Having being on hiatus for a few years, Kent’s Feed the Rhino are back with their fourth album The Silence (Century Media), an album that finds them at, what appears to be, a crossroads in terms of trying to rediscover the sound that gave them a hefty following whilst also at the same time moving forward and growing as songwriters.

Feed The Rhino have always had a knack for writing memorable riffs and combining them with Lee Tobin’s scathing and venomous vocal stylings. Opener ‘Timewave Zero’ does just that, building on an eerie electronic intro before crashing in with a great riff and the aforementioned vocals raging over the top of it. Heedless follows straight after with a bounce laden riff, the vocals again powerful and to the point – Feed The Rhino just do this kind of melodic hardcore so well it’s almost effortless. ‘Losing Ground’ comes in off the back of the two opening tracks and is far different proposition, slower in tempo and with a more atmospheric tone, a decent song but lacking much by the way of impact. The title track’ The Silence’ also suffers from the same issue with the song ending up a bit predictable. ‘Fences’, however, perfectly nails the balance between slower paced music and the heavy vocals. The chorus is simply sublime and the song is legitimately one of the best the band has written to date. Elsewhere ‘Nerve Of A Sinister King’ has an almost Nu-metal groove and swagger and with the vocals feels just so more immediate and angry. It’s a potent mix. ‘Featherweight’ closes proceedings with more of the same hard-hitting rhythms and riffs found throughout and is a great way to end the record.

Feed The Rhino have not missed a step and with the release of The Silence have not lost ground on the scene at the same time. They are now are a far more rounded band in terms of the songwriting bringing more influences to their songs. This new record shows a willingness to push themselves which will undoubtedly bear fruit on upcoming records.

Don’t call it a comeback they’ve been here for years…

7.5/10

KIERAN MITCHELL