(By Pat âRiotâ Whitaker, Senior Writer/Journalist, RiffRelevant.com)
On Saturday, May 26, 2018, I was able to scratch a top band off of my own personal Bucket List of bands to see live: Nashville, Tennesseeâs HOWLING GIANT!
The band itself, which is mostly the duo of guitarist / vocalist Tom Polzine and drummer / vocalist Zach Wheeler these days, has been on my radar for several years now. With a string of EP releases in recent times, HOWLING GIANT have cemented themselves as one of the heavy undergroundâs best rising acts but damn, their live presentation is a spectacle to behold!
They, along with regional support bands ELECTRIC PHANTOM and VIC CROWN, would bring HOWLING GIANTâs recent âEscape From The Lab 2018 Tourâ to an epic end at the Sly Grog Lounge in Asheville, North Carolina this night. But, before we get into all of that, letâs develop the tale with a bit of a prequel, shall we?
I, along with my trusty videographer / photographer and friend, Will Bouton of Fugo Films, would trek from our base in the mountains of the Kentucky â Virginia state line to beautiful AVL for this show. Now, though I frequent the town quite regularly, this would be my introductory visit to Sly Grog Lounge and wow, were we in for a treat.
The venue is a mostly open-air setting, one with a wide berth of seating areas toward the front then a bar and stage area toward a more enclosed back area. This is where things get interesting, i.e. the decor of Sly Grog Lounge â which is retro pop culture chic to the Nth Degree.
Oldschool, er, ⌠âvintageâ video game consoles ala early Atari, Nintendo, etc. adorn several play stations through out the place. A couple of pinball machines, video games, several shelves laden with books, VHS movie tapes, weird curios and other eclectic items are littered throughout also. All of this adds to, and ultimately creates one hella interesting spot to see a band, one that is intimate and entertaining both.
OK, now, letâs get down to the business at hand, which is, of course rockinâ⌠and folks, let me tell ya: Business would be good, and good to go, on this humid summer night in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.
In the spirit of full disclosure, or my âtell it how it isâ nature, take your pick, I was admittedly unfamiliar with this eveningâs pair of initial prime movers, VIC CROWN and ELECTRIC PHANTOM. Sure, Iâd briefly delved into eachâs social media presence on Facebook prior to the gig but that did not provide a real feel for what they do musically.
No, that would have to be inspected, investigated and ultimately experienced in the live setting of the real-time rock ân roll show. First up: VIC CROWN, a quartet comprised of Falcon Faust (vocals), Colin Townsend (drums), Sam Steele (bass) and Patrick Rothe (guitar), and one that has got a damn groovy delivery, too.
Songs with such titles as âKnee Deepâ, âBRNâ, âMontrealâ, âHere & Nowâ, âCautionâ and âTrustâ, were served with abundant punch and aplomb. Rut-deep riffs got galvanized with rumbling rhythms and the result was a solid early Clutch-meets-Scissorfight sound and style from these heavyweights. VIC CROWN clearly has a loyal fan following that turned out to support them and I must mention two facts of interest for me: First, Faustâs use of what I can only describe as an âantique-yâ (???) mic that gives his vocals a cool, muddier output, and one that fits right nicely with the bandâs sonic discharge. He also displays a great rapport with the crowd, often stepping out in their midst to present his vocals from right there, with the people and for the people.
Two, Townsendâs drumming. The guy is a damn dynamo of chaotic kit-work, one thatâs engrossing to observe, thrilling to hear and energetically propels the songs while Rothe and Steeleâs more laid back, relaxed playing rides tight upon those drums. I look forward to finding out more about VIC CROWN, especially their recorded material situation for any possible releases, out or upcoming, whichever.
From the moment ELECTRIC PHANTOM began setting up, I could surmise they were going to be of a âdifferentâ breed, or sort, whatever, altogether. How did I come to such a conclusion, you ask? After decades of doing what I do, I just know these things but that realization was helped along by their stage props, use of lights and colorful items, all that type stuff. Once the cast of characters, AKA âMansome Danâ (Eli Williams â bass / vocals), The Bat (drums), and guitarists Zane and Ki, began playing, my surmising was validated as spot-on.
The freakish foursome â which I attach with all due respect and admiration â play a melded amalgamation of progressive rock and metal. They insert elements of punk, funk, speed metal and alt. country into it and Dan / Eli keeps shit comically enhanced with his zany banter and off-the-wall antics. Songs like âWitch Moon Babyâ, âPhantom Manâ, âCooler Than Youâ and âMotormouthâ were riddled with tempo alterations and applied with non-stop energy and like the preceding Vic Crown, ELECTRIC PHANTOM have a solid, adulating fan base for sure.
They would end their set on an interesting high note too, ala a country-fied cover of the Ludacris hit âMove Bitch (Get Out Da Way)â! Yep, all twangy and served with a side of hill-folk funk, ELECTRIC CROWN are definitely one of the more unique bands Iâve caught in awhile.
Speaking of country music â but not really â Nashvilleâs HOWLING GIANT commandeered the stage next and what would then ensue is the stuff of unforgettable recollections. Guitarist / vocalist Tom Polzine and drummer / vocalist Zach Wheeler, joined on this trek by touring bassist and friend Mike Kerr, would proceed to decimate those of us in attendance witnessing.
The trio would launch their set in a most appropriate place too, with the first song that introduces their 2015 S/T EP, âHuskâ. They followed it with the last song from that same EP, âCamel Crusherâ and let me tell you, Asheville was barely prepared for what these guys were transmitting. Super tight playing and precise interaction between the three in this live setting added a whole new dimension to the already epic music from HOWLING GIANT.
I, along with the crowd, were mostly lost in a sonic-fueled euphoria of frenzied headbanging amid animated activity at this point. The rapid-fire tempo changes and subsequent heavy musical discharge from the stage was incredible as the guys rolled out âMothershipâ, âVisionsâ and âThe Pioneerâ. The songs were staples from HOWLING GIANTâs recent pair of back to back, conceptually connected EP releases, âBlack Hole Space Wizard: Part 1â (2016) and 2017âs âBlack Hole Space Wizard: Part 2â. [Learn about that conceptual theme and more in my upcoming interview with Howling Giant here at Riff Relevant].
We then arrived at the heavily psychedelia-infused âEarth Wizardâ, a lengthy tune rife with laid back jamming and heady vocals. See, thatâs what HOWLING GIANT excels at, fantastic songs that meld progressive metal, doom and psychedelics into magnificent compositions. This would now be reinforced within the confines of âWhale Lordâ, one of this nightâs highlights where the threesome unfurled this hellishly massive song. Its ebbing, flowing musicâs fluidity an absolutely enthralling delivery indeed, one made even better by Tom and Zachâs trade-off vocals.
Things would begin to wind down a bit at this point but not before we would be treated to a powerful reinterpretation of the Blue Ăyster Cult classic âGodzillaâ. Slowed down somewhat, with inserts of doom-ier nuances and choppier vocals, the song, much like its namesake, crushed everything in its path. The night would be brought to its cessation with a return to the aforementioned â15 S/T EP for the set-ending âDougâ. Itsâ upbeat, airier styling led everyone in the place to get active and involved.
I must mention that throughout their set, this trio of Tom, Zach and Mike delivered jaw-dropping individual performances that left me awestruck. From Mikeâs manhandling of his bass, with the thunderous rhythms created, to Zachâs frenetic kit-work on the drums, both were engrossing and inspiring. Along with Tomâs monstrous riffery and fiery soloing fret assaults, the interactions between this live version of HOWLING GIANT was magnificent. Words fail to do it the proper justice but I have triedâŚ..
*All photos courtesy of Will Bouton / FUGO Films.
 HOWLING GIANT-ELECTRIC PHANTOM-VIC CROWN @ Sly Grog In Asheville, N.C. [5/26/18] (By Pat 'Riot' Whitaker, Senior Writer/Journalist, RiffRelevant.com) On Saturday, May 26, 2018, I was able to scratch a top band off of my own personal Bucket List of bands to see live: Nashville, Tennessee'sâŚ
