Howlin Rain - Magnificent Fiend Album Review

Howlin' Rain
Magnificent Fiend
Birdman
Album Review

Magnificent Fiend is Howlin' Rain's second album, it couldn't be much different to it's forerunner and its psychy/punk vibe that they could've totally changed the bands name and gone for a whole new thing. The only remnants of the old Howlin' Rain is the guitarist Ethan Miller who made it between the two albums. Howlin' Rain appear to have spent a lot of time between releasing albums listening to Blind Faith, Steve Winwood and a bit of Duane Allman.

Magnificent Fiend seems to be a further album that goes back to an organic early 70s sound, the tracks on this album show little reminiscence of the loud squalls of its predecessor. This album shows a more stripped back side to Howlin' Rains music, the songs are 'nice' but does review the original album for how little song there was.

Unfortunately, in places the playing is amusingly amateurish, this could be seen as a jibe at overly polished modern records or perhaps just bad handiwork.

Magnificent Fiend could quite easily turn into quite an insignificant album, it sounds like it was created on a Hammond B-3 organ with some sub-Built To Spill guitars efforts but it unfortunately falls short of the Black Crowes albums they were aiming to make and seem to have run out of steam.

3/5

Mike Rea