rhyno - Angels

Rhyno

Angels
self-released; 2013

3.6 out of 5

Formerly a part of an electronic rock duo The Firmament, Los Angeles artist Rhyno decided to focus on his solo project in 2011.  Quickly building a fan base via the Internet social networking sites (particularly Youtube, where the song "Ambivalence" attracted thousands of viewers).  his is electro-rock with heavy dubstep influences, offering tons of energy and melody. His full-length album Angels feels accomplished, massive yet intimate at the same time, creating great contrast between calmer, melodic moments to aggressive sandblasts (after all, there is no loud without quiet, right?) The cool instrumentals are topped by female and male vocals recorded via a long-distance collaboration (the vocalists are based respectively in Vancouver, Idaho, New York and California). 

The first song entitled "the freeze" starts with piano while synths and other electronics garble beneath the surface as if preparing you for the kinetic energy that is about to be introduced. The song picks up and really had me groovin and totally had me hooked when I heard the soaring vocals that are treated like any other instrument. The second song "deep water" is when we are introduced to both the male and female vocals that work well together in the song. I absolutely loved the third song "down" where the female vocals worked great against the industrial vibe.. This only goes to show the wonders you can make with digital music today. The record feels as compact as if everything was recorded and produced under the same roof (the excellent post-engineering also helps a lot on this front). Angels is a great compromise between the freshness and catchy feel of pop and the energy and sharp edge of dubstep.

Become a fan

bandcamp