of a life." The title of the Oceansize song "I/B/O/W" is an abbreviation of the surnames of each member of Black Sabbath's original lineup (Tony Iommi/Geezer Butler/Ozzy Osbourne/Bill Ward). Oceansize often stated that the bulk of their writing was the product of fruitful jam sessions, with Steve Durose saying after the release of Effloresce that "our sound has just evolved really, but right from the first rehearsal, we kind of had it in the bag. We were on mushrooms and just jammed for ages, and then we listened back to the tapes. About three songs from Effloresce were born in that one rehearsal, and we just realized we had something special happening. Everything comes from jams, though. That's the way we write." In regards to structure and time signature, Durose cites drummer Mark Heron as a key collaborator; "Mark's very into strange beats, so what will start off as a very simple idea, once it's been through the Oceansize washing machine will come out as something sounding quite bizarre at the other end." Gambler has advocated a 'no strings' approach with the creative process, saying that "I think we have been tied into the whole progressive thing for quite a bit now. When we formed the band we didn't think we were going to be this or that sort of band. We're forward thinking as far as our music is concerned". Legacy Since their breakup, Oceansize have been cited as an influence by a wide variety of artists. Russian band iamthemorning took their name from the Oceansize song "I Am the Morning". The title of 2018 album Effloresce by American band Covet was an homage to the album of the same name by Oceansize. Other bands and artists who have cited them as an influence include Charlie Barnes, Rose Kemp, The Longcut, The Pineapple Thief, Rosetta, Black Peaks, and Alpha Male Tea Party. Among the artists who have expressed admiration for their work are Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, who ranked Everyone Into Position and Frames as two of his favourite albums of the 2000s, and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, calling them "probably the best [band] in the alternative-prog vein". Side projects and collaborations Oceansize shared camaraderie with the fellow Mancunian band Amplifier, who referred to Oceansize as "Amplifier's brothers-in-amps". Mike Vennart and Steve Durose supplied backing vocals on two tracks on Amplifier's self-titled debut album. Vennart also provided