Giant Squid – Ichthyologist
[self released, 2009]
genre: post-rock, progressive metal, experimental rock, doom metal, avant-garde, sludge
Album Review by Sovereign

Ichthyologist is a concept album, based on a graphic novel by guitarist/vocalist Aaron Gregory. Aaron is working in an aquarium and he is a kind of ichthyologist. He’s actually a professional scuba diver by trade who works for San Francisco’s Bay Aquarium, cleaning equipment and feeding sharks. He says about the concept: “Through the thoughts of the album’s protagonists, a man stripped of his humanity and left with nothing but the sea in front of him, comes a story about adapting in inhuman ways to survive the shock of human loss and total emotional tragedy, becoming something else entirely in the process”. The album is brilliant. It is based on slow prog tracks with a repetitive mood and a well constructed perspective. The vocals except some female , are really experimental some times hoarse, other times whispers, others sludgy and others clean but strained (remind me system of a down’s clean). The release is on a limited edition of a thousand of copies (we hope the End records will release it sometime). The tracks remind me Neurosis from a sun that never sets, but in a more progressive level. Track no 6 reminds old the Gathering (anneke sings there). The album is slow and the tracks are really prog and art rock compositions. The sound is a bit more metal in some songs, but in general it is a progressive artistic rock album. In some parts you feel you listen to a doom progressive metal band, but immediately the songs go lower and fully atmospheric. It is a bit sad. The mood is dark and pessimistic. Great album from an avant garde band. It connects 90’s doom, experimental progressive music, post (metal or rock doesn’t matter) and modern sludge.

The Album:
GS I 2009 rapidspread
or
GS I 2009 mediafire

http://www.myspace.com/giantsquid
http://giantsquidlives.com/

tracks:
01. Panthalassa (Lampetra Tridentata) 05:49
02. La Brea Tar Pits (Pseudomonas Putida) 07:28
03. Sutterville (Vibrio Cholerae) 04:08
04. Dead Man Slough (Pacifastacus Leniusculus) 05:31
05. Throwing A Donner Party At Sea (Physeter Catodon) featuring Karyn Crisis 05:40
06. Sevengill (Notorynchus Cepedianus) featuring Anneke van Giersbergen, Lorraine Rath
07. Mormon Island (Alluvial Au) featuring Kris Force 06:39
08. Blue Linckia (Linckia Laevigata) 07:11
09. Emerald Bay (Prionace Glauca) featuring Cat Gratz 06:11
10. Rubicon Wall (Acipenser Transmontanus) 07:59

Sovereign