Three years. I’ve been waiting three years for something new from Howling Giant, the Nashville power trio trafficking in hard rock that stretches into desert, stoner, and progressive territories. For three years I’ve played their debut The Space Between Worlds and – even more – their split with Sergeant Thunderhoof until the grooves wore out (because of course I have them on vinyl). Three years I’ve waited, biding my time with their lockdown instrumental jams, but now my wait is over. The future is here: Glass Future to be precise, and it’s cut in just such a way to completely win me over.

Put on your hip waders – bias ahead.

How do you get on my wavelength? The PR for the album nails it in the band’s description: calling yourself a “fuzz/psych power trio” hits all my buttons. What that doesn’t tell you is the secret weapon Howling Giant bring to their attack. Everyone and their brother (especially in Nashville) are fantastic players, and bring a sharp, nuanced perspective in their songwriting. But from the first vocals on “Siren Song” the leadoff track on Glass Future you can hear it: that incredible blending of vocals. It was the first thing that caught me on their incredible split with Sergeant Thunderhoof: if you haven’t heard their 20-minute epic “Masamune” based on the legendary sword maker do so right now. All of the adventure, changes, solos and incredible harmonies present there are slathered all over Glass Future.

If “Siren Song” is the call to arms, the rallying cry that sets the tone, the rest of the album not only lives up to that promise, but does so in serpentine fashion, slithering through different moods and drives to show off just what the band can do. “Aluminum Crown” rumbles in the lower frequencies, vocals sweeping across each other. “First Blood of Melchor” is an uptempo driving number, so good it took me a few listens before I realized it was an instrumental. It’s the perfect lead-in to the title track, which is an absolute rager, a masterclass in percussion and fills courtesy of Zach Wheeler while Tom Polzine (guitars) and Sebastian Baltes (bass) keep the riffs flowing like a river. And again, those vocals: there is not a song on Glass Futures that doesn’t feature incredible doubled vocal lines, harmonized for maximum impact. The album sounds so full, it’s a surprise it’s the result of three people. Well, three people and some truly remarkable keyboards and synths courtesy of Drew David Harakal II, who feels seamlessly integrated into the Howling Giant wavelength.

Even when things slow down, as they do on “Tempest and the Liars Gateway” you can feel the groove, the swing, and the absolute ownership these guys have in their song craft. I waited three years for one of my favorite new discoveries to release their (for me) long awaited sophomore album, and Glass Future does everything I want a Howling Giant record to do and more. There is nothing but bias in this review, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

— Chris

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Glass Future will be available October 27th from Magnetic Eye Records. For more information on Howling Giant, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.