burden

Psychedelia virtuosos REZN, who are known for adding prog, shoegaze, and sonic ethereals to their heavy sound, are here with their fifth album and last piece in a two-part series, Burden. Recorded alongside their 2023 release, this album offers a darker and denser experience acting as the black swan to their white swan, Solace. While Solace drew upon uplifting themes and emotions accompanied by dreamy melodies, Burden centers on themes of delirium, claustrophobia, and misery while focusing on riffs and heavier, more demanding sounds over atmosphere. The two are undeniably different, yet they overlap in sophisticated compositions, unique instrumentation, and passionate performances.

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Hey folks, Chris here. And man am I glad I’m covering for Fearless Editor Josh™ because the next couple weeks are going to be KILLER for metal fans in general and Initial Descent in particular. And it’s all kicking off with the long awaited seventh album from the New Zealand death merchants Ulcerate…the entire 9C office can’t stop raving about it. That not enough for ya? How about the return of the mighty, the modern heavy metal masters Crypt Sermon who might have just topped themselves with their third full length? Is that not enough? You say you want doom, with a little of that desert crunch to it? How freakin’ glad are you that Rezn have returned with another slab of molten riffs that will sweat the sin from your skin? All that heat is sure to wear you out, and for the return trip to reality there might be nothing better than some Floyd-inspired modern progressive rock with the new Airbag which I’ve been spinning for weeks when I need my mind to just drift away.

All that and more awaits you in this prelude to the official start of summer. Go blow the sonics and we’ll see you here with reviews, profiles and more throughout the week.

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