Cold Shell unleashes »Ocean Solaris«, a bleak, industrial-soaked sludge hymn from war-torn Ukraine

Ukraine’s Cold Shell return with »Ocean Solaris«, a crushing descent into industrial grit, suffocating sludge, and post-punk melancholy. Mechanical percussion and weighty, stoner-infused riffs collide in a hypnotic, desolate soundscape, cold, relentless, and emotionally gripping.

Lyrically, the track is rooted in Stanislav Lem’s novel Solaris, a story that questions the limits of human understanding. “This is the song that was inspired by Stanislav Lem’s book Solaris,” explains vocalist/guitarist Kostiantyn. “I’m not a huge fan of the science fiction genre, but the idea of the life form, which is completely different from what we describe as ‘life,’ made an impression on me. I am close to believing that there is something similar somewhere in the universe.”

Musically, »Ocean Solaris« is a brief return to Cold Shell’s industrial roots, a sound they had abandoned in recent years. “Actually, this is a short time ‘comeback’ to that sound that we had at the beginning of the project. In the early days, we held such an industrial concept, but it was changed in 2022 when our co-founder joined the Ukrainian army after the Russian invasion began. This song was written in 2019 and was on hold as a draft. I just found some energy in 2024 to finally finish the case.”

The release also includes »Simulacra«, a haunting ambient piece that expands the atmosphere of the record. “This is a tiny experiment with atmosphere. This is imagination, how could the main hero’s fantasies sound when he touches the phantom made by the ‘intelligent ocean’? Originally, it was supposed to be just a little outro of the song, but later we decided to make it a full ambient track.”

Despite the overwhelming circumstances, Cold Shell continues to create. “When you have something to say, you will do it in every situation. One year ago, we released our EP »After The War«, which was completely about the war, and it does not matter that this is not a typical lyric theme for such a music genre. We just could not talk about something else. Uncertain times stimulate making music, and the huge progress of our heavy scene during the full-scale war is the confirmation. Earlier, our scene felt like the ‘younger brother’ of the Russian scene. Now we finally feel ourselves free from ‘big brother,’ and the scene prospers as it never has before!”

However, Cold Shell will be taking a break before their next chapter. “In the near future, there won’t be much output from us. Recently, I started serving in the Armed Forces, and I need some time to adapt to new circumstances, I hope it takes only a few months. I hate weapons, but we need to protect our land from invaders. Then we plan to work with material for the second full-length album. We have fine drafts, and I am excited for the forthcoming teamwork. Sure, we all need to survive for it, and we will!”

»Ocean Solaris« is out now via Bandcamp.

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well