Giant Squid – Minoans (2014), A Great Progressive Metal Album

Victor Rouă0 comment

Minoans is the title of the last studio album released by American progressive metal band Giant Squid through Translation Loss Records in 2014. As the title of this record pretty much says it all, it is a concept studio album which revolves around the rise and fall of the ancient Minoan civilisation, regarded as the first civilisation to have emerged in Europe during the Bronze Age on the island of Crete (a civilisation which subsequently expanded on the nearby islands, most notably in the archipelago of the Cyclades situated to the north of Crete). According to some, the fall of the ancient Minoan civilisation might have inspired the ancient Greek philosopher Plato to write about Atlantis in two of his well known dialogues, more specifically Timaeus and Critias. Regardless of whether the downfall of the ancient Minoans truly inspired Plato in writing about Atlantis, many aspects concerning the Minoan civilisation are still shrouded in mystery, starting with their language (which still remains vastly undeciphered, either in the ancient Cretan hieroglyphs or in the Linear A script).

The frontal cover artwork of Minoans, a concept studio album revolving around the rise and fall of the ancient Minoan civilisation by American progressive metal band Giant Squid from Sacramento. Image source: YouTube

What is known for certain regarding the Minoans (who did not refer to themselves by this particular name; this term being coined by English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans who discovered the palace of Knossos during the early 20th century in collaboration with Scottish archaeologist Duncan Mackenzie) is that they were an important thalassocracy in the Aegean Sea (including the Sea of Crete, naturally), their maritime empire controlling trade networks which reached as far east as Cyprus and the Levant and as far south as ancient Egypt over the Libyan Sea. The prosperity of their civilisation (which was also enhanced by their trade) made the Minoans an opulent and thriving Bronze Age Mediterranean civilisation, as showcased by the intricate architecture of their beautiful palaces adorned with mesmerising frescoes, part of their astonishing art which endured throughout the passage of time and was eventually restored (e.g. by Swiss artist Émile Gilliéron). The frontal cover artwork of the album depicts a group of Minoans saving themselves from a tidal wave by climbing on one of the walls of the palace of Knossos (near the well known bull fresco), more specifically at the north entrance. Some of them defend themselves with double-edged axes known as labrys.

The studio album recorded and released by the American progressive metal, doom metal, and post-metal band Giant Squid from Sacramento, California captures a mixed feeling of nostalgia, mystery, desolation, and longing for a long lost civilisation which succumbed to both natural disasters (i.e. large tsunami waves that hit the island of Crete when the volcano on the island of Santorini/Thera from the archipelago of the Cyclades exploded in approximately 1600 BC) and an invasion of the Myceneans (i.e. the mainland ancient Greeks) which assimilated their culture into that of their own to form the basis of that of the Ancient Greeks. After listening to it, several tracks gave me the impression that they are also influenced by Pink Floyd or even Yes to a certain extent, primarily given the sound of the keyboards, but not only. Overall, the effort of this band when it comes to creating a concept album that deals with the history and culture of the ancient Minoans is truly commending, energetic, and beautiful!

The album starts off with the title track which you can listen embedded via YouTube below:

Then it moves on to other fine tracks such as Thera (the official name of the volcanic island of Santorini which is part of the archipelago of the Cyclades in Greece, situated northward of Crete, also the site of the massive aforementioned volcanic eruption which caused tsunami waves to hit Crete back in approximately 1600 BC), Sir Arthur Evans (renowned British archeologist, also previously mentioned), Palace of Knossos (one of the palaces built by the Minoans, part of their complex palatial system, also associated with the myth of the Minotaur and the Athenian hero Theseus who had slain it in the labyrinth of King Minos, with the help of Ariadne, the king’s daughter, and her thread), Sixty Foot Waves (a direct reference towards the large tsunami waves triggered by the volcanic eruption on Santorini/Thira/Thera in about 1600 BC and the impeding doom they had caused on Crete at that time), Myceneans (i.e. the mainland ancient Greeks, previously mentioned as well), The Pearl and the Pantheon, and, last but not least, Phaistos Disc (i.e. an ancient and enigmatic Minoan artefact).

Below you can listen to the rest of the studio album, track by track via YouTube from the official channel of the band:

From my particular point of view, the album deserves a certain 10/10 grade! I truly hope you liked listening to it as well! Thank you very much for your time and attention! All the best and rock on!

Documentation sources and external links:

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