International atmospheric funeral doom metal project Silent Deep Ocean stream new full-length album »Essence Of Existence«; out now GS Productions!

Venus, Texas and Sofia, Bulgaria based atmospheric funeral doom project Silent Deep Ocean has just released their sixth full-length album »Essence Of Existence« on February 24th, 2026 via GS Productions.

Tracklist:
01. Introit-Liturgy Of The Desolate
02. In Abysso- Unum Sumas
03. Your Last Winter
04. A Nameless Grave For A Dead Bird
05. Organ Prelude In Cminor
06. Icon Of Sorrow
07. The Realm Drifter
08. Prayers Before The Abyssolith
09. Essence Of Existence

Silent Deep Ocean is a funeral doom project of Gregory Ritchey (ex-Spine Furnace) and Tehina Spasova (Destruction Of Orion). Fusing atmospheric doom, gothic metal, post-black metal, and dark ambient elements, his music dives into the abyss, where sorrow, salt, and soul converge in an ocean of melancholic beauty.

Gregory Ritchey elaborates: “This work began as a continuation of the tale of Emberil, the void-sworn sorcerer-poet introduced on the previous album In Dark Eternity. The original intention was to create a sequel shaped by philosophical and theological undercurrents veiled in dark fantasy imagery.

Burdened by a grievous sin against his beloved, Emberil refused to surrender completely to despair. He did not forget her – nor could he – yet he understood that unchecked grief would consume him. Seeking both exile and purification, he departed the realm of Nara-Mur and set his course upon the open sea – waters that bore an ancient anger toward him.

A merciless storm shattered his vessel and cast him into the abyssal depths. Yet he did not drown. He was discovered by an order of undersea monastics who received him into their hidden brotherhood. There he remained in silence and austerity – not in triumph, but in penance.

For many months, this record was meant to continue that mythic arc. But something essential was missing. By placing the struggle entirely within fantasy, I had overlooked my own trials. Reality proved harsher than allegory.

Much of the material was set aside and rewritten – this time grounded in lived experience. These compositions became documents of grief, endurance, reckoning, and testimony. Sorrow was allowed to stand not only as subject, but as teacher. It is my hope that by telling this story in my own voice, others may find space to confront and speak their own.

The record is shaped by existential inquiry – the confrontation with meaning, suffering, responsibility, and being itself. These are not abstract questions here, but lived ones.

Tehina furthered the process at the very beginning of this transformation and helped give the album its direction. Her guidance and presence brought clarity and steadiness, and her voice is woven throughout the atmosphere and expression of the work.

Though rooted in funeral doom metal, the music reaches beyond genre darkness toward contemplation. Weight and slowness serve as vessels, not destinations.

Interwoven throughout is a long-held concept: The Blood of Ghosts – the belief that the dead continue through memory, thought, and deed. Nothing is fully lost if we remember what it stood for. Memory becomes continuation of presence.

A quiet question stands behind the music:

What happens after the funeral?

My answer is simple: memory.”

Instrumentals and growled vocals recorded at Abyssopelagic Studios in Venus Texas, February 2025-February 2026. Soprano cleans and the Introit prayer were recorded in Bulgaria.

Cover art by Tehina Spasova.
Logo by Angbudla Art.

Silent Deep Ocean is:
Gregory Ritchey – Growled Vocals, Composition, Mixing, Mastering, Lyrics
Tehina Spasova – Soprano Vocals, Guitars, Mixing, Mastering

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