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Horn Of The Rhino - Summoning Deliverance review




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Reviewer:
8.0

23 users:
7.96
Band: Horn Of The Rhino
Album: Summoning Deliverance
Release date: August 2014


01. Awaiting The Scourge
02. Exvenhstench
03. Onward Through Domination
04. High Priest
05. Their Tombs
06. Deliverance Prayer
07. Drogg Öm Thraal
08. Grim Foreigners
09. Builder Of Carrion Effigies
10. An Excess Of Faith

Horn Of The Rhino have a special place in my heart as probably the one band that was most responsible for getting me into sludge. Three years ago when I was just a mindless n00b into little other than thrash and tech death, it was this Spanish trio that won me over with their bulldozing riffs and clever application of the "less is more" formula. Summoning Deliverance, the band's latest effort, is a stark reminder that although Horn Of The Rhino may be comparatively unknown within their style, they're definitely one of its more powerful bands.

Summoning Deliverance ultimately follows up on the more aggressive approach employed on the previous Grengus album, and is perhaps Horn Of The Rhino at their most furious yet. There's a notable extreme influence felt throughout the album, approaching more thrash/death metal structures, and some tracks, such as "Exvenstench" and "Their Tombs," are just downright violent. Thankfully though, the sludgey feeling is still retained above all else in the crunchy guitar tone, and there are a a few slower, groovier tracks as well.

And as usual, frontman Javier Galvez, probably the defining feature of the band, continues to amaze with his excellent pipes. Whether it's his relentless snarls during the music's intense moments, or his more relaxed cleans on "Onward Through Domination" and the totally epic "Deliverance Prayer," the man definitely knows how to deliver (see what I did there?), and further proves himself as one of the most potent vocalists sludge has to offer. The only issue I found here is that his clean vocals are really a bit underdeveloped on this album, and it would've been nice if they'd seen more prevalence, because they really are quite mindblowing.

All in all though, Summoning Deliverance stands as a pretty well accomplished album in Horn Of The Rhino's discography, even if it does offer up a slight change of pace for their sound. The music honestly leans more towards the more ruthless death/sludge mix, and thus fans of the riff heavy approach taken on Weight Of Coronation and earlier may be slightly disappointed. Nonetheless, the music is still unquestionably Horn Of The Rhino's, and these Spanish conquistadors don't appear to be losing their luster anytime soon.

Bitchin album art too

Go get crushed.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 8





Written on 26.09.2014 by Metal Storm’s own Babalao. Comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable since 2013.


Comments

Comments: 4   Visited by: 105 users
26.09.2014 - 23:58
Rating: 8
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Not quite as good as I was hoping, but still a step up from Grengus. I think the change of style saved them from becoming a band with one or two fantastic albums and a bunch of washed out shit. Very informative review that basically describes the album perfectly.
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27.09.2014 - 00:18
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Alex F on 26.09.2014 at 23:58

I think the change of style saved them from becoming a band with one or two fantastic albums and a bunch of washed out shit.

Definitely. While I don't really think it's as epic as them pushing out stuff like this, it's good to know that they can at least change up style without being shit at it. Besides, I'm not too sure I'd really want to see them doing the same thing on each album, even if the quality is still good, otherwise they'd become like the sludge version of Summoning or something
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I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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27.09.2014 - 05:47
Rating: 8
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
I enjoyed Grengus so I am looking forward to hearing this. Nice work Che and thanks for the review.
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rekt
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02.10.2014 - 04:22
Rating: 8
Lionthrone

Thank you Apothecary for the great review. I might not have tried these guys otherwise but I'm sure glad I did! Onward Through Domination... just wow.
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