Battleship Island

During the Japanese colonial era, roughly 400 Korean people, who were forced onto Battleship Island ("Hashima Island") to mine for coal, attempt to a dramatic escape.

During the Japanese colonial era, roughly 400 Korean people, who were forced onto Battleship Island (‘Hashima Island’) to mine for coal, attempt to escape.

Progressive rock/metal bands have never been ones to shy away from atmosphere and ‘out-there’ sounds, and FLOATING WORLDS is no exception. First track "Oceania" starts off with about a minute of ethereal, calming ocean sounds, and when the riffing starts, it is soon joined by overlaid symphonic keys, lending a transcendent air to the track. It is an instrumental intro, though there is some chorus ‘ahhing’ added in for effect. Continuing the ocean theme, "Sailing in History" opens similarly, but this time a plaintive flute-y melody accompanies the maritime atmosphere. The vocals are similarly plaintive at first, and they move in perfect tandem with the underlying keys. Percussion doesn’t kick in until past the 3-minute mark, and guitars follow soon after. The vocals remain soaring, and the heavy chugging is fairly straightforward; the melodic work is still being handled by the symphonic instruments. There is a bare-bones lead towards the end, showing that this is a band more concerned with musicality than being impressive.

The early Pacific battles bring heroism and hardship, success and failure… long before victory.
In the aftermath of World War I, the vast Pacific Ocean became the setting for a struggle between imperialistic Japan and isolationist America. Japan, eager for resources it lacked, invaded Manchuria, and later China. The situation in the Far East set Japan on a collision course with the United States, a course that ultimately led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Japan's success on December 7th began an unbroken tide of victory and conquest.

Here is the ultimate synchronisation of details and events which signalled the last six months of the greatest conflict the world has ever known. It involved over 100 countries, it killed 50 million people and absorbed six years of struggle and bloodshed for the peoples of half the globe.

Recounts the events of world War II in color.