Cenotes (album)

Cenotes
EP by Giant Squid
Released	October 25, 2011
Recorded	June 2011
Genre	Doom metal Post-metal Progressive metal
Length	35:05
Label	Independent Translation Loss Records
Producer	Matt Bayles
Giant Squid chronology
The Ichthyologist (2009) Cenotes (2011) Minoans (2014)

Cenotes is the second EP 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.^[1]

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."^[1]

On September 16, Revolver Magazine's website posted the track "Figura Serpentinata".^[2] On October 6, Pitchfork Media streamed the song "Mating Scars" on its website.^[3] National Public Radio's First Listen program debuted the full album on October 9, sixteen days before the official release date.^[4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Revolver	[5]
Metal Review	[6]

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".

Track listing

1. "Tongue Stones (Megaptera megachasmacarcharias)" - 9:15
2. "Mating Scars (Isurus metridium)" - 8:03
3. "Snakehead (Channidae erectus)" - 7:47
4. "Figura Serpentinata (Pycnopodia sapien)" - 3:51
5. "Cenotes (Troglocambarus maclanei)" - 6:06

References

1. Official blog of Giant Squid
2. Jason Le Miere (2011-09-16). "Exclusive: Giant Squid Premiere New Track, "Figura Serpentinata (Pycnopodia Sapien)" - Revolver Magazine". Revolvermag.com. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
3. Stosuy, Brandon (2011-10-05). "Giant Squid: Mating Scars (Isurus Metridium) | Tracks". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
4. Gotrich, Lars (2011-10-09). "First Listen: Giant Squid, 'Cenotes'". NPR. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
5. Revolver review
6. Metal Review review Archived October 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.