Photo by Wesley Robin
The New Jersey death metal band’s six-track EP arrives October 30 through Bleeding Art Collective, following earlier singles “Nexus” and “Doomed.”
New Jersey death metal band Ocean of Illusions will release its six-track Nexus EP on October 30 through Bleeding Art Collective, continuing a period of musical experimentation that has seen the group draw from multiple corners of extreme metal.
Ahead of the EP’s arrival, the band has released a lyric video for “Ash Hoarder,” one of six tracks appearing on Nexus. The song follows “Nexus” and “Doomed,” both of which were released in 2025 and offered an earlier look at the direction of the upcoming record.
“Ash Hoarder” approaches the concept of fire from opposing perspectives, examining its ability to provide warmth while also carrying the potential for destruction. According to the band, the track also gave guitarist Kevin Kim room to emphasize riff-driven songwriting and a rhythmic approach designed with movement in mind.
“This song explores the duality of fire – to bring warmth or cause irreparable damage,” the band said. “This song highlighted Josh’s style of playing, he focused on the riffs, and if the crowd could dance to it.”
Nexus follows Ocean of Illusions’ 2022 debut album, Unrecognizable, and subsequent material including “Helminth.” The band’s sound incorporates elements associated with melodic death metal, djentcore and New York death metal, combining those influences with breakdown-heavy arrangements and groove.
The forthcoming EP also represents a collaborative songwriting experiment within the band. Rather than approaching every song from a single creative direction, the members set out to bring their individual styles into the writing process and then incorporate those ideas into Ocean of Illusions’ established sound.
The band explained that the EP’s title reflects that process.
“‘Nexus’ is defined as a connection or series of connections linking two or more things or a central focal point. The definition resonated with us and what we’re trying to accomplish,” Ocean of Illusions said. “This EP is a good representation of each band member’s style artistically, testing the waters to see what we’re capable of.”
That approach resulted in material that varies stylistically across the record while retaining connections to the group’s previous work. Ocean of Illusions said some songs revisit themes found on Unrecognizable, while the instrumentation allowed the musicians to explore different approaches.
“There was a lot of back and forth but it was worth it in the end for what we were able to create,” the band said. “Sometimes we are aligned with our emotions and other times we are not. I think that’s why our music takes on a couple styles and forms. We all come with different perspectives of heavy music so it makes it a bit interesting. While some of the tracks may be callbacks to Unrecognizable thematically, instrumentally we experimented with different styles for this EP.”
The upcoming release also marks Ocean of Illusions’ partnership with Bleeding Art Collective. The band has previously shared stages with The Black Dahlia Murder, Ingested, The Last Ten Seconds of Life and Bodysnatcher.
Nexus was mixed and mastered by Dave Ricco of Face Yourself and is scheduled for a digital release on October 30.
Album Information
Artist: Ocean of Illusions
Title: Nexus
Format: EP
Release Date: October 30, 2026
Label: Bleeding Art Collective
Mixing and Mastering: Dave Ricco of Face Yourself
Track Listing
Nexus
Doomed
Imminent Incursion
Ash Hoarder
A Breath To Conquer The World
Illuminating In Pain
Band Lineup
Zachary Howard – Vocals
Kedwin Ramirez – Drums
Kevin Kim – Guitar
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