Oceano’s Adam Warren Embraces Chaos

Metro Music Hall witnessed deathcore sovereign Oceano perform on October 1, celebrating their latest album Living Chaos. Gifted lyricist and proficient vocalist Adam Warren chatted with SLUG Magazine post-set, accomplishing a successful gig and turnout. “I feel relaxed,” he discloses. “I always have rituals after performing—getting elevated and eating. I’m relaxed and ready for my little treat.”

The Living Chaos Tour and album release took seven years to build and create. “It was a long time coming,” Warren admits. “I didn’t have a scope with how many people were anticipating it, but it’s good to see that many people were.”

There is a carefully crafted eccentricity to the Living Chaos album compared to Oceano’s others. “Everything makes it unique, and this album is setting the bar to always give out our best work,” Warren says. “The lyrics, the structure of intentional song placement—this album is [our] most intentional. There are cool Easter eggs and homages to past references in big and small ways throughout it. There are multi-level messages in every song and there are so many pieces swirling around, which is why it’s called Living Chaos—because of the chaotic thought process behind it, mixed with the flow. If the flow is chaos, then embrace it. Add beauty to it.”

“The lyrics, the structure of intentional song placement—this album is [our] most intentional.”

But with every metal legend, there is an origin story. The roots of keen vocal manipulation go back well into Warren’s youth, inspired by bands like Slipknot. “I like intense things and to max the energy level of a situation. For example, moshing is kind of a physical sport and the music is a creative outlet,” he says. Combining the two, Oceano’s sound successfully achieves an energy output that listeners pursue and elevate. 

Warren’s talent was born from a child’s imagination. “I was an imaginative kid,” he explains, “as all kids should be—and [they] shouldn’t lose that imagination later in life, just as a side note—but I was never told to stop being creative and weird. I used to play with action figures and construct big productions like turning my desk into a headquarters for evil henchmen. I would make all the noises and sound effects. But the second origin story,” Warren continues. “I credit watching cartoons. I copied the voice actors.” 

Becoming a voice-shaping erudite, Warren never deduced that his stage presence would ultimately become a factor in career longevity. “I never really wanted to be a metal vocalist,” he admits. “It keeps me humble because I don’t have anything to prove or gain, I just have more that I want to share. I also want my art to be perceived because that gives me input and constructive criticism that I can then take back and improve myself and my art. It’s almost like a scientific social experiment for me to perfect my creativity. But I’ll always do music.”

“There are more don’ts than dos—don’t think you’re not good enough, or that you’re not playing to enough people or compare yourself and your music to others.”

Oceano is among the deathcore elite, founded in 2006 and releasing their first album Depths in 2009. With almost two decades of experience, Warren elaborates on key elements in pursuing a life of metal: “Don’t overthink it,” he states, “and don’t try so hard—just be yourself. There are more don’ts than dos—don’t think you’re not good enough, or that you’re not playing to enough people or compare yourself and your music to others. Sure, some recommended things might excel better if you try a different way, but let it ride. Just do your best and flow.”

You can stay up to date with all of Oceano’s latest movements and releases on Instagram at @oceanometal. 

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