Phonebook Eater When I found this album around in prog archives, I thought I should give it try. It's not a bad album, but many times it falls down to a low level, especially in the second part of the album.

"The Ichthyologist" sounds a lot like, thanks to the fuzzy and heavy guitars and the desperate sounding vocals( many times it sounds like " System Of A Down", music from the bottom of an ancient ocean,or a deep, deep hole in the earth. The first track is the best one of the album, "Panthalassa". Absolutely love the guitars, so crude and violent, the drums really give the sensation of archaic. Even the second track is really good, longer than the first one, even this one is violent, aggressive in many points, calm in other. The two following tracks are very mellow, like all the second part of the album, and not really worth the mention for me.

"Throwing a donner party" is another great song, really worth the listen, with a catchy chorus, always being faithful to their more aggressive style.

The second part of the album is REALLY disappointing, I could barely finish the whole thing. Is it just me, or are Giant Squid not so good in writing ballads and mellow songs? Anyway, I didn't like it at all, in one word: Boring!

In conclusion it's a good album, with nice ideas, but even bad ones. I know they could have done a much better work.