Victorian metalcore band Ocean Sleeper have announced their second album Peace When I’m Dead, due on 21 August, alongside the release of the album’s title track and a major Australian headline tour.
by Paul Cashmere
Ocean Sleeper have unveiled details of their long-awaited second album Peace When I’m Dead, confirming a 21 August release through BMG Australia and Rise Records. The Gippsland band simultaneously released the album’s title track and accompanying video, marking the next chapter in a campaign that began with their comeback single Break The Cycle in May. The announcement arrives as the group prepares for its largest Australian headline tour to date and an extensive international schedule stretching into early 2027.
For Ocean Sleeper, the release represents a significant milestone in a career built largely through independent momentum and international touring. Since emerging from regional Victoria in 2016, the band has steadily developed a global audience within the metalcore community, progressing from local support slots to international touring opportunities across Europe, the United Kingdom and North America.
The new album follows 2019’s debut full-length Don’t Leave Me This Way and arrives after a series of standalone releases and EPs that helped maintain the band’s profile during and after the pandemic years. It also reflects a broader trend within modern metalcore, where bands increasingly balance aggressive musicality with deeply personal lyrical themes centred on mental health, resilience and emotional recovery.
Lead vocalist Karl Spiessl said the record continues Ocean Sleeper’s tradition of confronting difficult subject matter.
“This band has never been afraid to dive into the darker parts of our lives, and this album is no exception,” Spiessl said.
“At its core, the record explores the ongoing battle we have with ourselves, that constant inner struggle that can feel endless. It’s about coming to terms with the idea that this conflict may always be part of the human experience, and learning to accept that reality.”
The title track explores themes of grief, regret, depression and emotional release. Accompanied by a new video produced by Freeman Films, the same team behind the recent visual for Break The Cycle, the song serves as the thematic centrepiece of the album.
Recording for Peace When I’m Dead took place across multiple locations including Melbourne, Los Angeles and Portland. Ocean Sleeper collaborated with several prominent figures from the contemporary heavy music scene, including mixer and mastering engineer Jeff Dunne, whose credits include work with Make Them Suffer, Disturbed and Knocked Loose. Producers Jon Lundin and Curt Martin also contributed to the project.
According to Spiessl, the title track encapsulates the band’s outlook after years of persistence in a competitive music industry.
“Nothing good comes easy and is worth every fall in pushing forward,” he said.
“For us, like many others, opportunities haven’t come easily to this band but we have worked tirelessly to achieve our wins and will continue to push forward until peace comes to us all.”
The announcement follows encouraging momentum generated by Break The Cycle, which has accumulated more than 200,000 Spotify streams since its release in May. The track has also gained traction in the United States, securing rotation on SiriusXM’s Octane and Liquid Metal channels.
Ocean Sleeper’s journey has been marked by steady development rather than overnight success. Formed in Gippsland in 2016, the band first attracted attention through their Six Feet Down EP before building a following through relentless touring and support appearances alongside acts including Killswitch Engage, Atreyu, Make Them Suffer and The Getaway Plan.
Their debut album Don’t Leave Me This Way established the band’s heavier melodic identity, while subsequent releases including Is It Better Feeling Nothing and Maybe Death Is All I Need expanded both their audience and creative ambitions. The forthcoming album arrives seven years after their debut LP and appears positioned as a defining statement for the group.
The release will be supported by the Peace When I’m Dead Tour, a national run presented by New World Artists and Fireball AU. Beyond Australia, Ocean Sleeper have mapped out an ambitious international schedule comprising 82 performances through to February 2027, including dates supporting Nevertel in Europe and North America, appearances on Parkway Drive’s Hellbound Cruise and a major European run with Catch Your Breath in 2027.
Spiessl said the songs were conceived with live performance in mind.
“Taking so many negative emotions and transforming them into something positive, almost spiritual for the live setting, where people can scream the words back and release their own demons, is something we’re proud to share with our fans,” he said.
“Peace When I’m Dead was written with live energy at its core, and we can’t wait to take it on tour.”
As Ocean Sleeper enter the next phase of their career, the release of Peace When I’m Dead positions the Gippsland band for their most ambitious period yet, combining a major international touring schedule with the arrival of only the second full-length album in their decade-long story.
Ocean Sleeper Australian Tour Dates
4 September 2026, Sydney, Liberty Hall
5 September 2026, Brisbane, The Princess Theatre
10 September 2026, Perth, Magnet House
11 September 2026, Adelaide, Hindley St Music Hall
12 September 2026, Melbourne, Forum
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