We’ll take “Bands That Really BROUGHT IT in 2023” for $2000, Alex! Whoa. Just, whoa. Can that be our review? Solace, the latest from Chicago’s REZN is a transformative listening experience. It’s an album that can easily be enjoyed in parts but, in reality, is best enjoyed as a whole. That said, when you do choose to dive fully into Solace, and you definitely will choose to do so, make sure you set aside some tiiiime to enjoy it all at once.
“Allured By Feverish Visions” starts us off on this aural encounter with almost eight minutes of instrumental exposition that sets the scene and lays the foundation and does all the things necessary to reel you in. Drenched in mysticism and augmented by a monstrous rhythm section that is so in sync courtesy of Phil Cangelosi’s bass and Patrick Dunn’s drumming, you’ll barely be able to move out of the zone it’ll put you in to truly appreciate the flute passages from Spencer Ouellette that accent everything as the track slowly builds and builds towards… something!
That something manifests in the form of “Possession” with Rob McWilliams’ unique voice proving to be that final piece of the puzzle narrating as the gifted guide on this nascent journey that culminates in a massive riff flex to conclude this monolithic opening number. Not to be outdone, “Reversal” is seemingly even more colossal and heads down a path that’s equally majestic and magical with McWilliams’ guitar and Cangelosi’s bass merging to form a sonic wall that surges and flows nicely with Dunn’s steady work on the sticks.
“Stasis” just plows on through next with a commanding performance from McWilliams behind the mic that shimmers and shakes the foundations with its’ heft while “Faded And Fleeting” enters a dreamlike trance that’s not quite Psych Rawk but close and seemingly out of a Moody Blues fever dream. Add in a bluesy, sexy sax from multi-instrumentalist Ouellette (Who also handles the flute, synth, and piano in REZN) and you have one gnarly niche sounding ditty in the grand world of the heavy. Climaxing with the big and broad “Webbed Roots”, REZN diverge for a haunting oration from Marie Davidson mid-song before revving up for one last master blast of musical excellence with McWilliams’ shreds matching the intensity from Cangelosi and Dunn’s harmonious hum of heaviness.
Solace drops on March 8th with pre-orders ready to peruse and purchase now in a variety of formats along with all the pertinent REZN links when you head here and here.
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