Review: Howling Giant ‘Howling Giant’ EP [10th Anniversary Reissue]

My first entry point to Nashville heavy psych three-piece Howling Giant was (somewhat predictably for those who have read my ramblings these past few years) the incredible Turned To Stone Chapter 2: Masamune & Muramasa for Ripple Music, where they teamed with Somerset’s Sergeant Thunderhoof to deliver a split concept LP that sells out no matter how many times the label re-presses it.

Being late to the party meant that my first real standalone Howling Giant moment was 2023’s twisting, space-flavoured odyssey Glass Future, their sophomore album, which saw the band realise a complete vision that rightly, in the words of their own PR, ‘downright asks to inspire a book or graphic novel’.

However, their latest release takes a walk through their history and marks the tenth anniversary of their eponymous EP in a special reissue that sees the four-track debut remastered by Tony Reed, of Mos Generator fame, with a selection of demos and goodies thrown in on the B-Side of the shiny vinyl variants that are available over on Bandcamp.

Starting with the bonus/B side tracks first; there are the original 2012 demo versions of Husk, Whale Lord and Tusk Of The Thunder Mammoth. The origin of these tracks began as a mixing project in college, which involved a late-night stint at the only available studio time and birthed the foundations of the band, solidified in guitarist Tom Polzine’s bedroom for the actual release. The tracks offer a fun comparison to the now shinier and updated versions, presented in their raw, unrefined states.

There is also a cover of Ohio Express’ Yummy Yummy Yummy, which shows the slightly quirky nature of Howling Giant. Losing nothing of the chirpy nature of the 1968 Arthur Resnick and Joey Levine version as it ignites with overdriven fuzz and thumping, deep bass over the tumbling drums. Conjuring a surf pop/rock feel for the main riffs, they even manage to bring a dash of multi-layered dreaminess and psych to the middle section. This immediately echoes some of the mesmerising passages that will be familiar to fans of the band, before concluding with a joyous stomping finish.

WZRDLF Origins is a dramatic spoken word track that puts a sci-fi narration on the coming together of the band and the creation of the EP. The swirling drone of the background noise and the quick, prosaic delivery detailing ridiculous band names, D&D and a power cut provide an amusing and over-the-top insight into the creative mindset that birthed Wizard Leaf Productions and Howling Giant’s earliest days with lines such as ‘the riff is their compass’.

a confident throwing down of the gauntlet that was only just the beginning…

When it comes to the ‘A-side’, the remastered four-track that started it all, it is somewhat unsurprising that Howling Giant hasn’t really aged in the subsequent ten years. The twenty minutes of music may have been birthed in that college dorm just over a decade ago, but Reed’s work has uplifted the vibrancy just enough to make it pop with a touch more clarity than the original and bring out nuances that were missed in the 2015 original version.

Husk starts with a hum that grows to that grinding riff, immediately sounding upbeat and hazy in that surreal style the band have mastered. The triple vocal attack shines with layers of power and unity that build to the soaring chorus. Spacey, ethereal and rocking all at the same time, the band locks into the delicious, bouncing groove punctuated by high hat strikes that is angular and driving before they finish with a knowing piece of prog exploration.

The rumbling, fuzzy low end of Whale Lord is interrupted by the scything guitar that cuts through with a lurching, smashing see-saw of head-banging rock. The vocal variations of the duelling low baritone clash with the impassioned, distorted shouts. The music twists around the interplay between the two styles, showing that even this early into their career, the band were challenging song structures and expectations. The back half of the track evolves into an extended, lazy-feeling jam that is hard to rival even now.

Doug is a heads-down, up-tempo number that rushes in on an adrenaline spike. The low vocal passages awash with reverb smash up against the punky, off-kilter guitar runs, then morph into a retro-flavoured boogie with a jazz breakdown and a histrionic solo. Climaxing with a return to the gang-style chorus and breakneck pace, this is Howling Giant at their most focused and belligerent.

Finishing with the ominous Sabbath-like tones of Camel Crusher, the final track crawls with towering, slow doom-flavour and buried screams as the ringing anvil heavy riffs hammer down. As the lumbering slabs collide with spoken word in a mini space opera, they almost inhabit the same space as Slabdragger’s Rise Of The Dawncrusher in the downtuned dirge. Still keeping that psychedelic prog edge to the marching end, Howling Giant sign off standing tall on what history shows to be a confident throwing down of the gauntlet that was only just the beginning.

There’s absolutely no doubt that the band have become a top-tier act in terms of songwriting and sophistication. Glass Future was an absolute powerhouse of a record, but those unfamiliar with their early works could do much worse than go back and discover their genesis through this reissue. Sure, you could argue that the extras aren’t going to mean much to newcomers, but for fans, completists and those interested, to also get these bonus insights on top of the freshly tweaked EP, makes this worth more than the money itself.

Label: Independent
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Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden