Review | Giant Face – Giant Face

Independent Release

From the very first seconds of the self-titled debut by Giant Face, it becomes clear this UK quartet are not coloring neatly within the lines. Made up of four multi-instrumentalists, the line-up consists of Will Herrick, Charlie Hilton, Ben Walker and Freddie Whaley. The band unites their chops and curiosity into a progressive metal journey that feels as cinematic as it is visceral. Their music constantly morphs in shape, picking up elements of classic 70s prog, the weight of contemporary metal, and splashes of avant-garde experimentalism. What unfolds is a rich tapestry, adventurous in spirit and executed with fire in the belly. Songs that rock you, top to bottom.

PROGRESSIVE MUSIC IN THE TRUEST SENSE

The curtain rises with ,,Cosmic Happenstance”, where historic sound fragments echo faintly like opening scenes to a film. When the guitar riff suddenly slices through the noise, the album is jolted into existence. Drums thunder and double down with sheer electricity, the riff grows more insistent, and then the Moog descends like a cosmic rainfall. Vocals appear, full of melodicism and duetted colour, soaring into bridges while keyboards swirl in the background. The band plays with tension expertly: sudden drop-outs, sharp hooks, and jazzy polyrhythmic detours that carry cinematic scope. Already, Giant Face declares they are making progressive music in the truest sense: exploratory, fearless, and multi-dimensional.

This restless spirit continues in ,,Somebody’s Monster”, a sprawling epic painted in hues of Yes-like dreaminess while anchored by heavier guitars. Multiple themes pass by, intertwining and dissolving, before re-emerging in new form. The vocals, warm and elastic, occasionally echo Paul Rarick of Tiles, adding an emotional core atop the kaleidoscopic changes. The sound is colourful to the extreme yet never descends into chaos. Their musical interaction and technical prowess breathe like a living organism.

JAM-STYLE EDGE

The band’s playfulness and love for contrast surface further on ,,Option Paralysis”. Jagged riffs collide with (E.L.P) spiralling keys, the spotlight constantly shifting between piano, drums and Moog. There’s dazzling musicianship at work, but with plenty of texture: from Rush’s energy and Yes’ grandeur to jazzy free-form passages, sudden breaks evoke circus-like whimsy before everything finds its way home again. It’s music that surprises at every turn, constantly shape-shifting without losing the plot.

By the time ,,Terraced” opens, Giant Face are ready to tackle darker, cinematic atmospheres. The ominous keys ripple like water before guitars and rhythmic storms come crashing in. Vocals soar and stretch in dramatic phrasing, underscored with avant-garde fragments, Broadway-sized chanting, and sudden experimental breaks. There’s suspense in its composition, a dreamlike tension that feels both theatrical and deeply human.

The metallic leanings become evident with ,,Hottus Choccus”. Angular raw riffs, stop–start grooves and djent-tinged tuning push the music into heavier territory. Yet, rather than dwelling in aggression, the piece blooms into Floydian atmospherics, keys and guitar harmonizing in a spellbinding duel that blends Marillion-esque sincerity with ferocious metallic execution. The constant morphing of tempo signatures and instrumental dialogues gives it a jam-style edge, composing jams in real time. It’s heavy, cerebral, and still intensely emotional.

GIANT FACE – THE CONCLUSION

The album closes in grand cinematic style with ,,Always Falling”. Ethereal vocal echoes (evoking the spirit of Kate Bush) hover over jazzy drum brushstrokes and warm keyboards, before guitars inject fire. From there, it becomes a vast, multi-layered journey that draws on the legacy of Yes, Pallas, and Echolyn, but always through Giant Face’s own lens. A middle section of lush orchestration feels almost dreamlike, with Gilmour-esque guitar lines weaving through angelic vocals, before the band drives it all back into metallic intensity. Time changes dart into the fold, keys gush Marillion-esque neo-prog melodies, and drums fire with sniper-like precision. Finally, the gong strikes, and the piece departs with one last cinematic flourish, unexpected, yet fitting for a band that thrives on surprise.

Giant Face’s debut is a bold and refreshing statement. This is progressive music with true imagination, filled with twists, tempo changes, and polyrhythmic acrobatics, yet always with melody and emotion at its core. The album constantly evokes imagery, from cosmic and wildly cinematic, to highly theatrical, while anchoring its flights of fancy with metallic grit and hooks. It nods to the past, borrowing fragments of Yes, ELP, Floyd, Rush, and Marillion, but never imitates. Instead, it reshapes those inspirations into something uniquely of the now.

Fresh, feverish and fiercely adventurous, Giant Face arrive not merely with potential but with a vision. This debut already sounds like the opening chapter of something much bigger. Keep your eyes and ears on this band.

Release date: 1 August 2025