ALBUM REVIEW: Cycles In The Infinite Dream – REZN

Chicago’s REZN are coming up to a decade since they first emerged with their debut album Let It Burn in 2017 and in those years, the band have been extremely consistent with their recorded output, never resting on their laurels with each record. Cycles In The Infinite Dream is their sixth full-length in that timeframe, and follows 2024’s brilliant Burden. 

Constantly evolving with their music while never losing touch with their roots and who they are as band, Cycles In The Infinite Dream heralds the triumphant return of REZN and shows how far they have a come with their music in a relatively short space of time. Considering the fact that the bands early releases set a bar so ridiculously high, this just exemplifies what a special band REZN are.

Rites Of Passage is an immediate opener and sets the done perfectly for what is to follow, and what follows is a kaleidoscopic journey through the world of REZN and it is a journey that takes on a whole realm of psychedelic, stoner, shoegaze and doom elements and fires them out into a hazy and joyful collection of soundscapes.

Those soundscapes take vast forms on tracks like Transient, Cloudfall and Aerial Birth, where the songs expand throughout, treating the listeners to a vivid sonic cleansing and the results are nothing short of breathtaking. Whether it’s the beautifully stirring instrumental Devotion and the closing track Terra Pretta, although they are delivered in a much more hazy fashion.

The band’s penchant for riffs are in full force throughout too, with tracks like the soaring The Vessel and Escher demonstrating this to the fullest effect. Here, each member of the band plays their heart out and shows the strength of their musicianship all the way through, their musical ideas coming fruition in the most life affirming ways. These contrasting vibes merge perfectly though, and as a body of work, Cycles In The Infinite Dream shows the power of the band’s music infinitely as the music cascades from the speakers and you will be left in awe as that happens in real time. Although it is delivered in a hugely dreamlike manner, which is definitely in keeping with what the album explores thematically.

Cycles In The Infinite Dream shows REZN‘s growth as a musical force and each of the nine songs on the album are delivered urgently and passionately. Most importantly though, the entire album is akin to listening to a wonderful dream sequence with endless possibilities awaiting. REZN have made a bold claim for album of the year here, delivering a record that will consume you from its urgent start to its monumental conclusion.

Rating: 9/10

Cycles In The Infinite Dream is out now via Sargent House. 

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