For the uninitiated, the music churned out by the Chicago ethereal heavy psych quartet REZN manages to convey both crushing mass and cosmic weightlessness. With their fourth upcoming full-length entitled Solace, the band once again blurs the boundaries of their psych and doom labels by exploring more delicate and introspective emotions in the lyrics and instrumentation, using the feeling of empty space to build into towering moments of maximalist density. The appearance of piano, flute, and acoustic guitar are intricately woven throughout the record, and their dynamic range seems expanded even at the heavy end with odd time signatures and thicker, more colossal walls of sound built by the rhythm section.

 

“This was the first time we were able to immerse ourselves 24/7 in the studio,” says guitarist and vocalist Rob McWilliams, “and it was essential in giving us the headspace to take risks with the songs. After a week straight of recording for twelve or more hours every day, you start to go crazy in a good way. We wanted it to push us into new territories musically, but also transform the record into something much bigger than what we initially envisioned.”

 

Emerging like an ornate relic, Austin-based power trio Grivo combines slow, methodical hooks and warm tube amplifiers to artfully re-establish the line between heavy guitars and downtempo pop. Grivo's tones and effects are utilized as active compositional elements, crafting and pacing their infectious riffs to allow the saturated guitars and bruising low-end to fully bloom. Within the tidal sound waves and bleak timbre, Grivo forges a distinctive personal connection that challenges the modern definitions of doom metal and shoegaze.