Giant Squid - Metridium Fields
Rating
RIYL
RadioheadMastodon
Isis
Swarm of the Lotus
Tracklist
1. Megaptera in the Delta2. Neonate
3. Versus the Siren
4. Ampullae of Lorenzini
5. Summit
6. Eating Machine
7. Revolution in the Water
8. Metridium Field
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With the current influx of droning, drawn-out stoner metal records hitting shelves across the world, it's growing increasingly difficult to stand out amongst the other comers in the genre. While Isis and Neurosis remain the forerunners and points of reference within the genre and most simply regurgitate these innovators, these two bands are slowly being outdone by those who have been able to look at the genre from afar before dipping their pens into the ink.
Take, for instance, Giant Squid, a band which has taken this increasingly-stale genre to a new height or, at the very least, to a new dimension and created something never heard before. Fusing a healthy dose of folk and Paleolithic philosophy, they've crafted an album that combines the sea monster love of Mastodon with the churning riffs of Swarm of the Lotus while making metal entirely their own. Producer Jason Rufuss Sewell and engineer Billy Anderson have done a terrific job of giving this album much more weight than it had when first released in 2004. Where the original, which Anderson also co-helmed, sometimes felt empty and hollow in spots, there are no gaps like that in this latest version. There's a reason the man is a legend in his field and Metridium Fields is simply the icing on his career's brooding, dark, Havershamian cake.
To hear the squalling, sprawling guitar solo in "Summit" is to come face to face with the future of post-metal. To hear guitarist/vocalist's Aurielle Gregory's piercing shrieks contrast against her heavenly coos is to recognize that, even in the most brutal of settings, beauty can be found. To hear Aaron Gregory's warbling, though self-assured, vocals is to find a dose of originality in a genre that has been pleading for a change of pace. Of course, one must not forget about Brian Beeson's always-important mammoth bass swells, a staple of the post-metal diet, as well as keyboard work that interlaces itself seamlessly within the music, peeking out over the din of the roar from time to time, as in "Versus the Siren," to give Giant Squid's music yet another captivating depth to which they can sink.
Sadly, those responsible for the drums and keys have recently left the band, so shortly after having filled in for the already-dismissed previous holders of those positions. However, the absence of the original members is not felt on this re-recording, so there is hope that yet another incoming of fresh blood won't affect the band's future works. In the meantime, sit back, relax, grab a well-worn copy of Moby Dick, and lose yourself in Metridium Fields. It is simply fantastic by all definitions of the word.
fan•tas•tic (adj):
1. Quaint or strange in form, conception, or appearance.
2. a) Unrestrainedly fanciful; extravagant;
b) Bizarre, as in form or appearance; strange;
c) Based on or existing only in fantasy; unreal.
3. Wonderful or superb; remarkable; exceedingly or unbelievably great.
fan•tas•tic (n):
1. An eccentric person.
--Ben Rice
Comments
Tucson, AZ
Cleveland, OH
Thanks for suggesting this Ben. I like it quite a bit.
Scene Point Blank / Escapist Records
Tucson, AZ
Hahaha I noticed that too, forgot to mention it.
Dallas, Texas
The Great North Woods
Darla Farmer
RIYL:
the Beatles
Tom Waits
Murder By Death
A Whisper in the Noise
the Blood Brothers
portland, or
Tuscaloosa, AL
Austin
The Daily Galaxy
An elephant that never forgets...to kill!
We live as we dream- alone.
~Joseph Conrad
Sacramento, CA
billy anderson worked on california, bitchtits. score one for me.
I'm not here to make things better; only to observe and pass judgement.
Sacramento, CA
they started in sacramento. chalk one up for me. they've been yours less than a year. PWN.
I'm not here to make things better; only to observe and pass judgement.
Austin
no shit? i was going to check in to it, that is until i remembered you were never wrong
The Daily Galaxy
An elephant that never forgets...to kill!
Sacramento, CA
and also, this one i'm dead sure on. because their going-away show got cancelled by the police.
I'm not here to make things better; only to observe and pass judgement.
Minnesota
Find me EVERYWHERE:
San Jose, CA
Fantastic album, fantastic review.
last.fm/user/thetsaiguy