Giant Squid Bio

With the addition of famed metal electric cellist, Jackie Perez Gratz, (Grayceon, Amber Aslyum) in 2007, GIANT SQUID, moved from their temporary residence in Austin, TX to San Francisco, CA and continued to tour the United States and Canada behind their explosive and critically adored debut, Metridium Fields (The End Records), engineered by heavy music legend, Billy Anderson (Neurosis, High on Fire) and produced by Jason Rufuss Sewell. In 2008, the band left The End Records in order to stop touring behind a record that only a few current band members were on, and to dig deep in to the writing process of the land mark album that would define them to the world, The Ichthyologist, engineered, mixed, and produced by Matt Bayles (Isis, Mastodon, Minus the Bear). Finding themselves with out a label, the band self financed the entire process, from recording costs and hiring the famed producer behind it, to hiring a PR firm, and finally manufacturing the custom packaged CDs, hand numbered and limited to 1000 copies. This initial batch sold out exclusively through the band's myspace page and a few select online distributors in less than six months, causing the band to personally ship every order themselves to the furthest reaches of the world. Following this, GIANT SQUID quickly signed to Translation Loss Records who re-released The Ichthyologist with full SONY/BMG distribution, gaining a monumental amount of exposure for the band and the album. The new version featured altered mixes and all new album art by comic book legend, Sam Keith (The Maxx). Vega Vinyl handled a limited release of the double LP version of the record.

In 2011, GIANT SQUID returned to the studio in Seattle, WA again with producer Matt Bayles, to record their most powerful release yet, Cenotes. This second official release for Translation Loss is technically an EP, though all five songs total nearly thirty five minutes of music. Cenotes continues the adventurous subject matter and story of The Icthyologist's protagonist, and features album art entirely by founding band member, guitarist and vocalist, Aaron John Gregory. Pre-order's for Cenotes went up September 12th, and will be released October 25th, 2011 on CD and early 2012 on colored vinyl with an accompanying mini comic book written and produced by Gregory.