The Tidal Wave 12 is Saturday & Sunday July 24 & 25, 2010 Noon-6pm @ McLaren Park Amphitheater, S.F.
This is a daytime event, Noon-6pm both days (Saturday & Sunday). Yes, it actually starts at Noon, due to a very tight schedule, usually about 7 good metal bands each day.
SAT: Near Life, Desecrater, Abysmal Dawn, Giant Squid, Stone Vengeance, Anvil Chorus, RAVEN Sun: Go Like This, OR3O, Witchaven, Vastum, Elk, Amber Asylum&. (and if lucky, Prong)
The Ichthyologist, the bombastic and equally brave, sophmore release of San Francisco's, GIANT SQUID (Released officially August 2009 on Translation Loss after the band quickly sold 1000 copies on their own in a matter of months) has been included among a stellar list of albums compiled by the highly regarded website, METALREVIEW.COM, as their "100 Most Essential Albums of the Decade" list. Go here to read more - TOP 100 LIST, as well as make sure to read the epic "10 of 10" perfect review the site gave "The Ichthyologist", by clicking the quote below, where by clicking "show lashes" at the bottom of the review, you can read listeners equally enthusiastic responses to record.
GIANT SQUID is also featured in a large four page article about the band in issue 36 of ALARM MAGAZINE, which features our home town heroes, OM on the cover. The magazine is available at book stores, or for order here at - alarmpress.com .
So, are you on the fence whether to buy our latest record? Here, we're so damn generous, will give you the option to at least listen to it a couple times before committing to that enormous investment. Bear in mind though, the songs DO NOT run together the way they should on this player. AND, myspace reduces audio files to a sound quality less than your average MP3, which themselves are less than true hi-res CDs, which are in turn less than vinyl (yes, some would argue that, and they're called androids).
Any who, give it a spin, then make sure to help us out and purchase the album on CD from Translation Loss or on very limited vinyl from Vega Vinyl. You can also hear our debut album, Metridium Fields in it's entirety as well on the same page, which you can order from us at our souvenir shop along with pretty t-shirts.
Order yours now from TRANSLATION LOSS! Limited new t-shirt designs with Sam Kieth art work, as well as CDs autographed by the man himself available as well!
Official pre-orders are available now for the upcoming vinyl release of The Ichthyologist through New York based label, Vega Vinyl. This vinyl release will be available in three very limited options; sets of blue/beige, orange/green, or all black 180 gram wax. This release, limited to 500 copies, can be pre-ordered immediately from vegavinyl.com.
The gorgeous packaging comes in an amazing triple gatefold layout, featuring all the lyrics, and all new art work by legendary, superstar comic book artist, Sam Kieth (The Maxx, Batman, Wolverine/Hulk, Sandman), which is now finally revealed at the band's Myspace page, myspace.com/giantsquid.
The vinyl release of The Ichthyologist coincides with the official CD release of the album through Philadelphia based, heavy music label, Translation Loss, on August 18th.
Both official label releases of The Ichthyologist differ also in sound from the original self released version (now sold out) These new re-releases feature four fresh mixes and/or altered versions of the songs "Panthalassa, Throwing a Donner Party at Sea, Blue Linckia," and "Emerald Bay".
New York based, startup record label, VEGA VINYL, will be pouring their heart and soul into giving The Ichthyologist the ultimate wax treatment. Packed in a gorgeous, TRIPLE GATEFOLD, DOUBLE LP, featuring the incredible new art from comic book superstar, SAM KIETH, and featuring all the lyrics to help you decipher the mythos of The Ichthyologist, the album will also come available in three different colors variations, including 180 gram black vinyl for the audio-phile purists. Anticipate a September release with pre-orders coming in August.
Find out more at vegavinyl.com.
Translation Loss Records is extremely pleased to announce the signing of San Francisco's GIANT SQUID. Translation Loss Records will release The Ichthyologist this summer in correlation with the bands summer tour alongside label mates GRAYCEON (*TL has a Giant Squid / Grayceon split planned for 2010). Engineered, mixed and produced by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, ISIS, Pearl Jam), The Ichthyologist was self-released earlier this year by the band as a work in progress, and has now been tweaked with four of the ten songs being completely remixed and/or re-mastered, with added new bits and some re-recorded and improved on parts, due to the band's constant strive for perfection from their mastermind / lunatic, Aaron John Gregory. The record will also be repackaged with all new original art by legendary, world-renowned comic book artist, Sam Kieth (The Maxx, Batman, The Sandman). The band's lineup is rounded out by Jackie Perez Gratz of Amber Asylum / Grayceon, Bryan Ray Beeson and Christopher Melville Lyman.
GIANT SQUID's last record was released via The End Records and the band has since appeared on a tribute to SYD BARRET late last year alongside Pentagram, Kylesa and Jesu.
Christian McKenna from Translation Loss had this to say about the signing: After floating around with Drew (TL) and Aaron in the Pacific right by Alcatraz collecting mollusks while avoiding sharks and paparazzi for several hours, the three of us decided it was a no brainer to work together. Giant Squid is completely unique to anything going on in heavy music nowadays and we couldn't be happier to be along for the ride.
translationloss.com, myspace.com/translationlossrecords
We had so much fun touring the entire country a couple years back with our lovely sister band, GRAYCEON, we decided to do it again!! We're hitting a lot of cities we never have before, plus returning to some of our favorites! Spread the word, help us where you can. If you got ideas of places you think we HAVE to play, let us know and we'll put you in touch with our booking agent at Starbird Promotions. We can't wait!!!
Giant Squid lost its biggest champion and supporter as well as dearest friend, Adrian Bromley.
Adrian was, on the surface, our unbelievably energetic PR agent. He had been since we were on The End Records, where he got our music into the hands and heads of thousands of people all over the world. When both Giant Squid and Adrian left that record label, we hired him and his start up company, Ixmati Media. We introduced him to our friends Walken, Cormorant, and La Fin Du monde who he started working tirelessly for as well. He got us, an unsigned band, in the pages of Revolver and Decibel Magazine with huge write ups and reviews, and has dozens of other magazines and websites chomping at the bit about our little band. If he had been here a little bit longer, he would have gotten hundreds more important people buzzing about us, as well as these other bands on his roster, and thus thousands of fans.
Beneath his ever smiling persona though, Adrian was simply the biggest fan and the best friend our band has ever known. He was more excited about our new record and where we were going than any of us were! He'd call me at 1:00 in the morning to say how he was getting goosebumps just thinking about the album and what it could do. He stood by the band and I during our hardest, most painful and desperate times when no one else would.
Adrian has been calling me every couple days, bursting with excitement about some new review or interview that he got for us, or some crazy idea he had to get us into Popular Science magazine - just cause we sing about the ocean and its critters. He thought we should put little rubber squids in every press package we sent out to magazines and websites, just so they'll remember us as that band that, well, put little rubber squids in their packages. I used to LOVE that shit about him! So much imagination and energy and love. His heart was fucking huge and his brain was like a locomotive.
I'll never get another text from him saying 'Call me now!!' or 'Are you sitting down!? You're not going to believe what I have to tell you!' Adrian and I will never talk about superhero movies again. I'll never get another email from 'Canuck Squid' as he loved to call himself, sending me pictures of his fat ass cat, Yosemite Sam.
I called in sick today for you dude, and then went record shopping even though I'm totally broke. Because that's the way you, 'the vinyl pillager' rolled. Fuck, it's Monday night. You would have already called me by now for something or another.
Adrian, I had never seen you happier and more confident in these last months, which at least eases my heart a little. You found yourself in a whole new way and were hitting the ground running full speed with your company and your label. I'm crushed knowing that the world won't get to see your dreams come to fruitation. But, we all still have our copies of Unrestrained, ripe with the articles written by the one and only 'Energizer' Bromley. And, Giant Squid has our entire career to remember you with, as we owe you everything.
I can't believe you're gone my friend. I really loved you a lot. We all did. Giant Squid will never forget you.
NOTE: THESE HAVE SOLD OUT!!
Well, it s been a long time coming, and I hate to keep putting off all the people who have been emailing about this the last couple of years, so we finally got around to putting together the last batch of Monster In The Creek EPs. And, since we're seriously hard up for cash, I've made these available for order immediately from us at myspace.com/giantsquid or from our souveniers page on this site.
The EPs are all hand packaged by the band themselves with printed CD-Rs, hand cut labels on a cardboard slip package, and a hand folded lyric insert, exactly as they originally were three years ago. Of course like before, these too will each be individually numbered, which we've had to do backwards from 400 as by now we've totally forgotten where we left off in making these, so rest assured the count will be accurate for those who are a stickler for details!! I think there are only like 140 of these left. Unlike the first batch though, these WILL have the word "analog" misspelled on the CD-R. We were painstakingly scratching off an inappropriately placed "e" on each one before, but now we just don't fucking care as I'm sure you all don't. First batch, "analog", second batch "analoge". Got it? It s like having an ultra rare action figure with wrongly colored plastic weaponry. And really, what would a Giant Squid release be without a glaring typo?
Once these are gone, I don't know what we'll do with the material, maybe a cool vinyl reissue or something someday, but we for surely won't ever remake these like this again. Putting these together is a high cost, tedious, pain in the ass that was a bad idea from the beginning. Get them while we got them.
Monster In The Creek was on odd but really enjoyable era for Giant Squid that took place between the original self released, Metridium Field, and The End Records release, Metridium Fields. It features Aaron, Bryan, Mike, and Aurielle, all from Metridium Fields, along with Andy Southard, aka "Young Aundee" who was our full time keyboardist and third vocalist at the time. The songs are rich with keyboards and almost dance like passages, but still possess all the dark indie rock-esque melodies sandwiched with Giant Squid's trademark ultra heavy, down tuned guitar parts, which this time around feel more classic rock than post-doom metal-whatever you call it. It's unique to say the least. You can hear a couple of the tracks on our myspace page.
In 2005, we recorded these songs live (sans vocals of course) and directly to analog, 16 track, two-inch tape, with all of us playing in one enormous room. This took place at The Hangar recording studio in Sacramento, CA with producer Eric Broyhill (Far, !!!, Outhud). Everything done on this album was analog, from vocal effects to mixing, but then was mastered digitally by Broyhill. It sounds amazing and natural.
The album is loosely based on the New Jersey shark attacks that happened in Matawan Creek in 1916 an event that I've been rather obsessed with since I was a child.
The recording process of The Ichthyologist has required some serious out of pocket money from us, so help us out here people and grab a little collectable piece of Giant Squid lore.
In addition to that, you can also buy for the first time ever through our MySpace page (and here), the first version of Metridium Field, which we self released in 2004, two years before we entirely re-recorded the album and released it on The End Records as Metridium Fields. The original version of this record was engineered, mixed, and produced entirely by Billy Anderson (Neurosis, High On Fire, Cattle Decapitation) and is much more gritty and metal in both tone and feel. There's both male and female death metal-esque vocals coupled with double bass and more saturated metal guitar tones. Many of the songs possess slightly different arrangements before we trimmed the fat in the re-recording. A must have for any real Giant Squid nuts.
Also, if you haven't picked up a copy of our colored vinyl, limited 7" split with Grayceon, featuring the previously unreleased track, Sutter's Fort , there aren't many of them left so grab one while you re at it.
Thanks everyone for pestering us about the EPs and being so into it. I hope all who wanted one ends up with one. More big news about The Ichthyologist coming soon, including announcements of some amazing guest appearances!
NOTE: THESE HAVE SOLD OUT!!
We re very excited to finally announce the release of Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett on Los Angeles based label, Dwell Records, upon which we cover Syd s, Octopus . Dwell approached us a while back to take part in this amazing compilation of artists to pay homage to one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, and unarguably one of the most influential artists in psychedelic and experimental rock music. Upon hearing the roster of bands taking part in the album, it was a no brainer for us, and a real honor to have Giant Squid considered to be amongst them as well as the chance to try our hand at interpreting one of Syd s bizarre yet equally brilliant songs.
The tracklisting:
Kosmos Vegetable Man
Kylesa Interstellar Overdrive
Intronaut Arnold Layne
Stinking Lizaveta Matilda Mother
Jarboe Late Night
Pentagram Flaming
Giant Squid Octopus
Jesu Chapter 24
Unearthly Trance Long Gone
Dredg Astronomy Domine
Circle Rats
Zodiak See Emily Play
Official press release for Sutter's Fort:
Sacramento, California-based eclectic doom rock band GIANT SQUID and San Francisco's moody prog/rock band GRAYCEON have joined forces for a split 7' now available at THE END RECORDS' mailorder site, THE OMEGA.
The 7' release is limited to 500 copies:
250 in Maroon color
250 in Sand color.
The tracklisting is: Giant Squid - Sutter's Fort / Grayceon - The West
About the release of the 7', Giant Squid guitarist/singer AARON GREGORY says: 'We're so excited and relieved to know this song will finally see the light of day in a proper release that documents the end of an era in Giant Squid's turbulent existence, and the beginning of the next.'
'Sutter's Fort' is the last song written with all three Giant Squid founding members - Bryan Beeson, Aaron Gregory, and Aurielle Zeitler - still together before Zeitler left the group. It was recorded in December 2006 by Jason Rufuss Sewell, producer of Metridium Fields, during our very last days in Austin, TX and at the apex of perhaps the most emotionally disturbing and destructive time in my entire life. Sewell insisted we capture that personal turmoil on tape before we all left Austin, some of us going our separate ways. It sincerely shows in the song as Sutter's Fort is hands down the most brutally pissed, heart breaking song we have recorded yet, and is truly an appropriate and chilling end to an era and an old way of life for all of us involved.'
'In addition, it was a priceless opportunity to have the explosive drumming ability of Scott Sutton, our drummer at the time, present on such a furious Giant Squid song. This was very important for us as Scott was one of the best drummers we've ever had, and worked his ass off for the band through our last two tours, becoming such a dear friend along the way before he departed with the band recently for family priorities in Eugene, Oregon.'
'It's equally special for us to have our sister band, Grayceon, to share this record with, as it gives Giant Squid fans a great chance to check out our latest member, Jackie Perez Gratz, with her own band and at her finest, giving a glimpse into what her musical sensibilities will bring Giant Squid in the future. Grayceon's song, 'The West' is the perfect compliment to 'Sutter's Fort', and is my favorite Grayceon song to date. The combination truly makes for an emotionally stirring and relentlessly heavy split release.'
So thank you all so much for voting for us!! We were honestly surprised to take home the award for best hard rock/metal band in Sacramento's annual music awards, the SAMMIES, put on by the Sacramento News and Review. The whole thing was pretty goofy, but it was nice to finally get recongized by our home town. It took them long enough. Seems all we had to do was move away for a while! Thanks to the other bands in our category, Hot Pistol, Killgasm, Absent me, Save and Continue.
