Giant Squid (band)
Encyclopedia
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
.
, after the core members, Aaron Gregory (guitar, lead vocals), Bryan Beeson (bass guitar), Bill Hughes (guitar), and Aurielle Zeitler (keyboards, vocals), had been playing in Northern California under the monikers Koi and Namor. The band self-released its debut album Metridium Field in 2004 through its own record label, Tyrannosaurus Records. Metridium Field contained re-recorded versions of the songs "Revolution in the Water" and "Ampullae of Lorenzini", two tracks originally released locally in 2002 as a two-song CD under the band's previous name, Namor.
Recording of Metridium Field started in February 2003, and now included Jason Divincenzo on drums. Giant Squid hired heavy music producer Billy Anderson
(Neurosis
, High on Fire
, Mr. Bungle
, Melvins) to record and produce Metridium Field in Sacramento at the recording studio The Hangar. AJ Welham was assistant engineer for the week long session, and Brandon Oreno later recorded much of the vocals on the record. The album was mastered by Eric Broyhill at Monster Lab Audio in Sacramento. During the middle of the recording process, Aaron Gregory's father was killed in a motorcycle accident, which delayed the eventual release until April 2004. Five months later, Gregory and Zeitler married.
In 2005, Giant Squid self-released four-hundred hand made/assembled copies of an EP entitled Monster in the Creek
, also under their own label, Tyrannosaurus Records. The EP was recorded mostly live and strictly analog to two-inch/sixteen track tape at the Hangar recording studio with engineer Eric Broyhill. It contained select songs about the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916
with titles such as "Monster in the Creek" and the instrumental "Lester Stillwell", named after the 11-year-old boy killed during the attacks. Monster in the Creek featured Mike Conroy on drums and Andy Southard on keyboards and additional vocals, giving the band three lead vocalists for a short while. Relieved of her keyboard duties, Aurielle became a full-time guitar player in the band.
label The End Records
resulting in a record deal in 2005. Because of the line-up changes since the recording of Metridium Fields, and the fact that the hard drive containing the original session files for the album had locked up and thus made remixing the record impossible (which the band felt it needed before a world wide release), Giant Squid decided to rerecord the entire album to reflect their progression in sound and songwriting. This new version features Mike Conroy on drums and Aurielle on both guitar and keyboards as well as a second vocalist. Mike Conroy's brother Tim plays trumpet on the tracks "Versus the Siren" and the twenty-one minute final track "Metridium Field". Andy Southard, who recently departed with the band, made a guest appearance playing keyboards for "Metridium Field". The band hired Billy Anderson again to engineer all the instrumental tracks in Sacramento at The Hangar recording studio. Robert Cheek was assistant engineer and later recorded the majority of vocals on "Neonate" and "Revolution in the Water" at his private home studio. Through the recording process, the band relocated to Austin, Texas. There they finished recording vocals and minor instrumentation with Jason Rufuss Sewell at his private studio, Nebulost Productions, in Bastrop, Texas. Sewell also contributed some minor instrumentation performances on the record before mixing and producing it. Eric Broyhill mastered the record again at Monster Lab Audio. The album was released as Metridium Fields
(plural) on The End Records, August 22, 2006, and found world wide critical acclaim.
The band toured the east coast and into Canada in March 2006 with label mates The Gathering
, with Jason Rufuss Sewell playing keyboards and Tim Conroy performing his trumpet parts live. The band then toured the Midwest and West coast in July 2006 with label mates Stolen Babies
, a few select dates with friends Prize Country, as well as performing at the CD release of The End Records veterans Agalloch
in Portland, Oregon. This time around, Tim Conroy took over keyboard duties as well as playing his trumpet parts live. Immediately following this tour, the Conroy brothers left the band and Austin.
Giant Squid played a handful of Austin shows with Kimberly Freeman and Scott Sutton (both from Austin band, One-Eyed Doll
) on keyboards and drums respectively. One of these first gigs included opening for Isis
, at the Austin venue Emo's
. Giant Squid played its last show as a local Austin band with this lineup at Room 710, October 20. Aurielle and Aaron split in August 2006, the same month Metridium Fields was released worldwide. Aurielle parted ways with the band in November 2006. Kimberly Freeman left shortly after to pursue One-Eyed Doll. Aaron and Bryan, returned to California in December 2006, bringing Scott Sutton along with them.
Before leaving Austin, Giant Squid recorded Sutter's Fort, engineered and produced by Jason Rufuss Sewell at Nebulost Productions. It was the first recording featuring Scott Sutton on drums and the last collaboration between Aurielle and founding members, Aaron and Bryan. The song was released by The End Records in a limited edition (only 500 copies) vinyl 7" split with San Francisco band, Grayceon, who contributed "The West". Grayceon featured future Giant Squid member, Jackie Perez Gratz.
Jackie Perez Gratz, cello
player of Amber Asylum
fame, joined Giant Squid in January 2007 as both vocalist and cellist. As a four piece, Giant Squid embarked on its longest tour yet—thirty one days (with only three days off) across the nation and into Canada. The first week of tour included San Francisco's Ludicra
and Portland Oregon's Black Elk
. At the Austin music festival SXSW
, Giant Squid's sister band Grayceon joined the tour for the remaining three weeks.
In February 2008, Giant Squid entered Shark Bite Studios in Oakland, CA and recorded their first cover song, "Octopus" by Syd Barrett
, for the Dwell Records tribute compilation, Like Black Holes In The Sky: A Tribute to Syd Barrett. Since Sutton was unable to relocate at the time from Eugene, OR in order to stay in the band, Zack Farwell of Grayceon stepped in for the studio session. The track was produced by Billy Anderson with assistant engineer, Adam Myatt.
, produced by Matt Bayles (ISIS, Mastodon, Botch, Pearl Jam). Giant Squid funded the entire recording, pressing, and promotion of the album. The Ichthyologist was self-released on February 3, 2009, via the band's myspace and official website as a limited edition of only 1,000 copies, featuring exclusive packaging with imagery drawn by early twentieth century biologist, Ernst Haeckel
. The Ichthyologist contains guest vocal appearances by Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering, Agua De Annique) and Karyn Crisis (Crisis), violin by Kris Force (Amber Asylum, Neurosis), and flute by Lorraine Rath (Amber Asylum, The Gault, Worm Ouroboros), trumpet by Nate Perkins (The Lesdystics) and oboe by Cat Gratz (Jackie's sister). Despite the band's unsigned status at this point, national print music magazines such as Revolver, Decibel, and Terrorizer ran features and reviews of The Ichthyologist, boosting sales greatly for the band. The initial 1000 copies sold out by July 2009.
In February 2009, the band went on an eleven day West Coast tour with Los Angeles band, 16
, in support of The Ichthyologist. A full national tour, with sister band Grayceon
started July 30 in San Francisco and ended August 22 in Austin, TX.
The band signed to Translation Loss Records out of Philadelphia, PA who re-released The Ichthyologist
on August 18, 2009 as a digipak CD. Vega Vinyl released the album on limited edition, colored/180 gram vinyl around the same time. The album features new mixes of "Panthalassa", "Throwing a Donner Party at Sea", "Blue Linckia", and "Emerald Bay". It also features all new artwork by legendary comic book artist, Sam Kieth
(The Maxx, Batman, Sandman, Wolverine, Aliens).
On April 26, 2011, Giant Squid announced through their Facebook page that a new album, entitled "Cenotes", will be released in October. The band will play three shows in California over the summer to promote its release.
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
band from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, currently signed to Translation Loss and Vega Vinyl. They were previously signed to The End Records
The End Records
The End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
.
Early years (2002–2005)
Giant Squid was originally conceived in 2002 in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, after the core members, Aaron Gregory (guitar, lead vocals), Bryan Beeson (bass guitar), Bill Hughes (guitar), and Aurielle Zeitler (keyboards, vocals), had been playing in Northern California under the monikers Koi and Namor. The band self-released its debut album Metridium Field in 2004 through its own record label, Tyrannosaurus Records. Metridium Field contained re-recorded versions of the songs "Revolution in the Water" and "Ampullae of Lorenzini", two tracks originally released locally in 2002 as a two-song CD under the band's previous name, Namor.
Recording of Metridium Field started in February 2003, and now included Jason Divincenzo on drums. Giant Squid hired heavy music producer Billy Anderson
Billy Anderson (music)
Billy Anderson is a record producer, engineer and musician. He has worked with hundreds of bands over the past 20 years, including Cormorant, Eyehategod, Mr. Bungle, Red House Painters, Fantômas and Sleep...
(Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
, High on Fire
High on Fire
High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...
, Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle was an experimental band from Northern California. The band was formed in 1985 while the members were still in high school and was named after a children's educational film. Mr. Bungle released four demo tapes in the mid to late 1980s before being signed to Warner Bros. Records and...
, Melvins) to record and produce Metridium Field in Sacramento at the recording studio The Hangar. AJ Welham was assistant engineer for the week long session, and Brandon Oreno later recorded much of the vocals on the record. The album was mastered by Eric Broyhill at Monster Lab Audio in Sacramento. During the middle of the recording process, Aaron Gregory's father was killed in a motorcycle accident, which delayed the eventual release until April 2004. Five months later, Gregory and Zeitler married.
In 2005, Giant Squid self-released four-hundred hand made/assembled copies of an EP entitled Monster in the Creek
Monster in the Creek
Monster in the Creek is the first EP and second release by post-metal band Giant Squid. Many songs are about the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916.-Track listing:# "Monster in the Creek" – 7:10# "Dead Man's Fog" – 5:55# "Age of Accountability" – 6:45...
, also under their own label, Tyrannosaurus Records. The EP was recorded mostly live and strictly analog to two-inch/sixteen track tape at the Hangar recording studio with engineer Eric Broyhill. It contained select songs about the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916
Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916
The Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of New Jersey between July 1 and July 12, 1916, in which four people were killed and one injured. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved, with the...
with titles such as "Monster in the Creek" and the instrumental "Lester Stillwell", named after the 11-year-old boy killed during the attacks. Monster in the Creek featured Mike Conroy on drums and Andy Southard on keyboards and additional vocals, giving the band three lead vocalists for a short while. Relieved of her keyboard duties, Aurielle became a full-time guitar player in the band.
Metridium Fields (2005–2008)
A copy of Metridium Field came to the attention of employees at experimental musicExperimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
label The End Records
The End Records
The End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
resulting in a record deal in 2005. Because of the line-up changes since the recording of Metridium Fields, and the fact that the hard drive containing the original session files for the album had locked up and thus made remixing the record impossible (which the band felt it needed before a world wide release), Giant Squid decided to rerecord the entire album to reflect their progression in sound and songwriting. This new version features Mike Conroy on drums and Aurielle on both guitar and keyboards as well as a second vocalist. Mike Conroy's brother Tim plays trumpet on the tracks "Versus the Siren" and the twenty-one minute final track "Metridium Field". Andy Southard, who recently departed with the band, made a guest appearance playing keyboards for "Metridium Field". The band hired Billy Anderson again to engineer all the instrumental tracks in Sacramento at The Hangar recording studio. Robert Cheek was assistant engineer and later recorded the majority of vocals on "Neonate" and "Revolution in the Water" at his private home studio. Through the recording process, the band relocated to Austin, Texas. There they finished recording vocals and minor instrumentation with Jason Rufuss Sewell at his private studio, Nebulost Productions, in Bastrop, Texas. Sewell also contributed some minor instrumentation performances on the record before mixing and producing it. Eric Broyhill mastered the record again at Monster Lab Audio. The album was released as Metridium Fields
Metridium Fields
Metridium Fields is technically the second release by San Francisco-based doom metal outfit Giant Squid. The material on the album was originally released in 2004 as a self-released album entitled Metridium Field, but after signing with The End Records in 2005, the band decided to re-record the...
(plural) on The End Records, August 22, 2006, and found world wide critical acclaim.
The band toured the east coast and into Canada in March 2006 with label mates The Gathering
The Gathering (band)
The Gathering is a Dutch alternative rock band, founded in 1989 by brothers Hans and René Rutten and vocalist Bart Smits in the small city of Oss, North Brabant....
, with Jason Rufuss Sewell playing keyboards and Tim Conroy performing his trumpet parts live. The band then toured the Midwest and West coast in July 2006 with label mates Stolen Babies
Stolen Babies
Stolen Babies are an American avant-garde metal band with significant influences from dark cabaret, signed to The End Records.-History:Stolen Babies formed from a 12+ member high school performance troupe named the Fratellis; the band takes its name from one of the skits performed by the group...
, a few select dates with friends Prize Country, as well as performing at the CD release of The End Records veterans Agalloch
Agalloch
Agalloch is an American metal band formed in 1995 in Portland, Oregon. The band is led by vocalist and guitarist John Haughm and so far have released four limited EPs, four full-length albums, two demos, one split album, one compilation album and one live DVD....
in Portland, Oregon. This time around, Tim Conroy took over keyboard duties as well as playing his trumpet parts live. Immediately following this tour, the Conroy brothers left the band and Austin.
Giant Squid played a handful of Austin shows with Kimberly Freeman and Scott Sutton (both from Austin band, One-Eyed Doll
One-Eyed Doll
One-Eyed Doll is an eclectic goth punk duo based in Austin, Texas, which was voted the Best Punk Band in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at the Austin Music Awards at SXSW along with variously placing in the Top Ten in the categories of Best New Band, Best Metal Band, Best Female Vocalist, Best Guitarist, Best...
) on keyboards and drums respectively. One of these first gigs included opening for Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
, at the Austin venue Emo's
Emo's
Emo's is a prominent nightclub located in Austin, Texas. Emo's got its start as a Houston punk club in 1989, with the Austin location opening in 1992. The Houston location closed its doors in September 2001....
. Giant Squid played its last show as a local Austin band with this lineup at Room 710, October 20. Aurielle and Aaron split in August 2006, the same month Metridium Fields was released worldwide. Aurielle parted ways with the band in November 2006. Kimberly Freeman left shortly after to pursue One-Eyed Doll. Aaron and Bryan, returned to California in December 2006, bringing Scott Sutton along with them.
Before leaving Austin, Giant Squid recorded Sutter's Fort, engineered and produced by Jason Rufuss Sewell at Nebulost Productions. It was the first recording featuring Scott Sutton on drums and the last collaboration between Aurielle and founding members, Aaron and Bryan. The song was released by The End Records in a limited edition (only 500 copies) vinyl 7" split with San Francisco band, Grayceon, who contributed "The West". Grayceon featured future Giant Squid member, Jackie Perez Gratz.
Jackie Perez Gratz, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
player of Amber Asylum
Amber Asylum
Amber Asylum is a highly-variable San Francisco-based music group that serves as a platform for composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Kris Force...
fame, joined Giant Squid in January 2007 as both vocalist and cellist. As a four piece, Giant Squid embarked on its longest tour yet—thirty one days (with only three days off) across the nation and into Canada. The first week of tour included San Francisco's Ludicra
Ludicra
Ludicra was a metal band from San Francisco. They originally formed in 1998 as a quartet and later expanded to five members. Ludicra's sound has been described as black metal or as avant-garde metal. Influences include bands such as Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, Dødheimsgard, and Bethlehem, and genres...
and Portland Oregon's Black Elk
Black Elk
Heȟáka Sápa was a famous Wičháša Wakȟáŋ of the Oglala Lakota . He was Heyoka and a second cousin of Crazy Horse.-Life:...
. At the Austin music festival SXSW
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
, Giant Squid's sister band Grayceon joined the tour for the remaining three weeks.
In February 2008, Giant Squid entered Shark Bite Studios in Oakland, CA and recorded their first cover song, "Octopus" by Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
, for the Dwell Records tribute compilation, Like Black Holes In The Sky: A Tribute to Syd Barrett. Since Sutton was unable to relocate at the time from Eugene, OR in order to stay in the band, Zack Farwell of Grayceon stepped in for the studio session. The track was produced by Billy Anderson with assistant engineer, Adam Myatt.
The Ichthyologist (2008–present)
Giant Squid left The End Records after they felt the band should continue to tour behind Metridium Fields. The band acquired San Francisco drummer, Christopher Melville Lyman, of local rock band, Turn Me On Dead Man (Alternative Tentacles). Giant Squid then entered Litho Room Studios in Seattle, WA, in August 2008 and Red Room Studios, also in Seattle, WA, in September 2008 to record their second album, The IchthyologistThe 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....
, produced by Matt Bayles (ISIS, Mastodon, Botch, Pearl Jam). Giant Squid funded the entire recording, pressing, and promotion of the album. The Ichthyologist was self-released on February 3, 2009, via the band's myspace and official website as a limited edition of only 1,000 copies, featuring exclusive packaging with imagery drawn by early twentieth century biologist, Ernst Haeckel
Ernst Haeckel
The "European War" became known as "The Great War", and it was not until 1920, in the book "The First World War 1914-1918" by Charles à Court Repington, that the term "First World War" was used as the official name for the conflict.-Research:...
. The Ichthyologist contains guest vocal appearances by Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering, Agua De Annique) and Karyn Crisis (Crisis), violin by Kris Force (Amber Asylum, Neurosis), and flute by Lorraine Rath (Amber Asylum, The Gault, Worm Ouroboros), trumpet by Nate Perkins (The Lesdystics) and oboe by Cat Gratz (Jackie's sister). Despite the band's unsigned status at this point, national print music magazines such as Revolver, Decibel, and Terrorizer ran features and reviews of The Ichthyologist, boosting sales greatly for the band. The initial 1000 copies sold out by July 2009.
In February 2009, the band went on an eleven day West Coast tour with Los Angeles band, 16
16 (band)
16 is a sludge metal band from Los Angeles, California that is currently signed to Relapse Records. Their latest album, Bridges to Burn was released in early 2009.-History:...
, in support of The Ichthyologist. A full national tour, with sister band Grayceon
Grayceon
Grayceon is a three-piece metal band from San Francisco. They were formed in 2005. They were licensed on the label Vendlus Records from 2005–2009 and are currently licensed on the label Profound Lore Records...
started July 30 in San Francisco and ended August 22 in Austin, TX.
The band signed to Translation Loss Records out of Philadelphia, PA who re-released 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....
on August 18, 2009 as a digipak CD. Vega Vinyl released the album on limited edition, colored/180 gram vinyl around the same time. The album features new mixes of "Panthalassa", "Throwing a Donner Party at Sea", "Blue Linckia", and "Emerald Bay". It also features all new artwork by legendary comic book artist, Sam Kieth
Sam Kieth
Sam Kieth is a New York Times best-selling American comic book writer and illustrator, best known as the creator of The Maxx and Zero Girl.-Comics career:...
(The Maxx, Batman, Sandman, Wolverine, Aliens).
On April 26, 2011, Giant Squid announced through their Facebook page that a new album, entitled "Cenotes", will be released in October. The band will play three shows in California over the summer to promote its release.
Current members
- Aaron Gregory – vocals, guitar
- Bryan Beeson – bass guitar
- Jackie Perez Gratz – cello, vocals
- Scott Sutton – drums
Previous members
- Chris Lyman – drums
- Cory Tozer – guitar
- Aurielle Zeitler – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Mike Conroy – drums
- Tim Conroy – keyboards, trumpet
- Andy Southard – keyboards, vocals
- Bill Hughes – guitar
- Jason Divencenzo – drums
- Dave Reynolds – drums
- Jason Sewell – keyboard
Discography
- "Revolution in the Water"/"Ampullae of Lorenzini" single (2001, self-released under the name, NAMOR)
- Metridium Field (2004, Tyrannosaurus Records)
- Monster in the CreekMonster in the CreekMonster in the Creek is the first EP and second release by post-metal band Giant Squid. Many songs are about the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916.-Track listing:# "Monster in the Creek" – 7:10# "Dead Man's Fog" – 5:55# "Age of Accountability" – 6:45...
EP (2005, Tyrannosaurus Records) - Metridium FieldsMetridium FieldsMetridium Fields is technically the second release by San Francisco-based doom metal outfit Giant Squid. The material on the album was originally released in 2004 as a self-released album entitled Metridium Field, but after signing with The End Records in 2005, the band decided to re-record the...
(2006, The End RecordsThe End RecordsThe End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
) - "Sutter's Fort" (Split 7" with Grayceon) (2007, The End Records)
- The IchthyologistThe IchthyologistThe 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....
(February 3, 2009, self-released, Aug, 2009 release on Translation Loss) - CenotesCenotes (album)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...
(2011, -- )