Howl – Full of Hell (2010)

Album Review

Call it “sludge with benefits.” Fact of the matter is that Rhode Island residents Howl draw the bulk of their musical cues from the classic Southern sludgecore sound, but this 2010 debut, Full of Hell, sees that sound transformed into a much more agile, dynamic, and feral beast by the time its been dragged, roaring and clawing, across the Mason-Dixon line and beyond. Yes, the album’s dateline places it well beyond both the New England metalcore apotheosis and the neo-prog-sludge revolution instigated by Georgia’s Mastodon (half of whose members originated in the American Northeast, lest we forget), but that doesn’t stop Howl from identifying a unique field of their own to plow in this highly competitive (and increasingly repetitive) creative domain. In a nutshell, their songs are kept altogether short and quick on their feet, no matter what tempos they keep (doom being the exception, not the rule), and best results like “You Jackals Beware… Read more on allmusic.com

About the Band

Forging a nervous truce between the worlds of progressive sludgecore and metalcore, Providence, RI’s Howl were formed in 2006 and consist of vocalist/guitarist Vincent Hausman, guitarist Andrea Black, bassist Robert Icaza, and drummer Timmy St. Amour. The group prioritized touring (with bands like Kylesa and Torche) from the very start, and then broke onto the national stage after self-releasing an eponymous EP and signing a contract with… Read more on allmusic.com

Tracks

Title Composer Time