When you first think of Italy, you might think of the breathtaking views of Tuscany, the magnificent architecture, or a delicious bowl of pasta, ice cream and pizza. The Italian music scene, unlike most of the things associated with the country, is extremely underrated. Former Eurovision winners Maneskin have bloomed since winning the competition but other than them, Italian music does not get overly that much recognition in modern day music, and especially not in alternative music. This is where Messa come in. Eleven years into their careers, they are quickly making a name for themselves as one of the best up and coming doom metal acts in recent years, and it is easy to understand why upon listening to their fourth album The Spin.
The Spin opens with a very melancholic sounding ‘Void Meridian’ as upon the introduction to the drums, things speed up slightly with the wall of 80s sounding guitars taking centre stage. The track really comes to life during the guitar solo as upon listening to this solo, the guitar really speaks for itself, making this solo perfect for this track as after the solo the track slows things down for the final chorus which sounds extremely bombastic, marking ‘Void Meridian’ as a fantastic first impression to an album which is filled with incredible solo sections.
The second and following song is one of the two singles that were released. ‘At Races’ is a faster song which once again focuses on the guitars, but this time, the drums take full command. This is a very rhythmic song in terms of the fact that the drums really feel as if they are in charge of the journey, which is unique as this is not a riff-based song, this track is purely based off of what the drums convey. Another unique element is the vocals of frontwoman Sara. Towards the end of the song the vocals sound extremely powerful, and the delivery perfectly captures what the band want you to feel once you listen to this track.
‘Immolation’ starts off with just the synths and vocals giving off the impression that this will be the ballad of the album. Halfway through the song, the vocals get increasingly raw, and that is when the guitar assault returns with another incredibly passionate solo from guitarist Alberto before the chorus returns with the full four-piece getting involved as the song concludes.
What follows is easily the best song on the album and it is the second single from The Spin. ‘The Dress’ is the second longest song with a runtime of eight minutes and 15 seconds. What really elevates this song is the fact that each musical element, the drums, guitars, bass and vocals have the chance to shine and come to life. This song also has the surprise of the album. The solo section here features a battle between Alberto shredding on the guitar and a trumpet courtesy of Michele Tedesco. The rest of the band supports this section by playing with dynamics, as the drums really quieten down and the rhythm guitar is slightly less present than usual. This section is followed by a quick build into what is the loudest rhythm section on the album, right before the guitar gets its own solo, which leads into the stellar vocals returning to get this rollercoaster back into its station.
The following song is a shorter song that is just under five minutes in length. This track has a more uplifting rock n roll feel with the guitar riffs, as the drums give it a little prog attitude. The chorus is simple here and it really works with the opening riff. This proves that the band can keep things simple, as sometimes the best music is the simplest sounding. At this stage of the record there is no need for anything overly complicated or dramatic as up until now most of the songs have been over the top not only in length but also in musicality. The guitar solo here is also on the simpler side, but the use of the double bass pedals turn this simple solo and help elevate it before the chorus returns one last time. This song, ‘Reveal,’ should have been a single and the band should have balanced the singles out with something more complex like ‘The Dress’’ and this track. If you would listen to this song once this album is out, you will easily understand why this point is being made.
The album closer, ‘Thicker Blood’ is the longest song on the entire record. So the standard was set really high following the previous couple of songs, but ultimately this track does underdeliver upon comparison to some of the other songs on this album, but it still takes you on a journey and closes the album decently enough, but with that being said, for an album that only features seven tracks, five of them could have been kept, and the band could have compiled those and tuned them into what could have been one of the best EPs of the year up until this point. However, these songs are all crafted and written with exactly what each song conveys in mind. None of these tracks sound like one another despite a couple having similar sounding synths at times.
In conclusion, The Spin has some very rich sounding songs, packed with emotion and even though this is not a very heavy album by any means, some of the tracks here sound monstrous due to the nature of the recordings and layering of each of the instruments, making some of these tracks really surprising and refreshing to the listener. This is not the doom metal experience you would expect to receive in Sweden, this is a lighter and more laid-back listening experiences with touches of jazz hinted throughout proving that this Italian four-piece will only mature as musicians, and with that, they will continue to sound richer and richer just like a wine that will get better with age.
Messa: The Spin – Out 11 April 2025 (Metal Blade Records)
