Review Summary: Into the psychedelic doom mist.
REZN continue their ascent in the psychedelic doom metal spheres with the latest effort,
Solace. Although more compact than 2020’s
Chaotic Divine, the LP manages to create an immersive journey. As “Allured by Feverish Visions” inspires, we are drowned into a bleary universe where we’re left to slowly lose ourselves in. With the help of droning guitars and Al Cisneros approved bass lines, we are steadily led into the mist. Lush flute touches add to this dense vibe, whereas raucous riffs gradually find their way through the thick layer of low notes. The coda becomes quite powerful, then seguing smoothly into “Possession”. Here, the soft vocals work nicely with the clean, melodic chords and the scorching second half delivers the sonic goods as well. As we reach the middle stretch of
Solace, “Stasis” intensifies the listen, raking everything in its path with the hard hitting grooves. Louder vocals complement the murky riffage, only to dissolve quickly midway into a slow, gentle segment. The band paid extra attention on the pacing, as well as the diversity of the songs. No part overstays its welcome, plus the tracks flow one into another seamlessly. “Faded and Fleeting” surprises with an interesting saxophone solo after picked chords and effect-laden verses. This ditty is enough of a detour to refresh the listener's ears. Meanwhile, “Webbed Roots” does a fine job recapping this trip. Uneasy guitar leads, a solid round of fuzzy chords and some build-ups make for a strong ending to
Solace. REZN have leveled up with each record, following their own sonic blend in order to create a well-rounded experience. I hope they continue to hone their chemistry and surpass expectations with future projects.
