Consequence's weekly Heavy Song of the Week feature has named "Belligerence" by The Ocean as its top pick, praising the German post-metal band's second single from their forthcoming album Solaris. The choice matters because it comes in a strong week for new metal releases, with the outlet also considering new tracks from Anthrax and Mastodon before settling on The Ocean's song, and it highlights how the band's recent lineup overhaul has reinvigorated their sound.

The 10-minute-plus track eschews the band's usual long-song structure in favour of frequent shifts in riffs and mood, moving from hardcore-style openings through thrash and technical death metal passages before reaching a doomier, progressive section around the seven-minute mark. Critic Langdon Hickman credits the band's lineup changes, including new male and female vocalists trading harsh vocals, with pushing The Ocean beyond the more predictable sound they had settled into by their Heliocentric/Anthropocentric era, resulting in a fresh, dynamic take that still feels distinctly heavy.