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The Spin is the fourth album by Italy's Messa, who play an eclectic style of doom metal/rock that is rather unique, something I don't get to write about very often. I wasn't impressed with their third album, Close, with its abundant experimentation, but on The Spin, they've distilled those things down into ones that truly worked and simplified their approach, and the results are pretty damn good. Doom metal is the base and Messa work well in that space from the atmospheric "Void Meridian" and its lush chorus to the absolutely thundering riffs of "Fire on the Roof". There is a gothic vibe running through some of the songs, characterized by spare guitars and piano and melancholy songwriting. "Immolation" is driven by sultry vocal lines like you might hear emanating from a smoky, after-hours club and "The Dress", with its smooth saxophone and subtle bass line, is like a film noir motif for the care-worn main character in films like Asphalt Jungle and Blade Runner whose life has turned out far different than they expected. The Spin is a layered affair that pushes the boundaries of doom metal without abandoning the core sound. I hesitate to say who Messa remind me off because their sound is very much their own, but if doom metal with hints of Black Sabbath, Autumn (Netherland) and Cauchemar sounds intriguing, you will very much want to check out The Spin.