Howlin Rain – The Russian Wilds (2012)

One of the first things you’ll notice about “The Russian Wilds” is the song lengths; five of the 11 songs are over six minutes in length. Howlin Rain have borrowed more than just the simple “sound” of 70′s rock – they’ve studied its structure. These songs may be long, but they don’t drag. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Every song has been painstakingly crafted and intricately assembled down to the tiniest detail; every lick, harmony and drum flare is there for a reason, and it really does help every song reach its full potential. This is a rock album that makes a great use of its entire runtime. “Phantom In the Valley”, is the song that drives home the bands inspired and tight musicianship. About four minutes into the infectious rock anthem, I noticed the track had three minutes left. I thought this was odd, as the song by that point had apparently achieved everything it had set out to do; then came the drop. The song launches into a salsa-inspired build, complete with excellent horn-work and fantastic, heavy percussion. Before this the song was infectious, but here it becomes downright possessive.