Giant Squid - "Metridium Fields"
EPIC
It's the only word that can aptly describe the tremendous riffs and thunderous symphony that blends effortlessly with ethereal soundscapes to form the album, "Metridium Fields", by Austin-based, genre-defying metal band, GIANT SQUID.
While comparisons to contemporaries like Neurosis, Isis, Pelican and other sludge/doom metal projects are easy to make, those comparisons leave out the obvious attention to melody and mood that permeates this record. Beyond the obvious influences of Sabbath are links to Pink Floyd and Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit"; these tinges of the psychadelic permeate throughout the record and allow the band to transition from pounding and driving riffs of momentous magnitude to ambient, almost celestial melodies that meander sublimely until interweaving themselves back into the thunderous assault of driving guitars and pounding rhythms. Blending doom and sludge with stoner rock and ambient prog seems to come effortlessly to the five-piece as they carve out these 8 tracks. While clocking in at over an hour, one is still left desiring more when the last note resonates. The only times the CD fails to deliver is when the male vocals start to warble and sound too much like Serj from System Of A Down, but when you write music this amazing, the vocals become secondary.
This album is a necessity for every fan of heavy music, especially those who have an appreciation for Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". Stand-out tracks are "Neonate" and "Ampullae Of Lorenzini", a reference to a shark's sensory organs . Fans of local bands like Robots & Empire, Doors In The Sand and In Anchorage should definitely check out Giant Squid.
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