Today, Italian occult doom favourites MESSA have released ‘Rubedo’, the third single from their highly anticipated album Close (out March 11th via Svart Records). ‘Rubedo’ catches the band at their most haunting yet brightly creative, weaving Mediterranean history and stories into a Sabbath-ladened soundscape.
“Rubedo is a latin word that translates as ‘redness’. It symbolizes the reunion of opposites and the manifestation of the self in its entirety. The color red has always been connected with hot-blood and sacrifice,” say MESSA. “The lyrics are about dealing with the sense of guilt. Sometimes we harm the ones we love without realizing it, and all of a sudden we reckon our faults and wish to heal the person we hurt.”
You can listen to ‘Rubedo’ here: https://orcd.co/kxpbq8j
While previous singles ‘Dark Horse’ and ‘Pilgrim’ showed great Middle Eastern influence, ‘Rubedo’ displays the impact that Flamenco music has had on MESSA. While still channeling the band’s love for folkloric Mediterranean textures, Flamenco allows for a heightened sense of emotion and sonic story-telling, which is their calling card throughout Close.
Speaking about the direction of ‘Rubedo’, MESSA comment: “Rubedo is a track tied with both our previous work and the journey dimension of our new album.” Messa’s upcoming album Close draws us further into spellbinding textures and immersive dynamics. Described as “Stevie Nicks fronting Black Sabbath,” singer Sara’s colossal voice omnipotently carries the listener on an emotional rollercoaster ride where the sonic cauldron of Iommi guitars gives way to Arabian oudh and progressive solos in a masterful style-clash that well befits Messa’s incendiary reputation.
‘Rubedo’ follows the majestical ‘Dark Horse’, and ‘Pilgrim’ who’s hypnotic, Meditteranean-meets-Middle-East inspired music video which you can watch here. Together, the songs serve to whet our appetites for Close, an album where song, experience, and atmosphere are focused into crystalline modus where high art flawlessly embraces good old-fashioned riff-worship. Transcending the occult and noir-tinted atmospheres of their past works, Close confidently weaves Messa’s multifarious influences into a singular breath-taking sound that leaves the listener enthralled. Perfection or something extremely close, Messa’s Close is not just a metal record, but it’s one of the best things to break out of the confines of metal in a long time.
Messa: Close LP/CD (pre-order link)
https://svartrecords.com/product/messa-close-album/
https://www.facebook.com/MESSAproject
https://www.instagram.com/messa_band