''The Ichthyologist'' is the third 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.
The first 50 pre-orders also include a real
Broadnose sevengill shark tooth collected by singer Aaron Gregory from the large tunnel tanks at
Aquarium of the Bay
Aquarium of the Bay is a public aquarium located at The Embarcadero and Beach Street, at the edge of Pier 39 in San Francisco, California. The aquarium is focused on local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and neighboring rivers and w ...
at San Francisco, California, where he worked at the time as a professional SCUBA diver.
Fans started receiving pre-orders in late January 2009.
The album is a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
about a man stripped of humanity and left alone with nothing but the sea in front of him. He adapts in inhuman ways to survive the shock of human loss and total emotional tragedy, becoming something else entirely in the process. It has been greatly implied that these adaptations were in the form of transformation into a marine seastar like mutation, adopting their abilities of regeneration, and strange anatomic features, such as possessing two stomachs, and light sensing eye-like organs on the tips of their appendages. This story line was continued in the follow up 2011 EP,
Cenotes, and is hinted at in the 2014 release,
Minoans.
[Written by band member and lyricist, Aaron John Gregory]
The album was re-released on
Translation Loss Records featuring four completely re-mixed songs as well as new artwork by
Sam Kieth.
Track listing
# Panthalassa ''(
Lampetra tridentata)'' – 5:50
# La Brea Tar Pits ''(
Pseudomonas putida)'' – 7:28
# Sutterville ''(
Vibrio cholerae)'' – 4:08
# Dead Man Slough ''(
Pacifastacus leniusculus
The signal crayfish (''Pacifastacus leniusculus'') is a North American species of crayfish. It was introduced to Europe in the 1960s to supplement the North European ''Astacus astacus'' fisheries, which were being damaged by crayfish plague, bu ...
)'' – 5:33
# Throwing a Donner Party at Sea ''(
Physeter catodon)'' ft.
Karyn Crisis – 5:40
# Sevengill ''(
Notorynchus cepedianus
The broadnose sevengill shark (''Notorynchus cepedianus'') is the only extant member of the genus ''Notorynchus'', in the family Hexanchidae. It is recognizable because of its seven gill slits, while most shark species have five gill slits, with ...
)'' ft.
Anneke van Giersbergen,
Lorraine Rath – 7:10
# Mormon Island ''(
Alluvial Au)'' ft.
Kris Force
The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its disti ...
– 6:39
# Blue Linckia ''(
Linckia laevigata)'' – 7:13
# Emerald Bay ''(
Prionace glauca
The blue shark (''Prionace glauca''), also known as the great blue shark, is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, which inhabits deep waters in the world's temperate and tropical oceans. Averaging around and preferring co ...
)'' ft.
Cat Gratz – 6:11
# Rubicon Wall ''(
Acipenser transmontanus
White sturgeon (''Acipenser transmontanus'') is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae of the order Acipenseriformes. They are an anadromous fish species ranging in the Eastern Pacific; from the Gulf of Alaska to Monterey, California. ...
)'' – 7:59
Personnel
* Aaron Gregory – vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboards
* Jackie Perez Gratz – cello, vocals
* Bryan Beeson – bass
* Chris Lyman – drums
Guest musicians
* Karyn Crisis – vocals
* Anneke Van Giersbergen – vocals
* Kris Force – violin
* Nate Perkins – trumpet
* Cat Gratz – oboe
* Lorraine Rath – flute
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ichthyologist, The
2009 albums
Concept albums
Giant Squid (band) albums
Albums produced by Matt Bayles