Review: Albinö Rhino - Upholder

It's all been a bit electronica based on the blog of late so it's probably about time to get back to some good ol' guitar based music, and no better place to begin than with the new album from Albinö Rhino (well, I say new, it was actually released last December). 'Upholder' carries on from where the band's 2014 self-titled debut left off; 'Uphold the Light Part 1' being the last track on that album. Albinö Rhino "has been crafting a psychedelic horizon-bending sonic entity upon the ruins of doom since 2010" and they play a great brand of expansive heavy psych that lifts the soul. The album was recorded in a single take, but with an overdubbed special feature from Scott Heller aka Dr Space, from the legendary (and pretty damn awesome) Danish space psychonauts Øresund Space Collective. Albinö Rhino hail from Finland and are comprised of Viljami Väre (Drums), Kimmo Tyni (Guitar, Moog, Lead Vocals) and Ville Harju (Bass, Lead Vocals) and I've a sneaking suspicion that we'll be hearing an awful lot ore from these guys.

There are but 2 tracks on the album and the first, 'Uphold The Light Part 2', opens with a deep rumble of fuzz that continues throughout, never obtrusively but as a reminder that we are listening to something with a presence. When the guitar joins the fray it is not with shredding riffs (that comes later!) but with some clear-as-a-bell heavy psych. As the track progresses things become heavier and denser; the riffs roil through the speakers like an storm blown ocean and it becomes evident why the band class themselves as 'doom' and the vocals, when they arrive, only add to this heaviness. What is notable about the track is that it never sits still, never content to just rely on the surging guitar and fuzzy bass - there are moog driven segments of analog electronica that breaks things up nicely and the guitar switches seamlessly from the quaking riffs to more classical heavy psych. It is this variety that makes 'Uphold The Light Part 2' a real immersive experience. 'Uphold the Light Part 3 feat Scott Heller' opens with a proto-metal riff accompanied with some spacey electronica, Mr Heller making his presence felt early on and setting the scene for a wonderful track. The juxtaposition of the guitar heavy psych/doom with the synth magic from Heller gives the track an expansive feel that is so often missing from traditional doom. It also provides a good showcase for the Albinö Rhino lads - they are evidently a rock solid unit who are technically very sound and also know how to judge the pacing of the track; when to open up and when to bring things back down. In fact I would go as far as to say were Øresund Space Collective to play doom, this is what it would sound like. Brilliant stuff that offers more and more on each listen.

Gotta say, I really, really like this album! On paper it is an intriguing coupling; a psych/doom band and a master of analog synths, but it works well. It is an album that shifts and turns, changing structure and sound to result in a truly immersive listen. There are periods of chest crushing heaviness that are counter balanced by some fantastic, crystal clear psych guitar and, on the second track, added to by some swirling, rich synth. Albinö Rhino were a new name to me, but they are a band that I will most certainly look out for in the future. 'Upholder' can be purchased from the band's Bandcamp page here and is available on vinyl or as a download (the download comes with a third track which is the two seamlessly edited together as it is played live).