It was 2022’s album Close that first brought Italians Messa to my attention. This was an album that was drenched in atmosphere, and although the band wear the Doom label, there was much more to their sound. Now, on the Metal Blade label, The Spin is of such quality that one can see them pushing to much bigger things.
Messa – The Spin
Release Date: 11 April 2025
Words: Paul Hutchings
Of interest is the change of approach to recording. For Close, Messa gathered together. This time, it was separate locations and timings, although they did assemble for six weeks of intensive writing in a 500-year-old villa close to the quartet’s beautiful hometown of Bassano Del Grappa (VI) in Northern Italy.
The change appears to be logical, as the band explained. “When we recorded Close back in 2021, we wanted to be all in the same room together. This time, we decided to do the exact opposite. We recorded the album in three separate locations and timings.
“This record has seen a lot of rearrangement of the same musical material to make a coherent work from start to finish. We also aimed at making the songs work with the most minimal structure while trying not to repeat ourselves too much. We applied a simple rule: if you hear the same thing twice it’s enough. Three times? It gets boring.”
Boring isn’t something I would level at Messa on any of their three previous records, but on The Spin, they really do elevate their sound to another level. Self-defined as Scarlet Doom, there is an eclectic approach to their music so vast that it is almost impossible to add labels. And that is one of the massive charms of this band. Across the 43-minute, seven-song release, there is truly something for everyone.
Drawing this time around on influences from the ’80s across a huge range of artists, the band have named Sisters Of Mercy, Virgin Prunes, as well as Killing Joke, Mercyful Fate, Jimmy Page, Journey, The Sound, Boy Harsher and Vangelis amongst the influences. In fact, on every listen, something different emerges. At times, even the likes of Kate Bush and Florence Welsh wash through the speakers.
Sara Bianchin’s haunting vocals take central focus throughout, but she would be the first to credit the excellence of musicianship that cascades around her.
From heavy, crushing riffs to delicate, ethereal passages that allow the songs space to breathe, it is all here. Listen to the captivating The Dress, which sees synths mixed with big guitar before the song meanders into a smoky, jazz-fuelled middle section that sees Messa stand away from any norm.
The play-off between the saxophone and Alberto Piccolo’s glorious guitar work is exceptional. As the song broods like a slumbering volcano, one final eruption makes the song soar to even greater heights. This is the centrepiece of an album crammed full of intricacy and intrigue.
There is the bluesy smoulder of Reveal, which starts in a Page-style swagger before the band kick in with huge effect. Plenty of Zeppelin nods here, intentional or otherwise and whilst their music is organic, innovative and mesmeric, they rely on little wizardry in the studio.
Drawing on analogue equipment wherever possible, this is a real old-school project. “From the drums and the amps to the actual mixing console, chorus effects, gated reverbs, and of course pianos and synths from the era like the CP80 and the Juno 106,” they reveal.
And despite the album containing two songs that are eight and nine minutes, Messa have focused on even more ’80s style. That of fitting the release onto two sides of vinyl. Their shorter songs do not skimp, though. The pulsating gothic vibes of opener Void Meridian and the punchier Fire On The Roof all hold their own.
As Sara’s voice has developed over the previous releases, this is now a career defining release. She’s honest in her appraisal. “For this record I gave up parts of my own sanity,” she reveals. “I wore myself in so many different ways… You cannot lie when you are singing. My aim was to record my parts in the most honest way possible. Mix-wise, the vocals are more on the spotlight, in true ’80s fashion.”
Lyrically, the songs touch on a range of subjects. Destroying one’s ego, impossible cursed love, giving up on yourself, others’ expectations, self-sabotage, resurrection. It takes some time to explore these as you can get lost in the overall pieces.
The nine-minute Thicker Than Blood, which closes the album, is a fine example, where the musicianship draws you in with its broad soundscapes and doomy feel before unleashing different delights as it winds its way home.
A line-up that has been together for over a decade is now bearing fruits. There is much to enjoy and admire here. In terms of albums for 2025, The Sign is surely one for consideration. The Italians are ready for the step up.
Their inclusion at the 20th anniversary Damnation Festival is wonderful news. By then, one can only hope that the band have reaped their rewards. Anything else would be a travesty.
Messa – The Spine – Is out on 11 April 2025 via Metal Blade Records.
Pre-orders are available from here, while an exclusive vinyl can be bought from the band’s Bandcamp page
