The Russian Wilds

Howlin’ Rain frontman Ethan Miller returns with a mostly new band (keyboardist Joel Robinow remains in the lineup) and a full-blown classic rock sound on the group\'s third release. It unapologetically pulls from blues-based, heavy rock \'70s bands like Black Sabbath, Grand Funk Railroad, and Queen, along with touches of prog and psych-rock. The eight-minute opener, “Self Made Man,” sets the stage for the album with a driving rhythm section, extended guitar soloing, and Miller’s soaring, melodramatic vocals ringing with power and clarity. It’s followed by the equally epic “Phantom in the Valley,” which morphs into Santana-inspired, horn-fueled Latin rock for its second half. Elsewhere the band delivers lush blue-eyed soul on “Can’t Satisfy Me Now” and “Beneath Wild Wings,” a loose and expansive jam on “Cherokee Werewolf,” and the power ballad “Strange Thunder,” which starts with an acoustic guitar and dreamy falsetto before reaching its lung-bursting, bombastic conclusion nine minutes later. *The Russian Wilds* may be a classic rock throwback, but it’s a fully committed one. Turn it up.