In less than ten days, Doomed & Stoned will hold its most ambitious festival yet, Chicago Doomed & Stoned Festival at Reggies Rock Club, home to so many legendary shows over the years. Recently, the mighty HOWLING GIANT rocked that very venue and festival organizer Lara Noel had the chance to snap some amazing pics of the band in action. We decided it was high time to Howling Giant, which is currently on tour and dead-set on riling up Psycho Las Vegas later this summer. Whether you catch them there or elsewhere, you’re gonna love Howling Giant’s wicked space riffs and the cheeky sense of humor when they take the stage. Don’t miss ‘em! (Editor)

“The sound is massive…”

Hey, guys! Welcome to Doomed & Stoned. To start, maybe you can bring the newbies up to speed on just who exactly Howling Giant is and how you got together?

Well, Tom Polzine plays guitar and Zach Wheeler plays drums, both of whom also sing in the band. For this tour, we’re having our good buddy Mike Kerr fill in on bass. As for our musical backgrounds, we just kind of woke up in a dark basement a few years back with instruments in hand. Our only clue as to how we got there was a note written in blood that said, “I have a lot riding on this, don’t screw it up for me.“

You’re on tour for the 'Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2’ EP. What’s that record all about?

Part 2 follows the journey of our protagonist, The Pioneer, across the husk planet Earth, where he encounters spirit guides from multiple dimensions.

By the way, the Black Hole Wizard on the cover looks like Lo-Pan from Big Trouble In Little China.

Lo-Pan is excellent. "Ok, sit tight, hold the fort and keep the home fires burning, and if we’re not back by dawn…call the president.”

What are some influences on Howling Giant?

Tom: Blue Oyster Cult, Elder, Mastodon, Rush, and Torche. Those are some bands that consistently influence us. However, lately I’ve has been spinning King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Toke, and the new Sleep record. We played with Toke recently at Firebreather Fest and Tim offered me some great advice on tones, specifically how to achieve a larger tone as a three-piece heavy band. I’m now running both of my amps – Marshall Plexi 50 watt and Laney 50 watt – in stereo. The sound is massive.

Zach: I’ve been listening to a lot of Opeth lately, mostly Ghost Reveries and their most recent offering, Sorceress. I’ve always had friends really into that band but it took me a while to really dive into their discography.

Are there any supporting bands on this tour?

We aren’t traveling with any bands, but we’re excited to play with the local bands from each city.

What’s one of the best shows you guys have played, seen?

Zach: One of our favorites recently was when we played with Elder and King Buffalo at Nashville’s Exit/In. We had just finished our fall '17 tour and it was great to have a hometown show with bands we admire.

Tom: It was great to hang with Nick DiSalvo and Jack Donovan of Elder. I’ve been such a fan of those guys since my college days in Boston. I remember seeing them perform at O’Brien’s in Allston to an audience of eight people, so it was amazing to see them play at the Exit/In to a full room of heavy-worshiping Nashvillians.

Zach: It’s always such a treat to see Devin Townsend perform live. He puts on such a tight, energetic show every time he comes to town. It seems like he ends up touring with Between The Buried and Me pretty often, which is another band that I love.

Tom: I remember seeing Red Fang perform at The Middle East Downstairs in Boston. While I love their music on record, the live experience is where they really shine.

“I have way too much gear and my loved ones are beginning to get concerned for my psychological well-being.”

What’s a damn good book you’ve read?

Tom: “The Stars My Destination” by Alfred Bester is a sci-fi classic – if you’re into the genre, this book is a must-read. The story follows the protagonist, Gulliver Foyle, on his quest for vengeance across time and space. Pretty common inspiration for me.

What are your favorite sci-fi movies?

Tom: Alien, Star Wars (the OG trilogy – when Lucas was hot, he was hot), and Mars Attacks!

Zach: We’re also pretty excited that Metropolis is on Netflix. We’ve never seen the film and we’re planning our screening as we speak.

Tom: Another movie I haven’t seen is Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal. If anyone wants to host us after a show on tour, we’d love to snuggle up and have a movie night.

Do you guys like or read comics?

Zach: I’ve always been a fan of Coheed and Cambria – they’ve been putting out comics that go along with their concept albums for the past few years. I highly recommend these comics, even if you aren’t a fan of the band.

Tom: I’ve just recently started to get into the world of comics. I’ve been collecting old issues of Heavy Metal Magazine for the last few months and through those short episodes I’ve discovered the work of Sir Jean Giraud, aka Moebius. I’ve been reading his “Le Monde d'Edena” and I’ve found myself absolutely mesmerized by his style.

Do you guys collect and if you do, what’s the prize possession?

Tom: The only collection I’ve been working on is my current guitar stable. I have way too much gear and my loved ones are beginning to get concerned for my psychological well-being.

What stoner-doom bands in and around Nashville do you guys like?

Zach: Black Tar Prophet, Seawitch, and Silent Monolith. Outside of the stoner-doom genre: Them Fixes, Friendship Commanders, and Year of October are all excellent.

Who does the artwork for your albums?

Tom: My Mom, Sue Davies, does all of our album art. She’s pretty rad.

What’s an awkward moment you’ve had as a band?

Zach: A woman in Charlottesville, Virginia, offered to suck Tom’s toes after the show. When Tom politely declined her offer, she proceeded to extend the same service to our fill-in bass player, Mike Kerr. I’m fairly certain we all left with dry toes.

What makes you laugh uncontrollably?

Tom: Nitrous.

How was Firebreather Festival?

Tom: It was excellent. Drew Smith, guitarist and frontman of Archarus, set the whole thing up and knows how to throw a party. I think we were able to reach a lot of new fans and make some new alliances in our slow attempt at world domination. Horseburner and Toke were some of my personal favorites at the fest. Riffs, beer, and pork. It was a good day.

Howling Giant is going to play Psycho Las Vegas in August. You guys stoked? Any plans around the fest?

Zach: Absolutely. We plan on touring there and back, which will be our first time out west. We’ve got a fresh set of tires on the hearse and some new songs to unveil.

Tom: Bring your boogie boots, things are about to get wiggly.

My mom lives in Inglewood, so some Nashville questions. Have you boys been to the Grand Ole Opry?

Zach: Yes. It certainly is grand.

Where’s the best BBQ in Nashville?

Tom: Hard to pick one. Our friend Chef Jay Mitchell at Tennessee Brew Works throws down pretty hard. He smoked a whole hog for his wedding reception that still haunts my dreams to this very day.

What are the best venues in Nashville to see heavy underground music?

Tom: Springwater Supper Club. Unless your dinner consists of Pabst Blue Ribbon, don’t expect to get fed. A classic American dive that delivers riff after riff, as well as a constant feeling of comfort and concern for the structural integrity of the roof. This is our home base. Come hang!

What’s next for the band?

Zach: We’re deep in the writing process for several different releases. Expect new jams soon. We’re excited to tour more heavily this year and we’re already planning tours for 2019.

Tom: I’m excited to expand my cooking repertoire. I’ve been to New Orleans once – think I’m ready to learn some Cajun secrets. The spice is right.