Howling Giant - Black Hole Space Wizard Part 2

Record Label: Self-release





The band's chosen handle, Howling Giant suggests a gargantuan blood-curling beast and their latest EP title, "Black Hole Space Wizard Part 2" and song titles like "The Forest Speaks", "Circle of Druids" and "Earth Wizard", leaves little doubt that these three guys from Nashville, Tennessee are not only music nerds but also sci-fi and fantasy nerds.

From the outset of the EP, Howling Giant let you know they aren't just messing around with sound, the album opener, "Henry Tate" is nearly all instrumental groove as their are haunting spoken parts. Howling Giant let you know through their psychedelic space rock that they're going on a trippy ride and want you to take a seat and strap yourself in alongside them for the journey.
"The Pioneer" begins as a radio-friendly rock tune. The vocals of Tom Polzine are reminiscent of Jon Toogood from Shihad and the first three minute of the song do remind me of that band's recent rockier tracks but Howling Giant take off into more fuzzed out territory than the long-running New Zealand band have dared to.



There's a warning of an onset of ominous doom to come in "Visions", due to some slowed but incredibly heavy Sabbath riffs. While the melodic clean and incredibly accessible vocals are at the forefront of the mix, the music carries a heavy sense of foreboding doom through the heavy fuzzed out riffs until around the five minute mark where the band veer further into space with a more psychedelic stoner sound with wailing guitar. "The Forest Speaks" is an instrumental track with aucoustic guitar, baritone sax and synth. This track will draw the band many comparisons to the progressive sound of Jethro Tull and the space rock of Hawkwind. Comparisons aside, "The Forest Speaks" is a beautiful and relaxing soundscape.

After lulling the listener in, with a tranquil piece, Howling Giant take a medieval twist with "Circle of Druids" and conjure up Black Sabbath era Ozzy vocals with an emphasis on percussion and chants to come together (intentional nod to The Beatles, that you'll get when you listen to the track) and ascend from Avalon. The fuzzed out guitar leads voyage all over the place searching for Excalibur.







Mammoth crushing doom riffs set the tone of "Earth Wizard". This is the type of song that slowly creeps up behind you and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the band lay down breathtakingly heavy riffs.


To merely say that this EP is good would be understating a fact, the six songs on this release are fantastic and all fans of space rock, stoner rock and metal, psychedelic rock should listen to this Howling Giant. The whole album can be streamed and bought for name your price at the band's bandcamp page. You know what to do and if you want greater riff sensation do what the band tell you to on their bandcamp page and play these songs at maximum volume.

4.5/5

Release Date: 25 August 2017


Howling Giant on Facebook


Howling Giant on bandcamp


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Songs of Envy

Today's post is brought to you by the wish to be someone else.

First up from the album "Killjoy" Shihad's Envy



Straitjacket Fits "If I Were You" - I can't find the actual video on youtube and I know it existed once upon a time. Is it one of those stories where the record company doesn't want you to post it so they can lay off their employees from around the world?
Anyway they were always a great live band. Also RIP Dimmer.





The Cure with the annoyingly poppy "Why Can't I Be You?"



Lastly Nik Kershaw with "Wouldn't it be Good" which I always enjoyed as a high school student who wished I was better at everything I tried.



I don't want to be the only person doing this so please some of those I've missed in the comments.

Shihad - Beautiful Machine movie review

Shihad – Beautiful Machine

Rock documentaries are a dime a dozen these days but bands that last close to a quarter of a century certainly aren’t and that length of time ensures that there are stories to be told. Shihad’s finest moment was their second album Killjoy and soon after The General Electric the band became New Zealand’s answer to Nickelback musically. Though from the band’s strength has always been their live show.

The animation in the trailer may make you think that you’re in for an Antipodean version of the Metallica documentary “Some Kind of Monster” and in some ways it does parallel that movie but there is no life coach for the band but similarly there is alcoholism and inter-personal relationship breakdowns as well as a similar part with the drummer's child sitting on his knee while surrounded by drums.

The film is more about relationships than about music and how time overseas affected them as a band and as people. There is a lot of John Toogood’s partner who rightly priotizes that her child is the more important than her partner following his desire for band fame overseas and felt the biggest strain due to partner absense. Other band member’s partners do get talked to although Phil Knight’s wife really only gets a wave in.

Parents of all the band members are talked to about their sons. Drummer, Tom Larkin’s parents talk about not knowing that the boys were doing pub gigs when Shihad is underage unsurprising but worth a smile. The parents and band members are all candid in all of their answers. The appearance of Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman is a surprise given the band's previous grievance's with him over finances.

The interview with Germany’s Noise record label people is interesting. Shihad basing themselves in Melbourne due to the signing with Warners is covered, as is the tour and recording in the States and how the band blew it in front of a lot of record label representatives. The band changing their name to Pacifier gets a lot of coverage. It was telling when Americans looked at the Shihad name and a few said it was close to holy war but a couple of young woman guess much more correctly. Shihad in front of label people who wanted to manipulate the band down to picking their set list is covered is paralleled with Larkin telling Knight to puff his hair up to look like a big rock star.

There are a lot of fond memories and Phil Knight’s animated first phone call between Ton Larkin, Jon Toogood and himself is a highlight. The band’s manager Gerald Dwyer is shown in a number of clips and remembered very fondly by band members and others associated with him. Dwyer’s drug habit, death and tangi are all talked about. Toogood talks about writing quieter songs because Dwyer wasn’t around to point out that the band’s grunty rock strength is what should be concentrated on. The missteps the band have made aren’t overlooked.

I loved that the band's early days were covered because I was following the band back in their demo days so would have liked to heard from the former bass players and also from other band’s that were around at the time. In fact, I may well be in the Mountain Rock audience footage. I also know people who were at the 91 AC/DC gig, which was bass player, Karl Kippenberger’s second Shihad. The first being a show the night before in Palmerston North(I suspect the then thrash metal band played with a goth band). Head Like A Hole’s experimentation with heroin in Berlin is only covered from the Shihad viewpoint. From a music point of view, the band’s surge into the mainstream when “Home Again” started being played at rugby games total lack of mention disappoints. There are also a number of personal incidents that go unmentioned. This documentary also sadly fails at showing how the band changed from working jobs to becoming full-time musicians. During the movie there is a change in quality of band filming over time as VHS and VCR recorders become digital and professionals can be afforded by the band. This documentary is aimed more than just the band's fans since it is really more about a group of friends from New Zealand chasing their dream of success overseas and the problems that come with it rather than just about music.


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Shihad/The Living End/Airbourne Wellington Town Hall Oct 4

The last show I went to in Wellington Town Hall was Pantera back in the mid-nineties and the last time I saw Shihad was a year or so later.
Due to the show actually starting on time and eating beforehand ended up missing Luger Boa. Walked in before Aussie bandAirbourne undertook their AC/DC worship. They put on an impressive live show even if the sound may have been a little off.



Above: Airbourne

Airbourne's fellow countrymen, The Living End came and did their Midnight Oil meets Green Day via The Stray Cats thang. Although I've never heard a full album by this band I recognized a number of songs. If I'd never seen a band with an upright bass before I might have been blown away.





Above pic: The Living End

In their hometown Shihad confirmed they are still a strong rock band opening with "My Mind's Sedate" and playing tracks off most of their releases. Churn and their self-titled album were overlooked in favour of mostly poppier tunes. Two songs from Killjoy and "Passengers" were played. It was a little disappointing that "Run" was chosen as an encore rather than "Home Again". Shihad comfired that they're still a very strong live band.






Above pic: Shihad

It seemed strange leaving a show almost an hour before midnight regardless of it being a Sunday night. It's puzzling as to why security tell you that the upstairs seats are all taken when there are in fact plenty of empty chairs and no price difference between seated and general admission.

Short and sweet re-hashes

A couple of re-ups due to a reader request. There's no point rehashing what I've all ready written. You're smart. You know both how to use a search engine and how to search a blog.

Semi lemon kola - Before Heaven EP


Shihad - Empire rehearsal + demo

Shihad - Empire Rehearsal and first demo

Here's more early Shihad. The first time I found out what this band looked like was when they won the Grunt Records New Zealand Heavy Metal competion which was held sometime in the late 80's. Anyway Bruce Rae from Grunt records in Christchurch was selling an overpriced coverless live tape from the event which featured Shihad and Strikemaster. I've long since lost that tape and haven't worked out how to rip tapes or vinyl anyway. Anyway I managed to get my grubby hands on an unofficial Shihad CD release entitled The Early demos.

Here is disc 1

Empire Warehouse Rehearsal(Approx 91/92)
1. Churn
2. Anonymous
3. Push Away
4. Feet First
5. Fear of Falling Apart

Dead and Buried Demo (88 or 89?)

1) Dead and Buried
2)IT

3)Tengu

plus Down Dance(demo version)

It's amazing that a song like Push Away never made it onto an album. The other songs from the Empire Rehearsal are also very good. Faith No More, Helmet and to a lesser extent than earlier, Metallica influences shine through.

Shihad

Once upon a time Shihad were a band I'd pay to go to see. That seems like a lifetime ago. Their recent music makes me violenty ill and they haven't done an album I can listen all the way through since their 1995 album, Killjoy. I guess I'm no longer in their target audience since this band has a reputation for live shows I'd assume that's where they get a large percentage of their income and they've probably worked out that the regular show going audience is largely under 25 and tailored their music accordingly now playing nearly unlistenable(for me, anyway) arena rock. It appears that they've given up on getting on the cover of international heavy metal magazines and seem set on getting the cover of Men's fashion magazines like Details. Oh, well.

Anyway here is the B-sides album from '96. Like Everybody else later appeared on their album, The General Electric Songs are:

1) Prayer
2) Like Everybody Else
3) Boys Keep Swinging
4) N.I.L.
5) Silvercup (Tremolo mix)
6) Clapper Loader (Yee-haa mix)
7) Bring Your Friends


Get it
The flyer at the top of the post was sent to me by Shihad drummer, Tom Larkin when I was trying to get hold of their first demo tape way back when it was reviewed by Danish thrash metal fanzine Blackthorn.