RHiNO Footnotes EP (2014) – Review

Montreal, Canada’s RHiNO have released a five-track EP entitled Footnotes. Really, it’s only four tracks if you dismiss the minute-long “Liminal Hues” intro track, but I wouldn’t put this track aside as it sets the tone of this shoegaze/stoner-rock EP well. Then again, the second track, “Fading Inn,” spends a considerable time doing the same thing. Cut off the first half of “Fading Inn” and you’ve got a solid track.

As a whole, Footnotes is a post-hardcore work that dives into alternative rock and doom metal territory. But it’s not all distopian gloom; in addition to the post-apocalyptic urban vibe there’s a definite tonality of hope in the guitars, none more apparent than in the great chord progression at the mid-point of Footnotes‘ final track, “Zeitgeist.”

Head on over to rhinoloud.bandcamp.com if you’d like to either stream or buy Footnotes.

Speaking of tonality leads me to consider the production, which is amazing. The instrumentation is fused together in near vinyl harmony, the kick drum is rich and full and has a fantastic sound, the cymbals resonate without being too dominate, the fuzzed out rhythym guitar is rough and jagged while the solo guitar, as mentioned, is near ethereal with its hope, and the bass guitar in its fuzzy perfection fuses it all together. Additionally, the vocals are sung from the gut, powerful, and I imagine seeing Simon Blaquiere must be like watching a soldier delivering a war cry.

With only three tracks offering any vocals, and the whole EP clocking in at roughly 20 minutes, you’ll definitely be craving more from RHiNO — especially since “Zeitgeist” is where the EP seems to find its groove. The bass guitar breakdown in “Zeitgeist” plays out like a montage in which soldiers prepare their arms and mentality to take on an alien invasion in a sci-fi film; it’s got a groove, a motivational aspect, and a fuzzy toughness that could break bones. It’s definitely my favorite track on the EP.

RHiNO Is:

Guillaume Duguay – Guitar
Maxime Legault-Venne – Drums
Patrick Napier – Bass
Simon Blaquiere – Vocals
Vincent Seguin – Guitar

Footnotes Track List:

1. Liminal Hues
2. Fading Inn
3. Tinnitus of the Deaf
4. Ibid., p. 32
5. Zeitgeist

The Verdict:

Footnotes is the type of recording you could put on repeat and enjoy again and again, forgetting that you've just listened to it five times in a row. The EP has moments that seem reminiscent of Architects UK or Tombs (in which case RHiNO is a couple years late showing up to that party), and other moments that seem to conjure elements of Ozzy-era Black Sabbath.