ALBUM REVIEW: Glass Future – Howling Giant
One of the most famous cities in the world for music, Nashville, Tennessee is globally known to be a manufacturing plant for an inordinate amount of pop-country artists, as well as being home to bluegrass, roots R&B and more. However, the city has a rich history of producing virtuosic session musicians and extraordinarily talented songwriters which keep the flame of Music City blazing for generations to come. Underneath the glitz and glamour of the Grand Ole Oprey and the Ryman Auditorium lives a heavy psych and stoner metal band going by the name of HOWLING GIANT.
Inspired by fantasy and science fiction, HOWLING GIANT erupted out of Music City with their self-titled debut EP in 2015 and haven’t looked back. They’ve gone from strength to strength with every release, honing their craft and collaborating with fellow UK psychedelic stoner metal outfit SERGEANT THUNDERHOOF along the way. The Nashville trio’s sophomore album Glass Future is a monumental leap forward, demonstrating their incredible musicianship and golden triple vocal attack on a whole new level.
Looking back on The Space Between Worlds, HOWLING GIANT’s magnificent 2019 debut, the foundations for what was to become Glass Future were laid down in between the cosmic folds of that album. The ideas behind Glass Future feel like they were distilled and then left to age in fine oak bourbon whiskey barrels, waiting to see the light of day. It just needed the band to take their song-craft a level higher before its sweet nectar could be sampled. It is safe to say that Glass Future feels like it was years in the making and as a result you’re left with a stunning and jaw-dropping album that is vivid, colourful, vibrant and emotive.
Each song tells its own rich and evocative story; despite no overarching narrative, they could all take place with the same universe because of HOWLING GIANT’s wonderful lyric writing. The band’s penchant for science fiction and fantasy shines through much stronger on Glass Future than on its predecessor. Imbued with epic fantasy that conjures up the vast worlds of Middle Earth, Westeros and Earthsea alongside the spacey expanses of Dune, the imagery sets your imagination on fire as the anthemic riffs and sumptuous vocal harmonies wash over you.
The album is also monumental as it is the full-length debut for HOWLING GIANT’s bassist and vocalist Sebastian Baltes. Alongside Tom Polzine (guitar, vocals) and Zach Wheeler (drums, vocals), Baltes‘ addition in itself feels like the band has been given a new lease on life, a new fire in their stomach. This refreshed line-up has helped the band expand their dramatic psychedelics, proggy riffs and thunderous metal moments. Accompanied by screaming and swirling rock organ, HOWLING GIANT effortlessly move between riffs and movements, creating magical pieces of music that make you want to grab your sword to go and slay some dragons with the help of an intergalactic wizard.
The adventure begins with Hourglass, a 30-second scene setter that serves as a wonderful transition piece into the album’s first epic chapter Siren Song. A mixture of proggy guitar leads and humongous chugging rhythms, the golden-throated trio become sirens themselves with their luscious harmonies. Aluminum Crown conjures up dramatic images of a struggling kingdom whose king seems to crumble like aluminium; sumptuous guitar melodies and organ swirls drive the song forward while the earthy rhythm section builds tension with their shifting dynamics. Hank In A Hurricane is a ballsy stoner metal banger. Anthemic and triumphant in tone, it rouses your spirits and fills you with unbridled joy. First Blood Of Melchor is a frantic instrument track which opens up with an ominous film sample which talks about strange space magic.
Just when you think the album couldn’t get any more epic, the title track soars to new heights with acrobatic guitars and thunderous drums. Fast-paced and full of energy, it conjures up imagery of a space shuttle hurtling towards a planet and desperately trying to survive. Tempest, And The Liar’s Gateway brings a moment of calm with proggy, psychedelic atmospheres and gorgeous vocal melodies once again. Sunken City starts off with lucid psychedelics before exploding into bombastic riffs. This song has the most catchy chorus on the album, an earworm that is unlikely to leave your brain for a long time. Juggernaut goes back to basics with a chunky guitar riff and a powerful rhythm section that mixes up half-time grooves with funkier beats. Album closer There’s Time Now is a thought=provoking song that shows the band’s soulful side. Bluesy rhythms and sombre vocals stir your emotions and end the album in cinematic fashion.
Glass Future is HOWLING GIANT at their absolute best, an album so vivid, colourful and exquisite that you get completely lost in its stories and glorious melodies.
Rating: 9/10
Glass Future is set for release on October 27th via Magnetic Eye Records.
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