Many residents of Midget Towers have been awaiting Rinoa's debut album with bated breath for some time now. Formed in 2007 from the ashes of Crydebris, Chariots and Symmetry, the Essex-based five-piece swiftly became firm favourites around these parts when they put out their dazzling self-titled EP ["Ones. To. Watch." - RM Review] the following year. Two years later comes An Age Among Them, the band's hotly-anticipated inaugural long-player which sees them working yet again with Devil Sold His Soul man Johnny Renshaw. The results? Nothing less than stunning.

It all begins innocuously enough with the gentle ambient soundscapes of 'Past Maidens' which gradually reveals itself to be a colossal beast of a track with riffs the size of mountains, while the album's true standout moment comes a couple of songs in with the brilliant juxtaposition of Perry Bryan's anguished, larynx-ripping screams and the majestically uplifting guitars of the immense 'Sol Winds'. With only one song clocking in at under the six minute mark, An Age Among Them won't satisfy everyone's palettes with its long-winding post-metal twists and turns, however fans of the likes of Pelican and Envy be delighted to discover such an accomplished British band doing things on their own terms.

Although over the course of its hour long playing time some of the tracks on An Age Among Them may blur into each other, that's about the only slight criticism you could level at the album, as it really is about as moving and powerful as music gets.

Rating: 4/5 by Dan Jones

Tracklisting

1. Past Maidens
2. This Land Will Hold Their Wings
3. Sol Winds
4. Fires In The Distant North
5. An Empty Canvas
6. This Is Our View
7. Memory
8. The Gates

Further links

Rinoa on MySpace

Myspace and homepage of up and coming London noisemakers Rinoa.