Sasquatch – Riff Rocking at its finest!

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · October 15, 2024

Sasquatch is an American riff rock band born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the year 2000. The original lineup consisted of Keith Gibbs on guitar and vocals, Rick Ferrante on drums and Clayton Charles on bass. Ferrante and Charles are both originally from Detroit, Michigan. In 2001, the band relocated to Los Angeles, California and recorded their debut Self Titled album in Burbank, California. It was recorded by John “Ninja Dog” Debaun at Mad Dog Studios and mastered by Chris Gooseman at Solid Sound in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The album was originally released in 2004 on Small Stone Records.

I remember the buzz surrounding Sasquatch when I would visit the old stoner rock dot com forums. I eagerly purchased the CD and really enjoyed it right off! The album has a thick and heavy sound drenched in fuzz. However, it was the singing that really moved me. It was one of the most distinct and original sounding vocals I have ever heard. Keith Gibbs has one of the best vocals in heavy rock music today. Great songs like the opener “Chemical Lady” and cuts like “Roller”, “Believe It”, and “Cracks In The Pavement” really convinced me that this band was the real deal.

I was really sold on the Sasquatch sound when II was released in 2006, also on Small Stone Records. The sound was a little more polished but not too much. The recording credits on this album are the following: Recorded and produced by Craig Riggs at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, Massachusetts and Mudrocks Diggs, Highland Park. Additional tracking by Mike Masters at Echo Shelter & Kings Sound Los Angeles, California. Mixed by Andrew Schneider with additional mixing by Yves Pirez and Gregory Slay for tracks 6 & 10. Mastered by Chris Goosman at Solid Sound in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Some of my favorite songs from the second record are: “Let It In”, “The Judge”, “Seven Years To Saturn”, and “Off The Rails”. Sasquatch also incorporated some acoustic guitar/ Led Zeppelin style influences on songs like “Nikki” and “Catalina”, which are both awesome! I have listened to II so many times through the years that I couldn’t even begin to count. The music had a shift in quality compared to the debut, in my opinion, and Gibbs sings fantastic on this one too. I saw somewhere that the musical influences of Sasquatch are Black Sabbath, old Soundgarden, Deliverence-era Corrosion Of Conformity, Mountain, and a bastardized version of Grand Funk Railroad. That’s a good start to describe their music, but it has so much more also.

In 2007, Clayton Charles left Sasquatch and was replaced by Chicago native, Jason Casanova (Behold! The Monolith, Tummler) on bass. It would be over four years, in 2010 that the band would release their next album, called III. The recording credentials are the following: Produced, recorded, and mixed by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, Massachusetts. Additional Mad Oak recording by J. Saliba. Leads and additional vocals on “Took Me Away” and “Burning Bridges” recorded by Be Hussey at Comp-ny in Burbank, California. Mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ed Mundell (former Monster Magnet/ The Atomic Bitchwax) provided some additional guitars as well.

It was sometime in 2009, I believe, that I finally got to see Sasquatch play live for my very first time. They played at the Small Stone Records Showcase in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a great show but I felt bad because the band played last and the crowd thinned out substantially by then. They were fantastic nonetheless! They played mostly songs from III that I was unfamiliar with at the time because the album hadn’t been released yet. It was still a great show and the first of many more times that I would see the band play live. A few of my favorite songs from the album are: “Pull Me Under”, “New Disguise”, “Bare My Soul”, and “No More Time”. The band plays some of the best “big, dumb rock” ever. That’s not an insult at all, but a huge compliment! The first two songs, “Get Out Of Here” and “Took Me Away” are great examples of that. Sasquatch also produced some of the best slow and heavy songs on this album. I really enjoy this one a lot too!

Three years later, in 2013, lV was released, and would be the band’s last album on Small Stone Records. The recording credits for this record are: Drums and bass recorded by Steve Lahane and Al Sutton at Rustbelt Studios in Detroit, Michigan, on December 2012. Guitars and vocals recorded by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, Massachusetts in Q1 and Q2 of 2013. Mixed by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, Massachusetts in June 2013. Mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Additional guitars by Scott Hamilton (Luder, owner of Small Stone) and additional vocals by Marc Gaffney (Gozu). Some of my favorite tracks from lV are: “Eye Of The Storm,” “Smoke Signal”, “Wolves At My Door”, and “Drawing Flies”. It’s another banger of a record! The band continued to expand their musical craft on some longer songs on this record. I actually connected to this one and III on a deep and personal level. I was going through a tough time in my first marriage and the lyrics really spoke to me. I would listen to both albums a lot in that time period.

Sometime in 2015 or 2016, if I’m not mistaken, drummer Rick Ferrante left the band. He was replaced by Craig Riggs (vocalist of Kind and Roadsaw). He worked with the band prior and recorded and produced their second album II, back in 2005/2006. I was surprised when I heard the news. I had no idea that Craig Riggs was a drummer. I was curious on how he would match up with Rick Ferrante’s stellar drumming and to be honest, I was a little skeptical. However, when I finally heard the results, I was quickly convinced that he was a very legitimate replacement. Riggs is a multi talented musician who can sing exceptionally well, record and produce bands, and play the drums like a champ. Plus, he crafts some fine tasting coffee too via Mad Oak Roasters.

Maneuvers was released on June 20th, 2017, on Mad Oak Records. The credentials for the album’s recording include: Recorded by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Allston, Massachusetts in November 2016. Mixed by Andrew Schneider at Acre Audio, New York City in February 2017. Mastered by Justin Weis at Trakworx, San Francisco, California. Also additional keys and piano by David Unger and additional B3, James Rohr. Maneuvers is an excellent album! It had been four years since lV came out and Sasquatch was ready to go. Some of my favorite songs include: “Rational Woman”, “Bringing Me Down”, “Just Couldn’t Stand The Weather”, “Drown All The Evidence”, and “Anyway”. I really enjoy this album a ton! Since the release of Maneuvers, I saw Sasquatch live on four different occasions, all in the Cambridge/ Allston, and Boston area. The band revisits the area more frequently now because Riggs lives there and they do their recording sessions there also. The band is now spread out across the whole country with Gibbs living in Pennsylvania, Riggs in Massachusetts, and Casanova still in California. Somehow, the band still manages to write and record music and they usually go on extended tours throughout Europe to promote new material.

Finally on June 3rd, 2022, Sasquatch released their sixth studio album entitled, Fever Fantasy. It was also released on Mad Oak Records like Maneuvers was and the band worked with Andrew Schneider again. The full recording credits are: Produced and recorded by Andrew Schneider at Mad Oak Studio (Allston, Massachusetts) in December 2019. Mixed by Andrew Schneider at Acre Audio (Patterson, New York) in January 2020. Mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering (Chicago, IL) in March 2020. The album was shelved for over a full year after it was recorded due to the 2020 Covid pandemic. I was lucky enough to buy a CD at Desert Fest New York in May of 2022, before the actual release date. Fever Fantasy is yet another stellar album that doesn’t disappoint. Some of my favorite tracks from the record are: “It Lies Beyond The Bay”, “Lilac”, “Voyager”, “Save The Day, Ruin The Night”, and “Cyclops”.

Sasquatch has never made a bad album, or even a bad song. I pretty much love all of their music and consider them a favorite band, currently. They are truly one of the best bands out there today and they always deliver the hook in every song. Individually, Keith Gibbs is a remarkable guitarist and songwriter who has one of my favorite sounding voices today. His riffs can be an absolute crusher and he can deliver melody also. He’s an excellent lead guitarist too and has an outstanding knowledge of writing a catchy and interesting song. Jason Casanova is an excellent bassist who plays well with Gibbs and Riggs, and delivers some awesome Grand Funk slides where appropriate and doesn’t try to overplay. He understands the dynamics of each song and rocks a Rickenbacker too. Craig Riggs is a rock solid drummer who filled big shoes in replacing Rick Ferrante. He is tight in live performances and has excellent drum skills and fills too. Collectively, Sasquatch is a power trio that plays extremely well together and they really seem to enjoy what they’re doing on stage. The energy of the music from the live shows is proof of that. I can’t say enough good things about this band and hope that they will continue to make music for many more years to come. I encourage everyone to listen to Sasquatch and buy their records and merchandise. For fans of all types of rock music, this is a band that you must hear.