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By David ClaxtonRIONAPost Metal has seen an explosion in popularity, recognitionand respect in recent years. Neurosis and Godflesh can claimto be early practitioners of the genre, while Isis reinvented andrevived it to make it what it is today. Rinoa’s debut album, AnAge Among Them, is a mesmerising addition to Post Metal’sback catalogue of classic albums.The Essex five-piece first troubled the music world with their2008 EP, Eyes Of Sound. It promised much, but also revealed aband still looking for it’s own, distinctive sound. Other titans ofPost Metal seemed to weigh too heavily on their music.This CD is not an abrupt departure from the genre. All the elementswhich make up this field of music can be found in thisalbum. Shoe-gazing atmospheres, shredding vocals and suddentempo changes are all here. Thankfully though, there aresome amazing tracks which hint at a progression to a soundvery much of their own making.Only one song clocks in below the six minute mark, meaningthat this album is not for everyone. Another problem to reachinga bigger audience for the band is that towards the end ofthe CD some songs blend into others. This is a minor criticismthough. The front end of the album is loaded with killer tracksthat this is barely noticeable.Opener, “Past Maidens”, lulls the listener in with an imposingstart. It begins with ambient sounds that are eventuallyreplaced by colossal riffs and bleedingly heavy vocals. It isimpressive to say the least. This is followed by “This Land WillHold Their Wings”. This song is a stomper. The riffs get heavier,the vocals become more strained, the soundscape explodes tocover the listener in an all encompassing sound that is hard forany band to match. The standout track of the album is “Fires InThe Distant North”. Halfway through the track, the tempo suddenlycollapses to a crawl, a gentle ambience starts to buildup. The drums guide the track to a monster and epic finish. Theriff is devastatingly beautiful and soaks itself into the listener’sear. The track reveals a band using the conventions of theirgenre but expanding breathlessly out of it’s confines.Overall, this is a stunning debut which will be hard for Rinoato better on subsequent efforts. Move over Isis, a new star isin town.