Review: Messa – The Spin

March 31, 2025

599

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

Since 2016, Messa have been one of the rising bands in doom, delivering their own take on the genre; with each release, they always have something different to show but still maintain their cool signature sound. Sometimes they even throw an unexpected curveball like a random grindcore track that makes you think your Spotify just randomly shuffled in Napalm Death. After a highly-praised album in 2022’s Close, the Italians are back with their 4th release, The Spin. Can they follow up a very high bar that Close set for them?

Spinning out of the gates to begin the album comes the opener “Void Meridian,” kicking things off with a strong start. One of the first things you’ll hear—especially in the guitars—is the sense of post-punk/gothic rock elements inserted into Messa’s signature sound, which works fantastically. The track also delivers a lovely, heavy guitar solo while still having the doom vibes you expect from the band. The post-punk/gothic rock vibes continue to thrive with “At Races” which I really enjoyed listening to—it’s probably one of my favorite tracks on the album. This gives Messa a fresh coat of paint while keeping their identity.

The Spin does go back to the band’s doom rock senses with “Fire on the Roof” which gives a chill, atmospheric vibe to the album. “Immolation” goes into ’80s rock territory and is a great vocal display from Sara, showing how she really stands out in the band’s sound. Once again, the guitarists are on point with their solos, which add more body to the song. Next up is the 8+-minute journey of a track “The Dress,” which is executed very well in its pacing. It’s also another strong showing of Sara’s vocals; there’s a reason she’s one of the doom genre’s best vocalists at the moment. The track is also an impressive instrumental showcase of trumpet soloing, synths and bluesy guitar soloing that ends with a great, heavy crescendo.

Following up such a banger of a track comes “Reveal,” going back to the more doom/rock style, but it is extremely catchy between the hooky vocals and guitar riffs. This is a more fun, anthemic sort of track that also ends in fiery style. Closing off The Spin comes “Thicker Blood,” starting up with synths in the vein of Vangelis. This finishes the album on a high note with a great mixture of riffing, solos as well as a bit of black metal-style screeching near the end—another welcome twist.

Messa’s latest effort successfully jumps over a high bar that Close gave the band; they’ve delivered another astonishing record. While it has kept its doom formula that fans have loved throughout their discography, they added new elements in The Spin specifically that separates it from the rest of their discography and stands out greatly. The best example of this is the use of post-punk & gothic rock that is blended fantastically well with their sound. It is also helped by a shorter runtime that will feel more accessible for people unfamiliar with Messa—especially those who felt the hour-plus Close was too much last time around. The Spin is another big step in Messa’s current rise as one of the best modern doom bands out there.