Ocean sleeper ‘Break the cycle’ with powerful new video
PHOTO CREDIT: Jonti Wild (@jontiwild)
Ocean Sleeper, the regional Victorian metalcore kings, are back in 2026 with a transformation that promises to be sharper, heavier, and more emotionally resonant than ever before. After a relentless two-year stretch of international touring and writing, the four-piece band is stepping into a new era with their most defining release to date: the powerful and defiant new single “Break The Cycle”. This track marks the shining start of the next Ocean Sleeper era, capturing the band’s enduring resilience in the face of adversity.
Listen to “Break The Cycle” here
“Break The Cycle” was born from a creative partnership sparked when Ocean Sleeper brought Point North to Australia to support their sold-out 2025 tour. Following this connection, and after landing in the U.S. for their headline tour and attending the Warped Tour to watch their friends Lil Lotus, Sace6, and Point North play, they headed into the studio the following day with Jon Lundin of Point North (and of Falling In Reverse) to co-write the track. The result is one of their most anthemic and emotionally-charged releases to date.
Watch the “Break The Cycle” music video below;
Ocean Sleeper describes the song as capturing their struggle in breaking out of Australia and into the global touring market as an independent band. “It’s fast-paced, heavier than before, while still keeping the emotional depth with one of our biggest choruses to date. We instantly knew this song was going to be something special,” they say.
Hailing from Gippsland in regional Victoria, and all working trades by day, Ocean Sleeper’s background is core to their identity and the deep connection they share with fans. Despite hailing from a small country town, Ocean Sleeper have never let geographical limits stand in their way — tearing down barriers and defying expectations at every turn. Through fierce self-sufficiency and brutal persistence, the metalcore four-piece have built a vehemently loyal fan base and following throughout Australia, the U.S., and Europe.
Since their formation in 2015, Ocean Sleeper have been cultivating a reputation for blending crushing metalcore intensity with deeply personal lyricism and anthemic melody. From their 2019 debut album Don’t Leave Me This Way — featuring the exceptional cut “Light in My Dark” — through to their 2025 EP Maybe Death Is All I Need — with standouts like the title track “Maybe Death Is All We Need,” “Heaven,” and “Never The One” — the band has consistently pushed the boundaries of modern heavy music, connecting with fans through honesty, vulnerability, and explosive live performances.
They’ve sold out tours in both Australia and the U.S. and recently played the Polaris-curated metal festival Life’s A Beach in Melbourne in February this year, alongside We Came As Romans, Thy Art is Murder, and Caskets. With local dates likely in 2026, they’ll first play their debut headline European shows in Eindhoven, Prague, and Vienna and support Nevertel across the EU/UK throughout June/July as well as appearing at Impericon Festival (Germany). Plus, this October, they will play Hellbound Cruise — a three-day cruise dedicated to heavy music featuring alongside heavyweights Parkway Drive, Polaris, Northlane, and The Butterfly Effect — departing from Sydney Harbour. More to come!
As “Break The Cycle” does just as it says on the packet, and with the band’s recent signing to BMG Australia and Rise Records (USA), Ocean Sleeper are tearing into 2026 with thunderous force. “Production is so so good… I feel like this is one of those bands that could be the future of Aussie metalcore,” says Roguenjosh, capturing the sentiment of many fans eagerly anticipating what’s next for this dynamic band.
If you’ve been following Ocean Sleeper for a bit like I have, this is a very exciting era for them and I personally can’t wait to see what this new era holds for them
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