Album Review: Cycles in the Infinite Dream by REZN
Cover art for REZN’s Cycles in the Infinite Dream
Doom gets a hard rap. Sometimes rightly, often wrongly. It is a challenging genre of music that can regularly be hard work. If done incorrectly, it can be dreadfully boring, and many consider it to be a style that requires a level of intoxication to appreciate fully. This can all be true, but it is by no means a blanket statement. If crafted correctly, and by a skilled and considered set of hands, it, much like all under the vast umbrella of extreme music, can be genuinely breathtaking. REZN’s “Cycles in the Infinite Dream” is a fantastic example of this.
Curling out riffs as one might fart upon the thigh of a loved one is no easy feat. Six records into their career, the band continues to prove that this is a speciality of theirs. Add to this the new inclusion of lap steel guitar, and the sound is elevated to a whole new degree. The addition of this sound to the band’s sonic arsenal enhances the psychedelic aspect and further pushes the cosmic undertone. The dream is infinite, and so are the possibilities. Synth and saxophone further add to the variety at hand, and do so triumphantly. Blending beauty with grandeur, there are moments within this record that feel undeniably magical. With a vocal performance that would be the envy of emo bands across the globe, the melodies Rob McWilliams conjures juxtapose the crushing weight found beneath it all from start to finish.
You are engulfed by the depth of the riff from the very beginning. McWilliams, Cangelosi, and Dunn (guitar, bass, and drums, respectively) regularly combine forces to overwhelm the senses. Deep bass and a stoic but commanding backbeat, both working in tandem to amplify the destruction that these compositions can deliver to great effect. It’s not all bruisers, however, as tracks such as Aerial Birth or Escher make very clear. Trading crushing riffs for a more subdued amble, the listener finds themselves lulled into a sense of almost meditative ease. These moments don’t last long before you find yourself trampled under the stampede once more, but they return and go again in such a manner that begins to feel essential. The switches from light to dark, from less heavy to an awful lot heavier, actually, are as welcome as the melodies that soar overhead.
Opening track Rites of Passage is a fantastic example of synth being used to season a riff to perfection. An already gargantuan stringed attack is sweetened with a delicate synthetic harmony, which, upon hearing, one could not see the world without. Life is about the little luxuries, and Spencer Ouellette’s approach to a synthesiser is just one of them. Whilst Ouelette is fresh in the mind, his mark is further stamped on the following track, Transient, this time the moment in question being a frankly delightful saxophone solo that transforms the song into something beyond the band’s peers. Serving the song beautifully, it creates a moment so fantastical that it feels otherworldly. Combine this with repeated stabs from his synthesiser, and it becomes ever more apparent that the band’s character depends on this man’s input: they are no bad band without him, but his musicianship helps push them to be an exceptional one.
The length of this album is cut away by the sheer quality of the songs on offer. As the album progresses, the minutes continue to roll past in no time. Where contemporaries may stagnate or fall victim to padding, “Cycles…” is all killer. The likes of songs such as Primal Thread or Escher, coming at the tail end of the record, go to show the consideration that the band is taking toward the listening experience. They don’t want to lose you, and they appreciate the time you are choosing to spend with them. They keep you hooked on the journey you’re accompanying them on and reward you in spades.
REZN belongs on a label like Sargent House, and it is no surprise that they have remained loyal to it for so long. It is a home that encourages artistry, enables experimentation and rewards risk-taking. With a roster of bands such as Botch, The Armed, and formerly Deafheaven, the freedom to express themselves is promised. When you see the Sargent House name strapped to a record, whether you know the band or not, you can more often than not guarantee a quality not found elsewhere. You may not know what is going to unravel in front of you, and it may not necessarily be to your personal tastes, but objectively, it will be a cut above those around it. “Cycles in the Infinite Dream” is no exception.
In a time where slogans rule the roost and tags such as ‘worship the riff’ prevail, REZN push through the narrative and craft melodies beyond their peers, and the eternal lack of a screamed or growled vocal creates a soundscape in which anyone can feasibly set foot. Lend your ear to the wind, and find refuge in the craftsmanship. Sonic displays swirl around like a kite on a summer horizon and envelop you from the moment you press play. Listen once, listen twice, thrice, ten times, and marvel. You will be rewarded. The distortion urges you, commands you, to stagger through the dreamscape laid before you. Just close your eyes. Let the breeze guide you home.
FFO: Pallbearer, Elder, Blood Incantation, ORYX