Messa 'Close' 2xLP

Messa's rising trajectory hits the stratosphere on their immense new album Close. Soaring up out of the Italian Doom Rock underground in 2014, Messa have been rapidly garnering a frenzied throng of devotees, in thrall to their monumental and broad-ranging sound craft. Releasing two widely celebrated cult records, the latest of which Feast For Water in 2018 was a critical breakthrough success, with Rolling Stone calling the whole album "captivating, wringing maximum drama out of its savvy stylistic clash," Messa have had everyone on tenterhooks, waiting for what was next.

Close draws us further into Messa's spellbinding textures and immersive dynamics. Described as "Stevie Nicks fronting Black Sabbath," singer Sara's colossal voice omnipotently carries the listener on an emotional rollercoaster ride where the sonic cauldron of Iommi guitars gives way to Arabian oudh and progressive solos in a masterful style-clash that well befits Messa's incendiary reputation. The hushed Fender Rhodes piano intro on opener "Suspended," picks up where Messa left off on their previous album Feast For Water but then collapses gloriously into Jazz guitar and widescreen impassioned crushing riffs, lighting our way for the odyssey ahead.

Perfection or something extremely close, Messa's Close is not just a Metal record, but it's definitely one of the best things to break out of the confines of Metal in a long time.