“Fear inside feels sublime.”
REZN are the billowers of a particularly atmospheric strain of psychedelic doom metal. Having released three full length albums between 2017 and 2020, they now exit hibernation with a fourth full length record titled Solace. For a band this atmospheric, it’s fitting to read into the album artwork to set the scene: a dramatic piece by Adam Burke (Nightjar Illustration, also responsible for artwork used by Tchornobog, First Fragment, Unto Others, and Fit For An Autospy). Rays of light weep from a heaving sky, illuminating a valley and its protective granite walls. The mother mountain looks downward, enduring stability and storms, built of aeons and chaos. REZN inspire all these visions in their music: they are grand, heavy, ominous, and natural. Even when grooving as Iommi intended, they still take you to a far away place, and on 2023’s Solace they take you all the way to the summit.
A hallmark of REZN’s style are their guitar lines. If you’ve heard a lot of stoner and doom metal, their progressions will feel robust and trustworthy; you kind of know how they will resolve, but in a satisfying, welcome way. A wide selection of extra sounds are provided by the band’s multi-instrumentalist member Spencer Ouellette. Fans of the band will recall the saxophone moments from Chaotic Divine; they’re back, but now you’ll also find some occasional flute. REZN’s ambient record in collaboration with Catechism (a record that slipped under too many radars) has increased their interest in modular synths, meaning oozy flourishes and glittering textures abound.
It’s thus no surprise that Solace’s atmosphere is ritualistic and trance-like. Opener “Allured by Feverish Visions” reveals itself gradually, a steady jam over the same groove for its entire length. Ominous guitar is layered again and again over an Om-like bass line, with small flutters from flute and synths. Distorted drones are carefully guided toward shrill feedback, converging at 4 and a half minutes in, which doubles down at the six minute mark with a mighty “wham”. It’s an opening statement that declares REZN’s intent toward atmospherics, ambience, and heavy grooves. The mix assists greatly, providing great dynamic range, and textural depth not yet achieved in their discography to date.
“Possession” is a straightforward single that reserves its sludgy heaviness for its outro. Guitarist Rob McWilliams’ vocals are catchy, hitting that lofty, androgynous tone that fits doom metal so well (think Pallbearer or Yob for comparison). This is followed up with “Reversal”, a slow and traditionally structured doom track. Side A has some satisfying moments that are served well by the densely layered mix, but so far it’s been within REZN’s usual territory.
Side B, on the other hand, is REZN’s strongest 20 minutes of studio material thus far, and it’s proggy in a positive way. “Stasis” begins immediately with a lush doom groove, and various vocal refrains invoke a psychedelic strain (“Feels like I’ve been here before … I lose myself again”). It’s all going swimmingly until five minutes in, where a sledgehammer-of-a-chord disrupts the usual doom trajectory. After this, the band has two choices: double down toward oblivion, or gracefully fade out. Leaning towards atmosphere (for now), they choose the latter, with a stunning passage of rhythmic jostling and delayed synths. This transitions very naturally into a majestic interlude, the slow, lustrous “Faded and Fleeting”. If up to this point you’d been missing the saxophone, it comes in now, right as the record peaks, for a tasteful solo.
Closer “Webbed Roots” is also structurally complex, starting out as a dark headbanger whose intent shifts at three and a half minutes. A serious drumbeat, a portentous sample, and brief vocal beckon Solace’s heaviest moment. Feedback breaks out between crushing chords and a streak of blast beats (aside – I’m so glad all genres of rock and metal are embracing the blast beat). Of course, the final moments are a gentle glide back down the mountain.
Next to their previous records, Solace runs a bit short. But this line of thought declined as I listened to Solace more and more, and by comparison, their old work like Chaotic Divine feels cluttered and unfocused. Solace is REZN’s leanest and most atmospheric album, carrying their most kickass moments and complex songwriting.
8/10
Solace is out this Wednesday, March 8th via self release, and can be pre-ordered here.