Review HOWLING GIANT ‘Glass Future’

Nashville, Tennessee, das ist die Heimat von Howling Giant. The ‚Music City‘ is certainly not a bad place to start a career and at the same time it might be even more tricky to get a foot on the ground. Howling Giant succeeded in taking the challenge and release these days with ‘Glass Future’ their second album.

After having premiered in 2019 with ‘The Space Between Worlds’ it is ‘Glass Future’ that stands for a next step of the band. The sophomore release picks it up where the band left of with the debut. Heavy rock with a psychedelic touch is what elegantly flows out of the speakers and after the last notes of the intro ‘Hourglass’ faded away; the universe of sounds opens its gates with a song called ‘Siren Song’. Vivid and with heavy rock guitars, the song reflects a great start into the album. Furthermore, it’s the warmly humming sound of the Hammonds that perfectly fits to the soulful vocals.

‘Aluminum Crown’ is next, and the song builds on the same approach as the opener. Warm and equipped with a good melody line, the song sticks to your mind. Things get wilder after a short spoken words intro of ‘First Blood of Melchor’. The rather short song is an instrumental that shows the bands passion for heavy sounds, and it is the pounding beat that drives this great tune.

The title track is an up-tempo rocker before ‘Tempest, and the Liar’s Gateaway’ unveils a few stoner elements. Slowly and intense, like slowed down by the desert sun, the song waltzes right into your mind. Next is the roaring ‘Sunken City’ and what is remarkable is the band’s ability to handle various shades of their sound without losing context and roots.

Last but not least there is the galactic ‘There’s Time Now’ that slowly rolls towards you. The song is a very intense piece of music with a melancholic vibe and lyrics like “Only shadows remain. Whispers of falling rain. There’s no company. Save for those we create.” Reflects the basic wistfulness of the entire track.

Howling Giant’s second release is a stellar next step for the band. Their music comes straight from the heart. Trends and hypes are totally irrelevant for the band as they focus solely on their passion for well-crafted and emotion-driven rock music that belongs to the highlights of the year.