Giant

Germany's Ahab warned fans to prepare for imminent musical growth as they neared the release of third album, The Giant, but no one could be sure just how far the formerly steadfast funeral doom ensemble would waver from their predetermined course. The answer -- "not too far" -- at least comes swiftly (not a word typically associated with this lumbering crew), when the meditative gentility and frankly not overly confident melodic vocals of opener "Further South" duly give way to most of the familiar, heavier-than-God ingredients one has come to expect from this Teutonic behemoth. No, the true novelty here lies in Ahab's increasing willingness to rise out of those deepest ocean troughs, as often they wallow in it; there to swim amidst the more delicate ocean life in tranquil waters. So in keeping with the band's long-favored seafaring themes, let's just say that reliably protracted voyages such as "Aeons Elapse," "Antartica (The Polymorphess)," and the title track repeatedly surge and wa