All things in due time. Portland, Oregon’s Last Giant has been patiently waiting to release their 4th full-length album Monuments into the world, which will be released worldwide on June 9th. Filled with monstrous guitar riffs, infectious melodies, and connective lyrics, they have honed their artistic vision and created their finest work to date.
With Monuments, demoing started in early 2021 prior to Last Giant’s film release, “Live From The Hallowed Halls.” Shortly after, personal tragedy derailed the band from living in a consistent zip code. Band leader RFK Heise continued to write and hone songs, most of which would become Monuments, while living throughout the Northwest and Southern California. Lyrical inspiration was found in observation and introspection on not having a consistent home and being a stranger in constant strange circumstance.
Perseverance, integrity, commitment, and vision have given us pop gems such as “Hell on Burnside,” living somewhere in the stratosphere of ZZ Top and The Jesus Lizard (if one can imagine). Progressive tinted “Broken Wires” swings like Adam Ant were Iron Maiden’s biggest fan, including a crescendo of “Free Bird” proportioned guitar majesty for the outro. “Feels Like Water” is an arena-sized rocker owed to Soundgarden via Thin Lizzy with a touch of early Arctic Monkeys in tow. All songs are innately Last Giant however, from the first note and first word there is no doubt you are in Last Giant’s world. Their prowess shines through in the production details, Monuments is meant for repeated listens and constant discovery by design. The moods created on songs like “Animals” and “Saviors” (featuring Dave Jorgensen of Blind Pilot on trumpet) sticks with you like a dark breeze across a desolate landscape. The closer, “Lost and Losing,” feels exactly like the uncertain times we are all living in.
All things in due time indeed. Monuments is the shot in the arm that rock and roll has been looking for. File under sincere, honest, bad ass, thoughtful, guitar-slaying, drum-pounding, ass-shaking rock and roll.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the official video for “Broken Wires,” one of the standout tracks on the new album. The video uses old grainy footage to showcases images of the American west alongside performance footage and the occasional jarring clip. This serves as a proper visual for the feisty, stomping rocker that brings to mind acts like Queens of the Stone Age with its jagged guitars, commanding vocals, and heavy rock groove. Ultimately, this is the kind of full-throated rock and roll tune that could fill a massive venue and get fans pumping fists with the proper balance of power and melodicism not to mention a healthy dose of guitar soloing.
“The ‘Broken Wires’ video is by our longtime compadre and artistic cohort Brian D Nelson @ Fine Focus in LA. When we were talking through ideas the theme of constant travel and motion came up. It seems needed to make sense of chaos, a need to define the undefinable, Art is humanity and humanity is art. The video is an exploration of our vast and chaotic human existence that mirrors the universe and the boundaries we set for ourselves to create our own realties and the pitfalls that follow…’Broken Wires.'” – Ryan Heise, Last Giant
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