title: Self-Titled
Release Date: July 9, 2026
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: DistroKid
Genre: Metalcore
Location of Band: Ontario, Canada
Track Listing:
1. Into The Dying Light – 4:04
2. White Noise – 3:31
3. World Collapse – 3:16
4. Cursed Oblivion – 3:59
5. One Of The Herd – 3:25
EP Length: 18:15
EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: As Oceans Divide
• All songs written by: As Oceans Divide
• Produced by: Thomas Ireland
• Mixed by: Thomas Ireland
• Mastered by: Thomas Ireland
• Album Artwork by: Mikio Murakami (Silent Q Design)
• Are you a Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Album Band Line Up:
Tom Emmans – Vocals
Thomas Ireland – Guitar
Eric Camilleri – Guitar
Matt McGuire – Drums
Live Band Line Up:
Tom Emmans – Vocals
Thomas Ireland – Guitar
Eric Camilleri – Guitar
Matt McGuire – Drums
Mark Sorge – Bass
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About the EP Artwork:
The artwork centers around a crest featuring a sea serpent bound in chains and wrapped around an anchor, set against a violent ocean backdrop. It represents the tension between control and chaos, something powerful trying to break free while being held down.
The serpent symbolizes the emotional weight and intensity that lives beneath the surface, while the chains reflect restraint, internal struggle, and the pressure of carrying that weight. The anchor adds another layer, representing both stability and the feeling of being pulled under, depending on how you look at it.
Visually, it mirrors the balance in our music between aggression and melody. There’s a constant push and pull between heaviness and atmosphere, just like the imagery suggests.
Overall, the artwork captures themes of struggle, depth, and resilience, facing what’s beneath the surface rather than running from it.
About the EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
As a whole, the EP is built around contrast, both lyrically and musically. There’s a constant push between heaviness and melody, aggression and atmosphere, chaos and control. That balance is really at the core of what defines our sound.
Musically, it blends technical, hard-hitting elements with more dynamic and melodic sections, allowing each song to breathe while still maintaining intensity. There’s a strong focus on structure and flow, so every track feels like a journey rather than just a collection of parts.
Lyrically, the album explores themes of internal struggle, loss, resilience, and confronting what lies beneath the surface. A lot of it comes from real experiences, and there’s an emphasis on emotional honesty, turning those moments into something listeners can connect with in their own way.
Everything ties together to create an immersive experience. It’s meant to pull the listener in, hit hard when it needs to, and still leave space for reflection.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Into The Dying Light is built around the idea of confronting the end, whether that’s death, inner collapse, or the breaking point of everything someone is carrying, and choosing to face it head-on rather than surrender to it.
Lyrically, the song explores themes of inner struggle, regret, and the weight of the past, with recurring imagery of being pulled down by those experiences. There’s a constant tension between giving in and pushing forward. Lines like “regrets like chains” reinforce that feeling of being held back, while the repeated return to “I walk into the dying light” becomes a statement of acceptance and defiance at the same time.
As the song progresses, that mindset shifts. What starts as something that feels like surrender evolves into resistance, culminating in a refusal to break or disappear. It walks a line between letting go and fighting back, leaving the interpretation open: is it acceptance, transcendence, or survival?
Musically, the track mirrors that journey. It moves between aggressive, technical sections and more melodic, atmospheric moments, allowing the emotion in the lyrics to fully land. The heavier parts drive the sense of urgency and pressure, while the melodic elements create space and depth.
The dynamic vocal performance plays a key role in that contrast, shifting between intensity and clarity to match the emotional weight of each section. Everything builds toward a final release that feels both heavy and cathartic.
Overall, Into The Dying Light sets the tone for the band’s sound, balancing heaviness with melody, and intensity with emotional depth.
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STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND:
1. Matt (Aquila) and Tom’s (Odium) previous bands toured together. Embarked on a journey together all the way to the East Coast and back. Playing shows from Ontario to Quebec, to New Brunswick, all the way to the Bay of Fundy. Aquila and Odium developed a great bond together and have memories we will never forget.
2. Thomas Ireland’s band Battlesoul once showed up to open for Aquila in St.Thomas, Ontario, and blew us away. They wore kilts and put on one of the most intense shows we have ever seen.
3. Eric Camilleri is and once was one of the most established metal promoters in the Hamilton area. Booking acts like Beneath the Massacre, Despised Icon, Arch Enemy, Cryptopsy, and way, way more. He worked under the name Chaos Promotions.
4. Thomas Ireland has been a studio engineer for the past two decades, working with bands like Crimson Shadows, Primalfrost, Vesperia, and the recently reformed Blood of Christ, and many more.
https://exclaim.ca/music/article/icehouse_studio_brings_scandinavian_death_sounds_to_goderich_ontario
5. Matt McGuire also currently plays for Cowboys From Hell, an established Pantera Tribute band. Playing bars and theatres.
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As Oceans Divide, forged from years of friendship and a shared legacy in Canadian metal, is a new heavy force rising out of Ontario, Canada. Featuring members with roots in recognized acts such as Bloodshoteye, Aquila, Odium, and Battlesoul, the band brings together a lineup of seasoned musicians whose combined history gives their sound undeniable weight and authenticity.
Blending soaring melody with crushing rhythms, As Oceans Divide channels the heart of early 2000s metalcore through a modern lens. Their music moves effortlessly between harmonized guitars, driving mid-tempo anthems, and high-intensity metalcore assaults, all anchored by the dynamic power of vocalist Tom Emmans, the precision of drummer Matt McGuire, the creative foundation of guitarist Eric Camilleri, and the technical mastery of guitarist/producer Thomas Ireland. The result is a sound that is as emotional as it is aggressive, built on experience rather than imitation.
Their upcoming debut release showcases a band with relentless ambition and a clear musical identity, explosive, melodic, and unfiltered. With no interest in boundaries or trends, As Oceans Divide stands poised to carve out their own space, delivering music fueled by brotherhood, history, and two decades of dedication to the craft. This is a band built to leave a mark, and they’re only just getting started.
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