Wednesday 17 September 2014

Horn Of The Rhino - Summoning Deliverance (Album Review)


Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 22/9/2014
Label: Doomentia Records

‘Summoning Deliverance’ CD/DD/LP track listing:

1. Awaiting The Scourge 01:40
2. Exvenhstench 06:25
3. Onward Through Domination 07:20
4. High Priest 06:15
5. Their Tombs 08:21
6. Deliverance Prayer 05:32
7. Drogg Öm Thraal 01:06
8. Grim Foreigners 06:08
9. Builder Of Carrion Effigies 08:16
10. An Excess Of Faith
06:48

Bio:

Once again, HORN OF THE RHINO and DOOMENTIA are a pair that has come a long way together. Ever since their 2010 ‘Weight of the Coronation’, ‘Summoning Deliverance’ is their fourth collaboration, including the re-release last year of ‘Breed of the Chosen’ their very first proper recording originally issued as RHINO back in 2007. The trio might have entered their tenth year as a band but they’re still growing and this is, by far, their most adventurous and ambitious work yet. Here, their quite unique mix of sludge, grunge and thrash takes here a whole new dimension. Javier Galvez soulful voice may still be their biggest asset but on ‘Summoning Deliverance’, they’ve proving that although they’re still heavy-as-fuck, they’ve got any tricks up their sleeve. If sometimes they plough headstrong into the nearest wall, they also like to suggest in a very subtle yet menacing way that that even darker clouds are ahead.

He may not want to spill the beans too much about this ten songs set recorded last March at Koba studio but nevertheless Javier describes this album as “conceptual” and an ode to misanthropy, with every tiny details – from the sublime yet apocalyptic artwork by Nick Keller to the lyrics – working around it. So as advised by the man himself, it’s time to just “give in to that sonic maelstrom!”

Remember: there’s heavy and there’s HORN OF THE RHINO!

The Band:

Javier Gálvez | Vocals, guitar
Sergio Nobles | Bass
Julen Gil | Drums

Review:

Certain conversations can really strike a chord with you. 

For example, when the Sludgelord says: “I’d like you to review this for me, because I can’t”, it piqued my curiosity. 

“Horn of the Rhino?”  I responded.  “Why can’t you review this?”

“I wouldn’t be objective,” came the honest answer. 

“I love it too much.” 

I had never heard of this band before, and instantly I knew I was going to be dealing with some rather impressive shit.  I was going to have to do my homework for this…

‘Summoning Deliverance’ is the fifth album from this Spanish trio of noisemongerers, and it sets a high benchmark for how heavy one can make music.  For sure, Horn of the Rhino don’t know how to make a bad metal record (‘Weight of Coronation’ being a newfound favourite album of mine), and ‘Summoning Deliverance’ has just made its way to the front of the album of the year queue with elbow-shoving confidence. 

The sound of Horn of the Rhino is somewhat akin to being hit with a sledgehammer: there’s this chest-pounding impact, the shock from the force of it, and a gulping breathlessness that follows the attack.  Songs like ‘Builder of Carrion Effigies’ and ‘Exvenhstench’ gladly dish out that ‘broken-ribs feeling’, their riffs almost gleefully smashing themselves into you.  Conversely, there’s also a fine selection of Conan-esque doom heaviness here; songs that are slow, sadistic, and downright inhuman.  Check out ‘Their Tombs’ and feel gravity suddenly press itself down upon you like the thumbs of the Old Gods. 

These ten tracks (spoiler alert, there’s also a secret eleventh track) are no doubt going to make every metal head’s home a heavier and happier one.  For me, tenth track ‘An Excess of Faith’ has a riff that slithered up to me like a snake and bit me right in the heart.  Guitarist/vocalist Javier Gálvez flicks out this sonic magic with the flair of Houdini, while cohorts Julen Gil and Sergio Robles ably back him up with bursting drumbeats and growling basslines respectively.  For me, ‘An Excess of Faith’ is the fitting crescendo to ‘Summoning Deliverance’s’ crushing movement. 

At once thrashy, doomy, and very death-y, Horn of the Rhino doffs their metal-studded caps to so many metal genres.  Then they hit them on the back of the head with a club and take grisly trophies from them.  ‘Summoning Deliverance’ is a bloody masterpiece of cross-genre metal, leaving no stone unturned in the search for the hardest sound and the most vicious lyrics.  I now totally understand why the Sludgelord Himself could not objectively review these guys, and I join him and many others who have been ensnared by the Horn of the Rhino. 

Words by: Chris Markwell

You can pick up a copy DD or CD directly from the band here and from the label here.  Vinyl will be released soon.  More details when we have it. 



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