“While we love the name, it shall be made clear that we do not condone the ownership of rhinos as pets,” states a press release that landed in my inbox one day.
While I’m not a zoologist, this one-liner grabbed my attention – it was enough to check out the album.
And I have to admit that it’s quite an experience to listen to a record with such carefully curated content and a distinct approach to music-making.
PART 226 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
“Our music, our way. No compromises” is My Pet Rhino‘s motto. That’s probably why it has taken the band nearly two decades to release the debut record.
The brainchild of musician and songwriter Jon Maratheftis, the project is set on carving its own path in the Australian music scene. In the press release, the group’s founder jokes about “commanding attention like a wild rhino roaming the savanna in the summer sun.”
Drawing inspiration from all corners of the globe, the Sydney outfit combines prog-rock elements with simple, hard-nosed alt-rock grooves and pop-driven melodies sure to be stuck in your head. Its aesthetic has as much in common with the raw, edgy Scottish alternative rock scene (think There Will Be Fireworks and We Were Promised Jetpacks) as it does with more polished global alt-rock superstars (John mentions Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead and The Killers as the inspiration).
Image supplied
Unlike those influences, however, My Pet Rhino boasts fierce female vocals. And that’s another aspect of the band I applaud.
Plus, the squad making the album was very international. The lead vocals were recorded in Spain by American singer Leanne “LeeLoo” Greenman. Almost all the other instruments (except for the drums and backing vocals) on the album are performed by the founder.
Consequently, John’s main task now is to turn that recording project into a band, not separated by multiple continents. He hopes to achieve that by sharing his music far and wide.
The first taste of the group’s eclectic fusion of styles was “Is This Really How It Ends?”. The 5.5-minute-long lead single was released on May 9th, 2025.
A classic tale of the struggling songwriter, the song is a playful examination of expectation versus reality. An idea is born, but something is missing. A growing tension mounts before the dreaded reality sets in – there is only so much one can deliver.
“Written by an amateur to be performed by pros,” as explained by Jon, the track proudly escapes the bounds of personal limitations and strides gloriously towards a fully realised magnum opus. Finishing with chaos aplomb and a pub choir in all its glory, the song signs off with a nod to its own genesis: Is this REALLY how it ends?
Interestingly, that first single is the one that closes the 13-track debut album because Arrows is not a coincidental production.
The record dropped on May 23rd. And you can tell that it has been meticulously planned in its entirety.
It feels like a curated collection of only the catchiest melodies, punchiest riffs, and most creative song arrangements designed to set fire to your speakers while embracing you with a loving hug from your mother’s arms. Hence, Arrows swerves its way through the peaks of soaring progressive rock epics, down through the valleys of delicate, melodic soft indie folk tunes, and out through the open plains of sweet-yet-sour combinations of all the above (and more).
“It has been my dream to put together an album which truly portrays all my favourite aspects of the music I love,” Jon explains. “I am thrilled to finally be sharing this compilation of the best and most memorable songs I have written over the last 20 years.”
The result is harsh, yet refined. Complex, yet deceptively simple. Snarly, yet surprisingly smooth. Whatever flavour you favour, My Pet Rhino delivers an experience that leaves you craving for more. Using a strict ‘no two songs sound the same’ approach, the record guarantees the listener is only one song away from finding their new favourite tune.
Looking for an anthem for the frustrated, the lonely, and the rejected? You’ll find it in “All The Same” which opens the album. “The Dust & The Debris” will assure you that going through ups and downs is a shared human experience. Press play on “Through My Eyes” to revel in the joy of the often unnoticed and underappreciated moments that shape our lives for the better. And if you’re after a sympathetic ode to the never-ending quest for the key to happiness, that’s “Take Me Away”.
The band ensures a truly engaging listening experience catered for all kinds of rock and roll enthusiasts. Arrows is a record for the young and the old, for the moments of despair and the moments of joy.
Jon enthuses: “After years of hard work to get the project off the ground, I am so excited to finally release my little ball of rock-and-roll chaos into the world.”
Most of all, however, Arrows is to be enjoyed by listeners of all walks of life who just want to feel the rapturous power of energetic and engaging music. Music that is strong, rugged, and as majestic and mysterious as a wild rhino itself.
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