Giant Squid – Minoans

By Ryan G

I’ll be the first to admit that I can be a little clueless when starting to write a review of an album such as this. Minoans doesn’t lend itself to a quick recollection later. It demands your full attention.

Interesting is the album title – Minoans. The Minoans were a race of people on the island of Crete, a part of Greece. They were known for their breathtaking architecture and moreso for the sudden, mysterious end to the civilization. So perhaps this foreknowledge is a good place to start when reflecting on this record.

Giant Squid have built a reputation around a style of music that’s a mixture of sludge, progressive, and experimental metal. You can’t – and shouldn’t – mosh to this. As I said before this record demands your full attention. The eight and half minute long epic that is the title track is beautiful and mysterious. Vocals reminiscent of Chino Moreno of the Deftones wail deep in the mix – almost like an afterthought. The character behind the voice in this song seems to sense this and is hence begging desperately to be heard.

The theme of the album indeed does parallel the history of the Minoan civilization, even having a song dedicated to the island of Crete’s other major people group – the Mycenaeans. Man! I haven’t heard that name since AP European History in high school. Thank you Mr. Cave and Mr. Jordan for ensuring that I’m semi-history competent in my mid-twenties. The Pearl and the Parthenon hearkens to the world famous temple to Athena in mainland Greece – a somber tune. I very much approve of the xylophone and cello that make appearances throughout the record, including here. Perhaps the song is mourning the state of decay that the historical relic is in now? Darn you, Brits, for stealing portions of that temple for your museum!

I’m glad I spent time listening to this album one more time while I wrote this because earlier I passed it off as being sort of forgettable. Indeed, Minoans does get more impressive as it progresses. Or maybe my perspective just changed. In any case, fans of progressive and experimental music would do themselves well to give Giant Squid’s new record Minoans a chance.