Crash of Rhinos – Logbook

While Derby may not be the first city that comes to mind when considering the origins of Crash of Rhinos, those familiar with the band regard the five-piece cult act as the stuff of legend. Following a much-celebrated two-album period between 2011 and 2013, both of which seem destined for a Numero Group reissue in some near future, the band returns with their first new music in 13 years and a renewed sense of purpose.

The reasons Crash of Rhinos went on hiatus in the first place are fairly ordinary: diminishing career prospects and the challenges of managing daily life. Particularly at a time when the emo genre receives greater respect for both established veterans and emerging artists, they seem better positioned to give it another shot, making their return a positively monumental one for a niche audience.

Both ambitious and intimate, Logbook sounds like a completely different beast from albums past—and a gentler beast at that. Once the initial thirty seconds of “Figures of Light” careen through layered spectral guitars and dissonant transitions, it’s immediately apparent that their delivery is guided by the virtue of patience and experience.

Some may perceive Logbook as sounding mellower compared to previous releases, taking cues from the softer, heartfelt aspects of Midwest emo. They’re surely right to a degree. But while they’ve reduced the intensity of their post-hardcore roots, tracks like “Errata” and “Every Dark” still possess a significant intensity, riding the build-and-release dynamics more characteristic of albums like Mineral's EndSerenading or Sunny Day Real Estate’s How It Feels To Be Something On.

Led by vocalist Paul Beal’s raw grit, a signature element that remains crucial to the band’s sound, the sweeping post-rock of Logbook—recorded in a central library and a remote barn—captures a world very much of its own place. This sense of scope is particularly evident in the subtly nuanced, gliding album closer, “Meeting at Distance,” in which the band could pass as bedfellows for Mancunian rockers Elbow.

While comebacks may seem like dime-a-dozen lately, Crash of Rhinos’ unassuming approach makes their return easy to root for. Logbook might not redefine their body of work, but it certainly reaffirms their place as a band that matters.

Logbook is out now via 12:01 Recordings (UK) and Storm Chasers Ltd (USA).