Horn Of The Rhino pour l'album ''Grengus''

1. THE BAND

Hi, Javier ! First, a traditional question. Can you please Introduce yourself to the people who doesn’t know you/your band like you did on Grengus: as manly as possible!

My name´s Javier Gálvez and I´m the vocalist/guitar player of HOTR. At the drums is Julen Gil and Sergio Robles is the bassist. We formed the band in December 2004, release a demo and four albums, and in between lots and lots of gigs and festivals.

You changed the band name Rhino to Horn of the Rhino due to legal issues. Can you tell us more about this story? Why did you choose Horn of the Rhino as a new name?

We found legal obstacles at the moment of register the band´s name so we choose to modify it. It was something that we knew could happen since the beginning, and since our web site is hornoftherhino.com there was clear what would be the right thing to do.

Horn of the Rhino is a band with a strong identity in which can be found several influences (Bolt Thrower, Entombed but also High on Fire, Soundgarden or Alice in Chains). Are there other influences (musical or not) that you’re feeling close to?

You forgot Danzig, haha! There are little details here and there of old and new bands that maybe the listener didn´t notice but we know they are in us.

2. ABOUT GRENGUS

The artwork of Grengus, in addition to its manliness, fits perfectly your music. How was it created? Is the artwork a clue left to the listener for apprehending your music or just an illustration of how brilliantly cocky you are?

Usually we make a sketch and we send it to Rafa Garrés to breath life to our idea. Don´t know for sure if it can be a clue or not for the listener, but we think that matchs perfectly with our music, yes! Is a great painting.

Many guests are present on this album, exclusively for backing vocals. It’s something that you seem to appreciate since your first album. Who are they? Are they in a band, some of your friends?

You're refering to the backing vocals for the track Pile Of Severed Heads. It was us with a few friends having a good time, screaming the fuck out! Xanpe is our producer, of course, K-Billy is the drummer of The Cherry Boppers, a funk/soul band from our city, Ritxar is a close friend of the band, and Noa is my daughter; she was born in the same year as the band and now is singing in one of our records!! That makes me a proud dad.

Grengus can be considered as the counterpart of Weight of Coronation which is more focused on slow and clean parts (although still heavy and crushing as fuck). This direction towards something more in-your-face has been decided since the beginning or came naturally during the writing process?

Yes, we want to make an angrier record, no doubt about it. We talk about it before writing the first song. We didn't want to do another album like Weight Of Coronation so we choose consciously to make an unmerciful and furious album.

Several themes came up regularly during the reading of Grengus lyrics, particularly its title. What does “Grengus” mean? Is there a concept behind it?

Can´t tell you so much about this… Is the representation of personal, rough times, a period in life a little unpleasant. It´s misery, apocalypse and love, all into one entity.

You (Javier) are defined in the booklet of Grengus as the writer of this album. How do you write your texts and music? What is your songwriting process? Sitting near a penis-shaped totem and waiting for inspiration to come?

Yeah, jerking off in front of a rusty and evil upside down cross hahaha! No, seriously, usually the music comes first and then the lyrics and vocal melodies. I´m bound to a hand recorder, always in my pocket; I´m driving, or taking a walk or just in my dayjob, and I´m humming some melody in my head and I have to record it! Sometimes I do a complete song that way, sometimes are riffs, choruses or drum parts that slowly I put together.
Right now I'm doing that for the next release.

3. SPAIN

Still about the songwriting: Is this warm, boiling and rough vibe that defines your albums your way to transmit the atmosphere of your country? For me, there is a link between your music and what I could feel during my travels in Spain…

No way man! It has nothing to do with that.

Spain has a lot of interesting bands (Moho (RIP), Graveyard, Kathaarsys or Ataraxy for example) but it’s a rare thing to see a spanish band getting a European/international recognition. For which reasons, in your opinion? Also, how is the metal scene in Spain?

I don´t give a damn thing about the “scene”. I don´t care if a band is from Spain or Holland or Canada. As long as I dig the music it doesn´t matter of wich country they are from. But is true that Spain is not renowed for any notable bands. For me, the few, true great bands, being Moksha and Moho my favourites, are deep in the underground, but nobody cares. In the surface there are plenty of shitty groups doing shitty music but I suppose this happens in every country.

4. CONCLUSION

Now, two questions from one of our readers! First: "Is Javier a worshipper with psychiatric tendencies/issues and a bedroom filled with photographies of American singers from the 90’s or just a fucking gift from heaven?"

If it´s a gift, definitely is not from heaven, for sure! Worshipper?? Hell no! Again, like in the latest question, I don´t care about music “for decades”, 70, 80, 90…Music is timeless, and the same I listen to Chris Cornell, Wino, Paul Stanley, Kyle Thomas or Danzig than to Glenn Hughes, Hall & Oates, Rob Halford or Paul Rodgers. Or the harder side with Martin Van Drunen, Bret Hoffman or Ron Rinehart.

Second question: "How many balls do you have?"

As many as necessary!

Again, some traditional but important questions. Any chance to see you play in France?

Would love to but right now nothing is confirmed. We are talking about doing an European mini tour, and France would be included, but it's too early to know.

What are you listening to these days? Any good bands to recommend?

Moksha´s Sang De Roure, the new Van Halen record, Vol. II from Let The Night Roar, Premonition 13…

Last words are yours. Thanks for your answers!

Thanks for your support, buy our records, come to our shows and let the churches burn!