Cosmic stoner metal outfit HOWLING GIANT from Nashville, Tennessee release and stream their acclaimed third full-length “Crucible & Ruin” today, on October 31, 2025. Among many great reviews, the album has also scored top ten positions in the soundchecks of leading German magazines ROCK HARD (4/49) and VISIONS (7/25)!
“Crucible & Ruin” is out now via Magnetic Eye Records and available for purchase here: https://spkr.store/collections/howling-giant
HOWLING GIANT comment: “Having been a fan and friend of this band for years, getting the invite from Tom to come try out was flattering to say the least“, guitarist and synth player Adrian Zambrano writes. “The answer was certainly easy to make… but the not so easy part? Learning an entire record in 5 weeks on two instruments! The studio experience was an absolute blast. The guys were all too pumped to experiment with all sorts of sounds, synths and textures. We’re so incredibly proud of these tunes and also excited about getting on the road and unleash them on stage. Let ‘er rip!“
Furthermore, HOWLING GIANT will be joining ANCIIENTS as special guests live in Canada & the US in November 2025. Please find the currently confirmed live dates below.
Tracklist
- Canyons
- Hunter’s Mark
- Archon
- Lesser Gods
- Beholder I: Downfall
- Archivist
- Scepter and Scythe
- Melchor’s Bones
- The Observatory
- Beholder II: Labyrinth
Line-up
Tom Polzine – guitar, vocals
Zach Wheeler – drums, vocals
Sebastian Baltes – bass, vocals
Adrian Lee Zambrano – guitars, synthesizers
Guest musicians
Kim Wheeler – additional synths and EWI on ‘The Observatory’
Adam Nohe – additional percussion on ‘Beholder I: Downfall’
Produced by Neil Tuuri, Kim Wheeler, and James Sanderson
Engineered by Neil Tuuri at Amish Electric Chair Studios, Athens, OH (US)
Additional vocal tracking by Kim Wheeler in Nashville, TN (US)
Mixed by Neil Tuuri at Amish Electric Chair Studios, Athens, OH (US)
Mastering by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Mastering, Portland, OR (US)
Artwork by Susan M. Davies — Layout by Łukasz Jaszak
Live with ANCIIENTS
04 NOV 2025 Columbus, OH (US) Ace of Cups
05 NOV 2025 Indianapolis, IN (US) Black Circle
06 NOV 2025 Chicago, IL (US) Live Wire Lounge
07 NOV 2025 Toronto, ON (CA) Lee’s Palace
08 NOV 2025 Montreal, QC (CA) Piranha Bar
09 NOV 2025 Ottawa, ON (CA) Dominion Tavern
11 NOV 2025 Boston, MA (US) O’Briens
12 NOV 2025 Portland, ME (US) Geno’s
13 NOV 2025 Providence, RI (US) The Parlour
14 NOV 2025 New York City, NY (US) Woodshop
15 NOV 2025 Philadelphia, PA (US) Kung Fu Necktie
16 NOV 2025 Baltimore, MD (US) Mobtown Ballroom
18 NOV 2025 Nashville, TN (US) Arcane Workshop
19 NOV 2025 Chattanooga, TN (US) JJ’s Bohemia
20 NOV 2025 Huntsville, AL (US) Mad Malts
21 NOV 2025 Jacksonville, FL (US) The Albatross
22 NOV 2025 Bradenton, FL (US) Obscura
HOWLING GIANT take another huge step on their third full-length “Crucible & Ruin”, a collection of sparking ideas, captivating melodies, and heavy riffing close to perfection – quite a feat of on-point songwriting for such a still young band!
This is the band’s first album to feature new fourth member Adrian Lee Zambrano. Although the guitarist and synth player arrived somewhat toward the end of the writing process, he was still able to add his mark with cool textures on the record. The extra guitar certainly adds even more punch to HOWLING GIANT‘s sound, which delivers a slightly more aggressive approach compared with predecessor “Glass Future” (2023).
It also helped the overall feel of “Crucible & Ruin” that this is the band’s first album to be entirely recorded in a proper studio setting as opposed to their home studio, “the bunker”. HOWLING GIANT even leaned into some raw band live takes to capture the emotion in the room.
Lyrically, “Crucible & Ruin” explores the story of the clash of a novice deity against the forces of primordial chaos as an overarching theme that loosely connects the songs. This is also reflected in the album artwork, which was painted by the mother of guitarist and vocalist Tom Polzine, featuring a unique style of alcohol ink on yupo paper.
HOWLING GIANT hail from Nashville, Tennessee, USA, sidestepping the self-proclaimed Music City’s assembly line of modern pop country while taking inspiration from the brilliant songwriters and virtuoso session players that keep the town’s musical legacy burning bright. Fertile ground for a preeminent fuzz-psych power trio, now turned quartet, who consciously live in the pocket of that lineage!
Following a trilogy of EPs, “Howling Giant” (2015), “Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 1” (2016), and “Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2” (2017), HOWLING GIANT struck a chord with critics and fans on their debut full-length “The Space between Worlds” in 2019. “Glass Future” proved a gargantuan leap for the band that now featured Sebastian Baltes, son of legendary ACCEPT bass master Peter Baltes. Released in 2023, “Glass Future” brought their outstanding musicianship and triple vocal attack fully into stride.
HOWLING GIANT storm forward once more in defiant refusal to remain still. Having grown into a four-piece as well as in their prowess as musicians and songwriters, “Crucible & Ruin” is an album at least as big as their name. Don’t take our word for it, just give it a spin – or two or three…
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