THE OCEAN Announces New Vocalist

Germany's THE OCEAN has announced the addition of Loïc Rossetti to the group's ranks. "We are looking forward to weeks and months of intense touring in the future and a new era in the story of our lives!" states mainman Robin Staps.

"Having Loïc in the band enables me to do what I've always wanted to do with this band. His voice is strong and expressive and his variety of tone and the ease with which he switches between different vocal styles really amazing. There are no limits anymore. His screams are devastating, but his most valuable quality is his singing voice, which we will employ much more on the upcoming album."

Comments Rossetti: "Being part of THE OCEAN is a great honour for me. I can utilize the full spectre of my voice, and the band is pushing me to do so... it's a great challenge."

Over the course of the past six months, the band has received more than 150 applications from people from all over the world. "Many have recorded vocals for 'The City in the Sea' and there was a lot of good stuff coming in. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to try out, we truly appreciate it!" says Jonathan Nido.

The addition of Rossetti marks the final step in a recent development within the band: after eight years of existence, THE OCEAN has transformed from a collective into a band. This doesn't mean that there will not be changes of lineup ever again. "I have been playing music long enough to know that people are usually in this for a limited time," comments Staps, "but the people I am working with now are the people I have always been looking for, and naturally, everyone else is much more involved than ever before."

The collective is not dead. As a matter of fact, the upcoming album will feature the largest number of additional musicians to date, mainly classical players. The band has spent the better part of the year working feverishly on their upcoming two albums which are due for release in March and September 2010.