Album Review: I Am Giant - 'Science & Survival'

New Zealand's hard working rockers I Am Giant have finally released their major label debut on Sony Records with 'Science & Survival,' a record that wastes no time stating its case.

Opening track 'Echo from the Gallows' explodes with big riffs and soaring vocals, which lend more of an ear to a catchy hook than some of the band's peers within the hard rock genre. The vocal style of follower 'Razor Wire Reality' takes some influence from nineties rock acts like Stone Temple Pilots while the instrumentation thrusts things into the modern day with some hectic percussion breaks and, of course, the solid riffs that make the band's staple sound.

While the style itself isn't really anything new, if anything I Am Giant are getting to the party a bit late as the main wave has already carried bands like Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus off, but the band brings in enough personality to give things a unique tinge.

Things pull back a touch in 'Transmission', showing another side to the group. It's a side that has some serious mainstream potential thanks to the hooks and song structure which would be easily digestible by the masses due to its likeability. The band builds the dynamics in such a way that it is impossible to argue.

Interestingly, it would seem the group is full of surprise, as they can pull things back even further again with 'Dragging The Slow Dance Out', a beautiful track with delayed guitars and a relaxed beat that takes the energy of the album to a completely different place but does it seamlessly.

Despite these stand-out moments however, it is clear that the group love to rock, and hit their stride when pumping out the big riffs and drum fill heavy beats. The record closes with the ridiculously long 'Bought With Ignorance', which is quite a feat, and manages to sum up the whole album in one fell swoop, but at twelve minutes it's a big ask at the end of the hour.

I Am Giant are without question capable of having their name held with the big players in the hard rock genre. 'Science & Survival' is a brilliant major label debut and an impressive introduction to the world.

1. Guéthary

2. Echo from the Gallows

3. Razor Wire Reality

4. Death of You

5. Ça vous dérange

6. Transmission

7. Out of Date Hallucination

8. Silhouette

9. Dragging the Slow Dance Out

10. Miss Seattle

11. Minefield

12. Standing on the Sun