Howlin Rain: Magnificent Fiend

Elly Roberts reviews

Howlin Rain: Magnificent Fiend
Distributed by
Birdman RecordsCover

  • Released: April 2008
  • Rating: 10/10
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Embracing past progressive rock and the 21st century, Howlin Rain release a fantastic second album – Magnificent Fiend on San Francisco based Birdman Records.

Magnificent Fiend is full of retro soundscapes with Hammond organ tracksalong with ballsy rock blasts and delicate electric passages. There’s a lotof harmony work going on here too, which makes this so appealing to devoteesof old fashioned prog-rock and accessible tunes from The Band-like songbook.

The deceptive pseudo jazzy instrumental requiem precursors the romping Dancers…whichis right out of the early seventies – heavy Hammond B-3 organ (Joel Robinow)and blistering guitar riffs and solos, leading to a funky short sequence seguedby more storming all-out rock. This is all behind Ethan Miller’s culturedcrushed velvet roar, reminiscent of the likes of Humble Pie’s Steve Marriot,and a band they stylistically seem to share a lot in common with.


It’s not all blood and thunder though, as the soft rocking boogie Calling Lightning Pt.2testifies to. Jewel in the crown is the magnificent Lord Have Mercy. There’sa distinctive late 60s flavour going on here. After its mellow start, LordHave Mercy rises and falls, Miller’s rasping and pleading singing completesdesperation of the guilty man’s conscience.Its high point is the Lynyrd Skynyrd Free Bird-like bluesy and awesome soloby Miller’s electric Wah lead guitar.

The most complex and exquisite moments happen of the lightweight El Rey,again cleverly meshing the past with the present, though there’s plenty moreHammond work going on. Goodbye Ruby draws heavily on Southern boogiemeisters Little Feat. Should they need to track to lift as a single,this is it.

Crowning a glorious album, opus Riverboat consolidates my belief thatHowlin Rain are destined to around a long, long time, and Magnificent Fiendis all it purports to be.

File under: Top band.

Weblinks:howlinrain.com /myspace.com/howlinrain


The full list of tracks included are :

1. Requiem
2. Dancers At The End Of Time
3. Calling Lightning Pt.2
4. Lord Have Mercy
5. Nomads
6. El Rey
7. Goodbye Ruby
8. Riverboat

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