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OCEANS OF SLUMBER Release Music Video For Rendition Of ‘Strange Fruit’
May 8th, 2020

Houston, Texas-based progressive metal band Oceans Of Slumber have released a music video for their rendition of Abel Meeropol’s ‘Strange Fruit’. The clip was filmed back in February in observation of Black History month and can be viewed below.

Vocalist Cammie Gilbert commented: “To overcome atrocity we must first acknowledge the crime. We must acknowledge that when actions go wrong they send a jagged line down the seam of history, corrupting our interactions, and marring our hearts. No-one’s perspective can change the experience of another. No-one’s modern resolve can undo the pain that was caused.

“History is challenging, history is frustrating, and history can be very depressing. But history provides us lessons for the present, and hopefully guidance for the future. It teaches us to combine our voices in the name of love, to strive against divisiveness becoming our nature, to uphold and help one another, so that never again does strange fruit hang from the poplar tree. Together we strive to perpetuate love by working together to unravel the hurt. Together we are strong, and together we can overcome anything.”

Originally written in 1937 as a poem (titled ‘Bitter Fruit’) by Jewish-American songwriter Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan), ‘Strange Fruit’ has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Jeff Buckley.

Oceans Of Slumber have just finished working on their self-titled fourth full-length studio album, which is slated for issue later in September 2020 via Century Media Records.

Founder and drummer Dobber Beverly said: “We’ve made something that expands Oceans’ sonic palette beyond anything we could’ve ever imagined. Something we can truly be proud of and the feedback has mirrored this over and over again. We are so excited to show this record to you. For you to hear what change has brought us.”

Oceans Of Slumber’s line-up is as follows:

Cammie Gilbert (vocals)
Jessie Santos (guitar and backing vocals)
Alexander Lucian (guitar and backing vocals)
Semir Özerkan (bass)
Dobber Beverly (drums)
Mat Aleman (keyboards)

Third studio record The Banished Heart was released in March 2018 via Century Media.

Promotional photograph by Darry Blampton.

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