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Swedish Doom/Sludge outfit Ocean Chief is back with Universums härd, another album of low-end distortion and sorrow. I didn't care much for their previous album, 2013's Sten, because the songs were long, slow and dull and the same can be said of those on Universums härd, though there are some differences between the two records. "Universums härd," "Oändlighet" and "Mörker" all clock in at over eight minutes and are more what you'd call collections of sounds than actual songs. The guitars are fuzzed-out to the max, the tempos ponderous, without being Funeral Doom and the vocals an anguished shout that is long on the anguish part but short on being in tune. Much like the ones on Sten, these songs are unfocused and that's putting it kindly. Where Universums härd diverges from the path Ocean Chief had been following is with tracks like "Färden" and "Frihet." These relatively short instrumentals have a real sense of direction, an actual riff and are examples of some pretty solid Doom Metal. In the end, Universums härd is better than Sten, but only marginally, and Ocean Chief remains a doomy jam band whose music is suitable for long nights burning incense and staring at a black light but not much else.