The Ocean and the Sun is the third and final album of the progressive rock band, The Sound of Animals Fighting. Rich Balling has stated in interviews that it will be similar to the Tiger and the Duke EP. The band has also gone back to its original number of just four: the Nightingale, the Walrus, the Lynx, and The Skunk.

On July 29, 2008, the band posted the song "The Heraldic Beak of the Manufacturer's Medallion" on their MySpace page. On August 12, 2008, the album leaked onto the internet, although three songs from the album were on the same .mp3 file. The album was leaked correctly in its entirety on August 13, 2008. On August 14, 2008, the band posted another track on their MySpace, "The Ocean and the Sun."

The first song, "Intro", is the Farsi translation of the English poem "In The Desert" by Stephen Crane. The original (English) version of this poem is printed on the inside jacket of the album. It is also read in English on the eleventh track. The fifth song, "Lude", is not in reference to the character Lude in the novel House of Leaves. The title of the final track, "On the Occasion of Wet Snow", is the title of the second section of Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground. The title of the seventh track, "The Heraldic Beak of the Manufacturer's Medallion", is taken from J. G. Ballard's Crash. Vocal credits include Embree making his first vocal appearance on "Blessings..." and Green returning for the title track, "Another Leather Lung," and "The Heraldic Beak of the Manufacturer's Medallion," and Balling returning on "I, the Swan," "Cellophane," and "On the Occasion.." The Wolf? aka Matthew Kelly, rounds out the credits with an appearance on "On the Occasion." Other vocalists include Jessica Mcwhirter on "On the Occasion," and Lauren Coleman on "Uzbekistan" and spoken word on the title track. Charlene Rogers (also on spoken word duty on Lover) appears on spoken word duty on Ahab.

The album was produced, recorded and mixed by Matthew Embree.

Track listing

1. "The Ocean and the Sun"
2. "I, the Swan"
3. "Another Leather Lung"

1. "Cellophane"
2. "The Heraldic Beak of the Manufacturer's Medallion"

1. "Uzbekistan"
2. "Blessings Be Yours Mister V"
3. "Ahab"
4. "On the Occasion of Wet Snow"

Credits

• Rich Balling - vocals
• Matthew Embree - Guitar, Bass, vocals
• Christopher Tsagakis - drums
• Anthony Green - vocals
• Matthew Kelly - featured on "On the Occasion of Wet Snow"
• Adrian, Elaina, and Victoria Benson - kids
• Mark Bush - trumpet
• Lauren Coleman - vocals/spoken words
• Jessica McWhirter - vocals
• Newsha Mohajeri - farsi
• Charlene Rogers - spoken word on "Ahab"
• Edouard Wlodarezyk - French poem

References

• Epitaph Page