ALBUM REVIEW: Live At Roadburn – Messa
Hailing from the walled medieval city of Cittadella in Padua, Italian doom trailblazers MESSA have been captivating the imaginations of the masses with their unique and mesmeric sound. Having released their enigmatic third album Close in 2022, the mystical quartet headed to that year’s edition of Roadburn Festival with an extended line-up of excellent musicians to give the audience a truly magical and unique main stage performance that left those watching in awe. Captivating from the very start, MESSA meshed together to sounds of the Mediterranean with crushing doom riffs. With a setlist consisting of songs off of Close, this specially dedicated and one of a kind set recreates the sounds and magic of the album in their truest form.
Close received glowing reviews from across the metal landscape. The band’s dedication to a consistently dark, enigmatic and cavernous atmosphere helps them stand head and shoulders above their peers. Their high level of musicianship enabled the band to truly display their eclectic tastes and that is brilliantly reflected on Live At Roadburn. Close is definitely a defining album for MESSA, confirming their place in the upper echelons in the doom and occult metal underground. As a result of this triumphant album, you can easily see why their Roadburn set was highly anticipated.
Bringing in the musical talents of Giorgio Trombino (oud, duduk, saxophone), Alex Fernet (mandolin, acoustic guitar) and Blak Saagan (synthesizers) to create the intense and esoteric atmospheres of Close, MESSA’s excellent performance on Live At Roadburn inspires a mystical kind of devotion. Alongside the unique employment of the oud, duduk and mandolin and the building of multi-textural, atmospheric layers, you also feel a spiritual wanderlust deep within you. The performance allows you to drift away to another place, with the powerful presence of Sara’s voice to guide you. Live At Roadburn also has a remarkable calmness to it, as if MESSA are oracles for some ancient, divine beings that are using the band as a vessel to communicate with us mere mortals. Everything is captured so clearly that is places you perfectly in that moment in time, the incredible energy in the room is tangible and it makes your spine tingle.
MESSA‘s intrinsic ability to keep you enchanted with their music is truly marvellous. You become so invested and immersed that before you know it the album is finished and 40 minutes have flown by. The setlist effortlessly flows, the songs creating an intimate and ritualistic environment (bar a quick thank you from Sara after Suspended), but from that very first note your attention is fixed. MESSA both embrace and defy what it means to be a metal band, blurring the lines and bringing in unusual instruments to create richly dense atmospheres that can transport you somewhere else in seconds. This incredible level of musical alchemy can’t even be achieved by more established bands, so Live At Roadburn demonstrates how MESSA are one of the shining lights in this genre.
Opening up with Suspended, the first melodic plucks and deep drones command your respect, given how clearly the performance is captured it feels like MESSA are performing solely for you. With that in mind, much like the majority of MESSA’s music, Live At Roadburn will be experienced differently by all who listen to it. Orphalese is the most captivating song on the album; its Mediterranean influences conjure up mystical scenes of ancient worlds as Sara’s ethereal and celestial vocals enchant you with ease. You can imagine the audience gently swaying, lost in the moment and this intently magical energy is palpable.
The ten-minute journey 0=2 is just as captivating and the heart of the set. There is a wonderful earthiness to the traditional instruments on the album, and that is showcased best here. Closing the album is Pilgrim; this is the epitome of a sonic journey, everything builds with purpose and nothing is rushed, even in the live environment. You succumb to the slow, somniferous rhythm with Sara’s vocals once again being the guiding light through this hypnotic section before MESSA ramp it up with monolithic doom riffs. You can feel the raw, uncompromising power the band posses as they go all out in the final minutes of their performance.
The scale and scope of Live At Roadburn is hard to capture in this many coherent words, so it’s safe to say that MESSA are a rare gem and they deserved to be treasured. The sheer magnitude of their music alongside their incredible musicianship and stagecraft is awe-inspiring. As a result, this really is an album that has to be experienced fully. It commands your attention with an angelic grace and penetrates deep into your soul. Live At Roadburn demonstrates a band in fully composed ascendancy.
Rating: 9/10
Live At Roadburn is set for release on April 7th via Svart Records.
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