Last Giant

There’s a definite good-time vibe running throughout Last Giant‘s Heavy Habitat in songs like “Captain My Captain,” “Jef Leppard” and the swing-happy “Ginger Baker,” and of course there’s bound to be some comparison since the band — a solo-project of RFK Heise (ex-System and Station) in the studio, a trio live — worked with engineer Adam Pike, who also helmed the last Red Fang album, but the truth is there’s much more lurking under the surface of Heavy Habitat than skate-rock grooves and cheap-beer worship. Opener “2’s & 3’s” starts the 10-track release on a melancholy and progressive note closer to Porcupine Tree, and cuts like “Mountain Size” and “Emperor in Reverse” delve into mature-sounding melodies more contemplative than brash.

Ditto that the vocal exploration “Harmony” near the album’s midpoint and the airy, drumless finale “Swim Till We’re Sober… Then We Start Over,” with its pervasive sense of wistfulness and Beatlesian multi-track backing vocals (think “Because”). There are punk roots, and a loyalty to the form and structures of classic rock, but Last Giant doesn’t seem content to settle for one or the other. All the better for Heise, who’s joined in the band on stage by bassist Adam Shultz and drummer Matt Wiles, and who played last giant heavy habitatevery instrument on Heavy Habitat. In “Big Dumb Words,” he recalls a ’90s-style openness somewhere between Jane’s Addiction and Blind Melon, and “Night Swimming” (not an R.E.M. cover) swells in its middle third from a quiet beginning into one of the album’s most memorable thrusts, but Heise is no more allied ultimately to one side or another. For an actual band to construct a varied debut full-length is impressive enough. For a solo outing to do the same while sounding like a full band is even more so, and Heise fluidly arranges the songs so that just as “Night Swimming” finishes out all thoughtful and quiet, the more raucous “Ginger Baker” steps in to pick up the momentum.

Pike‘s production gives Heavy Habitat an overarching smoothness that serves to unite the material further, and Heise seems to relish the chance to center the proceedings around songwriting. All told, Last Giant‘s debut is a vinyl-ready 38 minutes that will see release in Feb. 2015 through Little One Ate the Big One Records, and as early notice, I’m fortunate enough to be able to host “Captain My Captain” for streaming. I don’t think any one track could completely sum up everything the record has to offer, but as one of its most upbeat movers and strongest hooks, it makes a fitting introduction anyhow, and the layers of vocals in the chorus and the stylized bass fills give some hint as to the progressive sensibilities underlying what Heise has put together.

- See more at: http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/12/03/last-giant-heavy-habitat-captain-my-captain-stream/#sthash.bEwoaCLS.dpuf - Obelisk

Portland, OR isn’t all precious indie bands. Last Giant are a true-blue rock n’ roll band, busting out dirty, heavy riffs, drums straight out of the pits of hell, and darkly seductive melodies. Listening to their latest album Monuments, and album completed through months of set-backs and perseverance, you can feel the passion for heavy blues, hard rock, metal, and even a little pop, like on the stand-out track “Hell on Burnside”.

The guitars are turned up to wreck you, while drummer Matt Wiles transports you with grit and power. Singer RFK Heise, tackling the song with a haunting tenor, perfectly elevates the song on the chorus, asking “Do you believe in miracles?”, coming in like a ray of sunlight in the middle of a storm. The lyrical “inspiration was found in observation and introspection on not having a consistent home and being a stranger in constant strange circumstance,” and you can feel that searching for something to hold onto in Heise’s delivery.

If you need some light in your darkness, blast out this banger in our Bangers of the Week Playlist! - The Indy Review

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. Filled with monstrous guitar riffs, infectious melodies, and connective lyrics, they have honed their artistic vision and created their finest work to date.
Release date : June 9th, 2023.

Beginning in 2014 from the ashes of former Northwest indie-rock heavy-hitters System and Station (1998-2013), Last Giant is comprised of front man RFK Heise (vocals, guitar, keys), Palmer Cloud (bass), and Matt Willes (drums). Last Giant has toured the U.S. extensively and has been featured in film and television, as well as shows including Mike Watt’s “The Watt from Pedro” and Allen Epley’s “Third Gear Scratch." Last Giant’s video for “Captain my Captain” was the winner of MTV’s indie video award with over 70,000 votes and they were a featured artist on MTV2. Distributed via The Orchard and released by indie label Little One Ate the Big One.

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.

Last Giant reconvened in Spring of 2022 with longtime contributing drummer Matt Wiles and bassist Palmer Cloud on board. They began to comb through a year of material to create Monuments. Songs were reworked as a unit and new material was written collectively as a band with Palmer Cloud contributing the raucous and muscular guitar riff of "Soldiers." By August of 2022 they were ready to head to the studio to start what would be a five-month recording process.

With Adam Pike (Red Fang, High on Fire) sitting in the engineer chair, Last Giant entered Echo Echo Studios in industrial NE Portland to record basic tracks for Monuments. On their first day in the studio the 1970s Trident mixing console blew up along with a vintage Orange amplifier, setting the tone for the adventure that would become Monuments. They patched together what they could and persevered with only the drum and bass tracks intact.

RFK Heise began the next four-month journey of finishing the album. Guitars were tracked at LOABO HQ Studios (UTILITY, System and Station, John Amadon) in Portland. Keys and vocals were tracked across the Northwest and Southern California in closets, kitchens, empty corners, and cars. Yes, cars. Finally ready to mix, the first two mixing sessions were plagued with rushed schedules and lack of focus. In steps Paul Malinowski (Shiner, Riddle of Steel, Failure), a longtime friend and contributor, to take the songs where they needed to go and the mix was finished at Massive Studios in Kansas City, MO in January 2023. The album went through three mastering sessions, the 3rd time landing with Stephan Hawkes (Gaytheist, Rise Records, Shelter Red) in North Hollywood as the winner.

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.

Hell on Burnside (Youtube Video Link) Last Giant Hell On Burnside(Official Video) - YouTube

Pre-Order Monuments Monuments | Last Giant (bandcamp.com) - Melodic

Last Giant is on the cusp of releasing their 4th studio album, Monuments, on June 9th and now is the perfect time to discover the three piece band.

While the band started demoing in early 2021 prior to their release of Live from the Hallowed Halls, a personal tragedy derailed the trio from living in the same zip code. Not to be deterred, ring leader, RFK Heise wrote and honed the songs that would be Monuments while living throughout the Northwest and Southern California. He found inspiration on not having a consistent home and being a stranger in constantly strange circumstances.

Perseverance drove the band and they rejoined in early 2022 with longtime drummer Matt Wiles and bassist Palmer Cloud on board. The three started going through a year’s worth of material and reworked songs together as a team and wrote new songs together as well.

In the fall of 2022, the 5 month arduous process of recording the album would find Last Giant in Echo Echo Studios with Adam Pike helming the engineering of Monuments. In what could be seen as a comedy of errors, on the first day of recording, the vintage mixing console and amplifier blew up, but this only drove the band to keep going.

In the words of the US Marines – adapt, overcome, improvise.

Last Giant not only adapted, they overcame the situation by improvising with what they had – the patched together equipment and still had the drum and bass tracks intact.

Having formed in 2014, Last Giant has always been plagued with situations that challenged the band’s desire to play music. They have been featured in films and television, and were MTV’s indie video winner.

It just seems that all roads leading to Monuments wanted to test the trio and on the album, the band says,

Everything about this album is a stamp in time, it is about personal, social, and economic struggle as well as love and the hope needed to persevere. It is the album we are most proud of not only sonically but because of the challenges we had to overcome to complete our mission and survive. It mimics life on this planet at this time, it all feels connected.

As of writing this piece, there is one song available to hear from Monuments.

“Hell on Burnside” is a monster of a song with wonderful wailing guitars, driving drums, and a rumbling bass. The bonus is that the song is fast paced and the music is infectious. It makes one want to get in a car, push the pedal to the floor, and race down the barren blacktop.

Having had a sneak listen to Monuments, I can confirm, the band has defeated all brick walls that popped up along their two year journey to make Monuments happen. (We’ll have an album review in due course.) It’s going to be a glorious journey for fans.

Until then, listen to “Hell on Burnside” above or Live from the Hallowed Halls, also above. Or listen to their works below - Amplify the Noise