Howling Giant, July 22

Monday, July 22, 7 p.m.

Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA

With the band's most recent, sophomore album Glass Future hailed by Nine Circles as "an absolute winner on all fronts," the psych and heavy rock musicians of Howling Giant headline a July 22 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the group's latest recording also lauded by Monster Riff as "a stunning combination of emotionally charged prog-rock and gripping stoner-rock riffs."

As stated at HowlingGiant.com, the rock ensemble "formed in Nashville nearly 10 years ago with the union of guitarist/vocalist Tom Polzine, drummer/vocalist Zach Wheeler, and bassist/vocalist Roger Marks. From day one, the trio locked into a musical groove of thunderous metal, proggy acrobatics, psychedelic flourishes and soaring melodic vocals, telling stories of fantasy and adventure with such sheer force of will that they seemed capable of opening a window to other dimensions. Their early years saw a flurry of recorded activity, with an acclaimed self-titled EP in 2015 and an audacious concept piece split across two EPs, 2016’s Black Hole Space Wizard Part 1 and 2017’s Black Hole Space Wizard Part 2.

"On the strength of those EPs and a growing, fervent fanbase, Howling Giant set out to bring their arena-sized energy to the people with the hunger of true road dogs. Throughout 2017 and 2018, they crisscrossed the United States, pouring out heart and soul (and sweat) while flying the flag of emotive, intricate heavy rock and roll. This tireless energy eventually brought them to such prominent festival stages as Psycho Las Vegas in 2018 and both SXSW and Psycho Smokeout in 2019. Around this time, Marks left the band and Howling Giant achieved its current form with the addition of bassist/vocalist Sebastian Baltes.

"In early 2019, Howling Giant teamed up with Blues Funeral Recordings to release debut full-length The Space Between Worlds, an album which saw the band channel the bristling electricity of their live sound and push further into both cosmic drift and punishing heaviness." And regarding last year's studio album Glass Future, the site states, "Howling Giant’s not-so-secret weapon is their honey-rich and wisdom-worn vocal attack. With all three members pitching in, Glass Future reaches some of its most glorious highs through soaring, indelible choruses and tight triple harmonies. Howling Giant fires on so many cylinders across these taut 41 minutes that the reeling mind has no choice but to follow their assured stride."

Howling Giant headlines their Davenport engagement on July 22 with additional sets by Faerie Ring and Rezinator, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $19.84, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.