Belfry

Messa – Close Review

By Steel Druhm on March 10, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Jazz, Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, 49 comments

“Three albums into their career and few bands are as enigmatic and interesting as Messa. Starting life as a progressive doom act, Messa always played fast and loose with genres and styles, layering doom, sludge, ambient, and cabaret jazz influences in the madman’s lasagna and adroitly blending spices to make something captivating and otherworldly. On third album Close, the ambient elements have faded away but the doom-meets-cabaret-meets-whatever style is still present, with the overall sound ending up more expansive and airy.” Up Close and personal.

Messa – Feast for Water Review

By Steel Druhm on April 2, 2018 in 2018, Aural Music, Doom Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 82 comments

“In my lengthy tenure as an AMG contributor, I can count on half a hand the number of albums that blindsided me as hard as Messa’s debut Belfry did. I plucked it from the promo sump knowing zero about the upstart Italian doomsters and was soon hopelessly in the thrall of their eerie doom drone hybrid style. Naturally, Belfry was going to be a tough act to follow regardless what direction the young act decided to travel, and after a fairly short wait, we get their second album, Feast for Water.” Into the deep end.

Steel Druhm’s Top Ten(ish) of 2016

By Steel Druhm on December 30, 2016 in 2016, Blog Posts, Lists, 153 comments

“Well, it looks like we made it to the end of another year of music, mayhem and interweb tomfoolery! And while 2016 kicked most of our asses in unpleasant ways, it was an outstanding year for metal music. In fact, I think it was the best overall since I joined the AMG meat grinder way back in 2010.” Don’t shoot the messenger gorilla.

Madam X’s Least Disliked Ten(ish) of 2016

By Madam X on December 29, 2016 in 2016, Blog Posts, Lists, 95 comments

“As the year winds to a close I find myself reflecting on what this year has been for me musically, and I have to say, unlike other reviewers on the site, I’ve found it extremely difficult to doll out any significantly high scores. This has led me to just one conclusion, Madam X’s Top Ten(ish) of 2016, shall instead be titled Madam X’s Least Disliked Ten(ish) of 2016.” There is no X in team.

Messa Premieres Promo Video for “Babalon” and You Should Watch It

By Steel Druhm on May 10, 2016 in 2016, Aural Music, Doom Metal, Italian Metal, Doom Metal, 31 comments

“A few weeks back I ranted and raved like a madman over Messa’s debut album, Belfry. Sadly, the Italian doom mavens had little in the way of online music with which to showcase their wares.” And now they’ve corrected this grave injustice.

Messa – Belfry Review

By Steel Druhm on April 22, 2016 in 2016, Ambient Metal, Aural Music, Doom Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 66 comments

“Sometimes a band comes out of nowhere and takes a baseball bat to the established way of doing things. Whether that means adding banjos to black metal or incorporating 70s prog into doom/death, it can result in absolute triumph or a total grease fire. It’s those unexpected triumphs in particular that make music such a visceral and exciting medium and when a band pulls off something new and unusual, they deserve respect and admiration. Unknown Italian doomsters Messa want to be the next trend wrecker and to that end they’ve fused dark ambient weirdness and minimalist drone onto old school, traditional doom on their eye-opening debut, Belfry.” No one expected this Italian Inquisition!