{"id":357553,"date":"2025-11-05T13:50:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T13:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/357553\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T13:50:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T13:50:11","slug":"howling-giant-crucible-ruin-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/357553\/","title":{"rendered":"Howling Giant – Crucible & Ruin Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Howling Giant<\/strong> occupies such an odd place within its scene. The Nashville collective is stoner metal and psych rock to the core in an energetic way that recalls the down-and-dirty acts like High on Fire<\/strong> or Mastodon<\/strong>, but layers of melody and creative chord usage feel progressive a la Intronaut<\/strong> or Baroness <\/strong>and the triple vocal harmonies are catchy yet evasive, not unlike Torche<\/strong> or Helmet<\/strong>. They also don\u2019t take things too seriously, with a solid sense of humor and a relatable relationship with fans to bring their formidable technical skill to earth. Now a release removed from the formidable debut full-length The Space Between Stars<\/a> and even more from the Black Hole Space Wizard suite, Howling Giant<\/strong> proves their worth once more.<\/p>\n

To address the elephant in the room, Glass Future saw Howling Giant<\/strong>\u2019s progressive tendencies flying their freak flag too much<\/a>. While attempting to keep the stoner murk and reconcile it with aptly crystalline melody, the band lost what is so great about them: solid songwriting. It\u2019s completely contrary to what gave them the edge over genre mates Sergeant Thunderhoof<\/strong> in their dueling split<\/a> \u2013 their head-first dabbling in more elusive chord progressions felt like a more stoner-inclined dime-store version of Intronaut<\/strong>\u2019s Habitual Levitations. This is what makes third full-length Crucible & Ruin so refreshing: it\u2019s everything you love about the Nashville now-quartet \u2013 and more. The template of killer riffs, soaring choruses, searing solos, and stoner haze is amplified by new guitarist\/synth player Adrian Zambrano \u2013 adding layers and textures to Howling Giant<\/strong>\u2019s already winning formula.<\/p>\n

Crucible & Ruin by Howling Giant<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Howling Giant<\/strong> feels reinvigorated with Crucible & Ruin. Songwriting prowess on full display, the kitchen sink of riff, solo, melody, and catchiness has never looked so clean. While some remnants of Glass Future hang around in more evasive chord structures and emphasis on melody (instrumental \u201cLesser Gods\u201d), the tracks shift from the anthemic to the kickass, rounded out by the understated Helmet<\/strong>-esque triple-vocal attack \u2013 a potentially divisive element of Howling Giant<\/strong>\u2019s sound \u2013 and that warm stoner haze. Chunky riffs dominate and add a jolt of energy (\u201cHunter\u2019s Mark,\u201d \u201cBeholder I: Downfall\u201d), while anthemic choruses and transcendent chord progressions take listeners to a psychedelic heaven (\u201cArchon,\u201d \u201cArchivist\u201d). Southern fried bluesy vibes a la All Them Witches<\/strong> also grace the vibe with a backwoods atmosphere (\u201cBeholder II: Labyrinth,\u201d \u201cMelchor\u2019s Bones\u201d), paying homage to their home state of Tennessee. All assets culminate in the two parts of \u201cBeholder,\u201d the Phrygian key giving them a more epic and grandiose feel.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With the addition of Zambrano, Howling Giant<\/strong> has never felt so fleshed out. Compared to the flashy vocals and melodies of Sergeant Thunderhoof<\/strong>, Howling Giant<\/strong> has always been a meat-and-potatoes type of band, but Crucible & Ruin finds the band building upon this template using more versatility in its musical arsenal. Layers of melodic overlays grace rhythmic punch a purpose and intensity (\u201cCanyons,\u201d \u201cScythe and Scepter\u201d), the tasteful balance between the melodic and the skronky add intrigue and madness (\u201cHunter\u2019s Mark,\u201d \u201cArchon,\u201d \u201cBeholder I: Downfall\u201d), and ethereal atmosphere is built atop and duels with more downtuned riffs and bass (\u201cLesser Gods,\u201d \u201cArchivist,\u201d \u201cBeholder II: Labyrinth\u201d). The dueling guitars add a much-needed and ridiculously tantalizing dimension that takes Howling Giant<\/strong>\u2019s already solid sound to new heights.<\/p>\n

Howling Giant<\/strong>\u2019s vocal approach of hyper harmonies will remain a divisive element, the central riff and spoken word of \u201cMelchor\u2019s Bones\u201d can get a bit repetitive, and instrumental \u201cLesser Gods\u201d is a bit questionable, but don\u2019t let that distract you from the fact that it\u2019s the band\u2019s best album to date. Crucible & Ruin distills everything that makes Howling Giant<\/strong> great and beefs it up, weaponizing their already formidable songwriting with Zambrano\u2019s melodic and textural synth and fretwork. Featuring riffs upon riffs with complex songwriting that doesn\u2019t fly over listeners\u2019 heads, relatable vocals that don\u2019t lose their punch, and new guitar work that takes the band to new heights, across a forty-eight-minute runtime that zips by, it\u2019s hard not to bob your head. While comparisons to Mastodon<\/strong>, Baroness<\/strong>, and Anciients<\/strong> are fair, Howling Giant<\/strong> is its own beast, an intersection of stoner haze, riffy intensity, and melodic taste. Crucible & Ruin caught me by surprise in the best way, and is sure to appear at year-end.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> 4.0\/5.0
DR:<\/strong> 6 | Format Reviewed:<\/strong> 320 kb\/s mp3
Label:<\/strong> Magnetic Eye Records<\/a>
Websites:<\/strong> howlinggiant.bandcamp.com<\/a> | howlinggiant.com<\/a> | facebook.com\/howlinggiant<\/a>
Releases Worldwide:<\/strong> October 31st, 2025<\/p>\n

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