The Spanish heavy/doom metal trio Rhino was formed in 2004 and released their debut full length in 2007. This year the band releases the follow-up to that record, entitled Dead Throne Monarch. As I have just returned from the Roadburn festival, I’m quite in the mood for these tunes. Let’s check it out.

 

The first band that came to mind when I quickly checked out their MySpace was High On Fire. Very good start I’d say. Rhino plays a combination of slow, mid-passed and mildly fast doom and rock riffs with loud drums, with some occasional thrash and heavy metal passages. The overall sound is definitely doom metal, as the sheer heaviness of the band dominates on Dead Throne Monarch. Influences of bands like Alice In Chains and Kirk Windstein riffage can also be found on this disc, creating a nice cocktail of deadly doom.

 

Luckily there are also some clean passages and clean vocals, making the record just a bit more dynamic and compelling to listen to. The brutal vocals sound very over the top, in a sort of Obituary way, which the listener finds out immediately in the opening title track. It sort of sounds like vocalist Javier Gálvez is puking his guts out while grunting. I’m not entirely sure if I like it yet, but it sure makes an impression.

 

For me the music found on Dead Throne Monarch surely competes with some of the big names in the genre. The production is raw and heavy, yet clear when necessary. The songs are well written and I don’t think it should take long for this band to reach a bigger audience. These Spanish rockers have delivered a fine album, a worthy listen for the average Roadburn festival visitor. Hopefully they’ll get to play there sometime in the future.