Messa are back with The Spin, released April 11^th. I first heard them on their 2022 record Close, which is also great. But there’s something about this new album that is strangely hypnotic and immediately nostalgic.

The band hails from Italy, lineup consisting of Sara on vocals, Marco on bass and synth, Alberto on guitars, synth, and piano, and Rocco on drums. They play a warm and alluring progressive stoner doom metal. They have the song structures of progressive, the bourbon grit of stoner, and the elongated riffs and hovering melancholy of doom. I’d say they lean into the original Black Sabbath sound somewhat, as well.

But the band is more than labels. Sara has a great voice with a haunting upper range, so as melancholy as the atmosphere feels, she frequently breaks through that, like a xenomorph through skin. Yes, the guitar work leans towards doom, but Alberto also rocks pretty hard and lays down some shorter and catchier riffs. The rhythm section, too, is sweaty and strong with plenty of times where they become the highlight. This is more than combining genres, this is a natural sound for these musicians.

There’s just something about The Spin, though, that draws me in consistently. It feels like they’re telling a Romantic story, but one where the heroine rejects all constraints and truly becomes something unstoppable. The music lends itself to this confidence poise, and as shadowy as the music might appear, the more I listen the more I find the emotions to be bold and declarative.

The album has seven tracks and they are all great. “Void Meridian” opens with a harmonious and lovely song that sets the tone well. “At Races” has a mean hook and an addictive tempo, and I love how the song slides into vocal fireworks near the end. “Fire on the Roof” is terrifically catchy; there’s just something about how they wrote the main vocal melody that makes you want to hear it again and again.

The second half is, perhaps, a little more nuanced. “Immolation” is a little more delicate at first, introspecting upon piano and space. I love how the rhythm section marches in and Alberto launches into a pealing solo, making for a satisfying contrast. “The Dress” comes next, and is my favorite on the album. This song has such a spacious and carefully enunciated first part with some truly interesting lyrics; I love the soaring chorus and the unbelievably cool bluesy interlude, replete with jazzy brass, bassy darkness, and noodly guitar. The song slowly rises from that interlude into a towering climax that is absolutely perfect, guitar solo and vocals and all.

The last couple tracks are fantastic, as well. “Reveal” has a headbang-worthy stuttering chaos about it and a chorus that might become my favorite on the album. The closer “Thicker Blood” is my second favorite overall, having that lumbering doom feeling that is strangely comforting. I love how it riffs along, slowly adding layers and ambience until the last few moments are full on screams and vocal harmonies that sound so good.

Messa are making a name for themselves. The Spin is an amazing album, whether you are interested in their genre fusion or just the emotions of the moment. “The Dress” will be one of my top songs of the year, no doubt, and there’s just something that drags me back to listen again and again. Fans of progressive metal and doom need to hear this.

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