I dropped the new Howling Giant album Glass Future into my favorites playlist after the first play through.

Honestly, it was a band I had heard of but for some reason I hadn’t listened to much of their back catalog. I intend to remedy that.

See Howling Giant Live

I spoke to them a bit while buying a CD, T-shirt and hot sauce (I’m a sucker for hot sauce) at their merch table when they played a live show here in Cleveland a few weeks back. They were very friendly guys. I gave them my card and we got to talking about games. Turns out they like D&D. That’s not much of a surprise listening to their music and looking at some of their album covers.

This was the first time I saw Howling Giant and they’re now on my list of bands to see any chance I get. Their performance is energetic to say the least. The crowd at the show was unfortunately kind of small. It was a Wednesday night, the show got put together on short notice and wasn’t much chance for promotion. The crowd was probably not more than fifty people and it didn’t matter. Howling Giant played like it was a packed stadium. They were having a good time and so were we.

Glass Future is solid hard rock/ heavy metal with a psychedelic twist.

One thing I love about heavy metal from independent labels is that the musicians still make albums. By that, I mean that as a listener, I am rewarded for listening to the entire album all at once.

One of my greatest pleasures is to put on big over ear headphones, lay down, close my eyes and just listen. It was a very enjoyable 41 minutes shutting out the world and listening to Glass Future.

The album has a great groove. There is a thread of energetic joy woven throughout. Most of the songs make me want to move. The headbang and air guitar is irresistable. There are a couple of contemplative songs, Tempest, And the Liar’s Gateway and the closing track There’s Time Now that provide a contrast but have a power of their own.

The melodic vocal harmonies are pleasant and truly enjoyable. It’s hard to pin down a single best thing about an album that is put together this well. I would have to say the vocal work is one of my favorite parts.

Something I notice about Howling Giant that my favorite bands all have in common is that this is boat crew pulling their oars together in unison. No one player is the center of attention. I can focus my attention to any part and it’s well played while contributing to the whole. It’s three great players working together to make something greater than any one could do themselves. Most bands are trying to do that but it’s hard to pull off as well as Howling Giant does in Glass Future.

Transported to a different place and time.

Glass Future, despite its upbeat tunes has melancholic and apocalyptic lyrics. I enjoy the juxtaposition of the two. As the title suggests, the future is uncertain, brittle, fragile.

Time is a recurrent theme in the lyrics and titles of both the album and songs.

Tracing the lines on the wall

Time making fools of us all

Searching for doom in a thousand faces

Up on high, bound to fall

Aluminum Crown

The songs have a narrative quality to them I appreciate. I could pick a line or two out of any one of them and turn it into a short story or adventure location for a game.

Glass Future is highly recommended

If you like hard rock and heavy metal in a classic style of the 70’s this is one you should check out. It’s getting heavy rotation on my playlist and I think you might like it too.

*Nobody is paying me for this review. I paid for the music with my own money. I do not get a commision if you buy it.