Howling Giant and Sergeant Thunderhoof - Crucible & Ruin [Cream]

Cosmic riffs meet Southern grit on Crucible & Ruin, the thunderous third album from Nashville's fuzz-laden heavyweights Howling Giant. Pressed on smooth cream-colored vinyl, this edition looks as rich as it sounds—and trust us, it's loaded with earth-shaking grooves and interstellar vibes.

With the addition of new guitarist and synth wizard Adrian Lee Zambrano, the band expands into a quartet and deepens their sonic palette. Even though Zambrano joined late in the process, his fingerprints are all over the record, adding layers of synth-driven atmosphere and thick guitar punch. The result? A more aggressive, emotionally raw sound compared to 2023’s Glass Future, thanks in part to some fierce live takes captured in-studio.

Tracks like “Hunter’s Moon” and “Siren Call” are soaked in prog-psych majesty, while “Sunken City” and “Divine Interruption” stretch out into spacey, riff-drenched jams that hit like a supernova. The songwriting is sharp, the musicianship tighter than ever, and the energy practically radiates off the wax.

For a band born in the shadow of Nashville’s country machine, Howling Giant continue to carve their own mythic path—loud, fearless, and full of fuzz. Crucible & Ruin is a bold evolution and a must-spin for lovers of cosmic doom and heavy psych.

Tracklist

1. Canyons
2. Hunter's Mark
3. Archon
4. Lesser Gods
5. Beholder I: Downfall
6. Archivist
7. Scepter and Scythe
8. Melchor's Bones
9. The Observatory
10. Beholder II: Labyrinth