Cenotes (album)
Encyclopedia
Cenotes is the third studio album by post-metal band Giant Squid
. It was released on October 25, 2011, through Translation Loss Records. It comes two and a half years after the band's previous release, The Ichthyologist
, and continues the story of that album's protagonist.
According to Giant Squid
's official website, "The middle eastern aesthetic that the band has embraced throughout its entire cannon consumes this new material to its core. Riff worship meets gypsy jangle and Arabesque male/female vocal harmonies, further enhancing the band's trademark, otherworldly, musical storytelling. Unarguably, Cenotes is the deepest, fastest, sludgiest, and most adventurous release from Giant Squid yet."
On September 16, Revolver Magazine's website posted the track "Figura Serpentinata". On October 6, Pitchfork Media
streamed the song "Mating Scars" on its website. National Public Radio's First Listen program debuted the full album on October 9, sixteen days before the official release date.
Giant Squid (band)
Giant Squid is a post-metal band from San Francisco, California, currently signed to Translation Loss and Vega Vinyl. They were previously signed to The End Records.-Early years :...
. It was released on October 25, 2011, through Translation Loss Records. It comes two and a half years after the band's previous release, The Ichthyologist
The Ichthyologist
The Ichthyologist is the second studio album by post-metal band Giant Squid.It was released on February 3, 2009, independently by the band, limited to 1,000 copies in special packaging....
, and continues the story of that album's protagonist.
According to Giant Squid
Giant squid
The giant squid is a deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae, represented by as many as eight species...
's official website, "The middle eastern aesthetic that the band has embraced throughout its entire cannon consumes this new material to its core. Riff worship meets gypsy jangle and Arabesque male/female vocal harmonies, further enhancing the band's trademark, otherworldly, musical storytelling. Unarguably, Cenotes is the deepest, fastest, sludgiest, and most adventurous release from Giant Squid yet."
On September 16, Revolver Magazine's website posted the track "Figura Serpentinata". On October 6, Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
streamed the song "Mating Scars" on its website. National Public Radio's First Listen program debuted the full album on October 9, sixteen days before the official release date.
Reception
Upon its release, 'Cenotes' has received positive reviews. Zach Duvall of Metal Review described the band as "...one of the most adventurous and unique bands in music today -- music, not just metal." In his review for Revolver Magazine, Jason Le Miere concluded that "...each element is impressive, but it is the way that they flow together, perfectly complementing one another into a vital, organic whole, that makes Cenotes truly remarkable," and considers the album "more accessible, more direct, and more metal than Giant Squid’s powerful past works". In addition, the album maintains an "excellent" rating of 4/5 on review site Sputnik Music, based on 30 user reviews.Track listing
- Tongue Stones (Megaptera megachasmacarcharias) - 9:15
- Mating Scars (Isurus metridium) - 8:03
- Snakehead (Channidae erectus) - 7:47
- Figura Serpentinata (Pycnopodia sapien) - 3:51
- Cenotes (Troglocambarus maclanei) - 6:06