A Worthy Second Album
W. Alexander Vacca | Century City CA | 11/10/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Since the astounding Metridium Field(s), Giant Squid has seen a lot of change. The husband and wife duo separated, band members left, they relocated, they picked up the talented Jackie Perez Gratz, who has her own band Grayceon. When I got this album I was worried. Could they recapture the magic of their debut album?
I should not have worried. After the first 2:30 of the first track (the excellent Panthalassa) it was clear Giant Squid was back. Aaron Gregory has driven this band forward. They not only put together a great album, but they used the changes to their advantage, and released something that is different from the first album. With such a debut there is always a strong temptation to retread the same ground, but Giant Squid resisted this and moved forward, and the result is a triumph.
The instrument mix has become more eclectic. Jackie's cello and different vocal style have given rise to new sounds, notably on Dead Man's Slough and Mormon Island. They used guest musicians to great effect, especially Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering & solo efforts) on Sevengill and Karyn Crisis on Throwing A Donner Party (a remake from their first independent EP).
This also differs from the first album in having more of a balance. The longest track doesn't even break 8 minutes, and the transitions have been incorporated into full tracks.
It's hard to find a high point from something that is uniformly excellent and simultaneously diverse. But Blue Linckia and La Brea Tar Pits were early standouts. The second half of Blue Linckia is hypnotic, and I could imagine it going on for fifteen more minutes if they wanted to recapture the hypnotic effect of Metridium Field. It grinds, it layers, it builds, and it does everything that a strong riff should do as a foundation for something excellent. Panthalassa is an excellent introduction and proof that the band had survived some rough times. However, it may be the last track, Rubicon Wall, that after a few listenings really comes forward as something really special. It serves as relief, and, I hope, a bridge to whatever Giant Squid does next.
(Of course, no Giant Squid review would be complete without a reference to lots of obscure bands of which few people have heard. What is interesting about this band is that when people hear them, they pull the best parts of their favorite bands out and line them up against Giant Squid. So, if you are a fan of Mastodon, Hawkwind, Amorphis, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Isis, the Gathering, Arthur Brown/Kingdom Come, Thin Lizzy, Fishbone, Mordred, Cathedral, Entombed, Viogression, Medusa Oblogata, Clutch, Del McCoury, Tiamat, etc then this is the band for you. And, if you are lucky enough to be able to catch them on one of their tours, do so!)"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1