This is one of the most difficult albums I have ever had here to review not only due to the music, but also how to label it. No, no, no, it is not it. It is because of the music that I heard in “The Spin,” which, by the way, is quite a spin. Lots of mixed emotions listening to it, I must say.
The thing is I listened to the album inumerous times – I lost track of how many times trying to decide if I would review the album or not. My big problem is that Messa, a Doom Metal band at least is what my press release says, gave the album a huge, but huge spin to the 1980’s Gothic Rock with verves to the so called sophisticated Pop Rock people as Sade from the same 1980’s. I confess it is not my favorite kind of music because I lived that epoch and I remember to be really angry of them playing on the radio instead of Metal music. I was a teenager back then, please, focus on that. Besides all that, there is a 1980’s fake mood that was brought by shows as Stranger Things like in “Fire on the Roof” with all the electronic effects that sound to be come from an Atari videogame. Those are the cons. If you get me right they are not few.
Well, after a long while – it took me all the weekend to decide to review or not to review “The Spin.” But the album is so good, but so good that I had to give in and review it to honor all the artistic work Messa did here trying to get all the vibes of 1980’s. Allow me to say they did it with flying colors. Not only, they made me like that usic I used to hate back then because I thought it was so commercial. Yeah, time does wondrous things.
First of all, a little piece of advice to Doom Metal fans who love Messa; this is not a Doom Metal album. Not even close. This is a Rock album with inspirations on the 1980’s Rock, Gothic Rock, and pop. Messa did an incredible work getting the epoch’s sonancy right. As the press release says “[t]o achieve the authentic sound that Messa had in mind, they set about assembling as much original 80s equipment as they could get their hands on – “from the drums and the amps to the actual mixing console, chorus effects, gated reverbs, and of course pianos and synths from the era like the CP80 and the Juno 106.” I cannot deny the outcome was a real sound of the time. One of the best I have ever heard.
Not only, Messa delved deep into the small details from the sonancy of that time. Many fans might not know, but there were some artists, as Sade, who back then revived cool Jazz and made it into some kind of fancy pop thing. It was not only the saxophone that was everywhere, but also the drumming and the bass plus the cool mood. “The Dress” and its eight minutes of pure jazzy flamboyant playing is the track that immediately pops up to the eye. It is also fair to say “The Dress” has its Yes’ Prog Rock moments are absolutely remarkable. Add to that Sara’s velvet voice and Alberto and Marco’s Black Sabbath’s “Seventh Star’s” era. Fun fact, one of them do look like him in the promo picture…
On the other hand, the chorus effects and gated reverbs used on the guitars gave tracks as “Immolation” that magnificient Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour’s guitar on “The Wall” era effect. I believe this is one of the most beautiful guitar sounds I have ever heard. It has a depth sound effect that it is very difficult to explain and sounds just perfect. I have to say that at this moment I was immediately transported to my bedroom in 1985 listening the jawbreaker guitar solo of “Comfortably Numb,” the immediate reference I can think of awesome solos. Generally speaking, all the time was a kind of time travel to me. Another highlight is “Reveal” the track which the most reminds the band’s Doom Metal roots – well, in a way because it is the track with the most Metal features. Its thick guitars with an uptempo cadence put the track as one of the heaviest tracks of the album.
To be frank, “The Spin” is not a Metal album, but in no way it is an album a Metal fan should not listen to because there is a hell of musical and artistic work in it. It is worth each minute you spend to listen to it.
Messa “The Spin” will be released on April 11th via Metal Blade Records.
Track Listing:
1. Void Meridian
2. At Races
3. Fire on the Roof
4. Immolation
5. The Dress
6. Reveal
7. Thicker Blood
Watch “The Dress” official music video here:
Source: metaladdicts.com
