Silent Deep Ocean- Essence of Existence

Silent Deep Ocean is one my favorite doom bands/projects in modern doom. Initially a one-man project of Gregory Ritchey, he has since been joined by the equally as talented Tehina Spasova, who had her own doom band in the form of Destruction of Orion (who are badass and have been reviewed on this blog as well). 

“Essence of Existence,” is the band's sixth full-length album—and I'm comfortable saying it is the best one yet.

“Essence of Existence,” reminds me a lot of something The Howling Void may release. Much like that band, the music is laced with symphonic textures but not in a bombastic way. They act more like an atmospheric river that carries with it beautiful and subtle Gothic tendencies with regal, smartly written arrangements. 

Gregory creates the music he writes with the technique called Endtroducing,” a technique that was revolutionary in the electronic music world, developed by a composer named DJ Shadow, who used it to create  an instrumental hip-hop album entirely out of samples.

A lot of those ideas are incorporated here, using keys, software, and VSTs to help create his vision of this ethereal, doom-laden world.

Tehina offers her guitar skills as well on the second song “In Abysso- Unum Sumas,” which is the first full song after “Introit-Liturgy of the Desolate,’ a short intro from which it flows from.

From the first moments, “In Abysso…” makes it clear that Silent Deep Ocean's style of funeral doom has only improved. I love how slow this song, and the album itself, is. The essence of doom is the grueling tempo and I'm glad the band fully embraces this.

“The Essence of Existence,” isn't a flashy album–nor is it supposed to be. This is heavy music that is also contemplative. The album demands its depth to be explored and is happily to reward the patience required to do so.

This song sounds very natural, like the slow loss of light as night falls once more. Gregory's vocals are better than ever—the deep, gravel like tone of his growls are the perfect way to lead such dark music.

This song uses all elements at its disposal equally, never focusing too much on any one instrument but allowing each one to speak when it is needed. As an element leaves or fades out, another piece of darkness fills the gap. 

Tehina's wonderful cleans are like shaded from another plane of Existence, shimmering onto our plane like a shade or ghost.

“A Nameless Grave for a Dead Bird,” is one of the best songs in their discography. The death growls are profane with just enough echo effect on them to add an otherworldly layer. The bass rumbles beneath the keys, a solid foundation that is its own funeral march. 

Tehina's cleans are powerful as they are able to float above the dense music but gentle enough to add contrast and atmosphere. I love the key-laden atmospheric mid-midsection and the low storm it collides into.

The last few minutes combine the ghostly and the ghastly as Gregory's growls swirl into a mix that is both light and heavy. 

“Icon of Sorrow,” opens with clean keys that are like flashes of light through the cracks of a dark space. Tehina's voice is a lost soul, forever trapped in endless tunnels and corridors. Can she be followed to find a way out yourself? No. The death growls and robust drums push the soul down further.

I like the melodic line that runs through the song—it is catchy but also horrific in some way I can't quite describe. The final moments are thick with pressures, a wall of cavernous sounds that are almost palpable.

The title track ends in the album. Is this a look into the next album? Because this doom is cinematic and world building. The vocals are a potent combination of growls and spoken word cadence—a declaration of darkness. The bass is melodic and flows like a river underneath, producing a rising current alongside the drums. 

The riffs and double bass in the mid section are ridiculously violent, the vibrations of the approaching end. It hits over and over, strikes in the unseen before the song fades off into atmo textures. 

Silent Deep Ocean's “Essence of Existence” is an essential listen for the doom genre in 2026. It documents the band's deep understanding and commitment to the genre, in both honoring its foundations and moving it foward.

Rating: Excellent