REZN’s work ethic is admirable, as in their ten years of existence the band has released six full-length albums and other collaborative works. But where some artists churn out material that follows similar formulas every few years, what’s noticeable when digging into the Chicago group’s discography is how they’ve evolved over the decade. Some of their earlier efforts fell a bit more into the traditional doom and stoner rock/metal side of the house, but others have explored psychedelic and post metal textures. REZN’s last two full lengths Solace and Burden served as complements to each other released a year apart, with the former emphasizing airier and softer textures while the latter went for darker and heavier riffs. This year’s Cycles in the Infinite Dream feels like a natural continuation of both those albums, retaining some of the heaviness and darker motifs while significantly expanding on the dreamlike textures and hazier psychedelia. Like the path Elder has taken over the years, Cycles in the Infinite Dream comes across like the culmination of everything REZN has been hinting at over the years and represents their most complete and compelling effort to date.
While Elder and Bask feel like appropriate comparison points to what REZN is doing on this album, especially when it comes to some of the additional stylistic flourishes and pushes into other genres, what sets Cycles in the Infinite Dream apart is how it remains rooted in the doom and stoner metal sounds. Opener “Rites of Passage” has that familiar lumbering foundation with thick bass lines and booming drums, and the guitar work also retains a good deal of distortion and darker tonality. But dig a little deeper and you’ll hear a lot of other textures beneath these metallic elements, as there are synths that add some moodier and hazy melodies alongside effects that give more of an Americana twang to things. The next three songs blow this side of the sound completely open and transform them in ways that are genuinely exciting, and this is where the band really shines. “Transient” is a clear early highlight, as it places an emphasis on some darker and heavier riffs that feel like a complement to 2024’s Burden, but an unexpected saxophone solo and soaring synths disrupt the ebb and flow and shift things into more progressive territory. Some of the later tracks ramp up the Americana side of things, while others inject some dreamy shoegaze and post metal elements. Closer “Terra Preta” also serves as an ambitious way to finish things off, as it builds methodically from layers of warm Americana and stoner rock textures to booming peaks that have more of post metal’s power behind it. No matter where REZN goes they draw you in with their riffs, and where the last album felt like its final moments didn’t really stand out Cycles in the Infinite Dream sticks the landing.
Rob McWilliams has one of those voices that feels perfectly suited for the type of dreamlike atmosphere and hazier elements of REZN’s sound, as his singing soars over top of the heavier foundation in ways that sometimes have ethereal qualities. Again, Elder is a good point of comparison due to the airiness of the pitch and the approach that comes across a bit closer to stoner rock, but on songs like “Transient” the echoey nature of the performance also gives me hints of Deftones and some shoegaze artists. “Escher” even has hints of alternative rock to it with some more subdued and harmonized singing, while “Terra Preta” has some whispered sections that add a sense of mystery. There are some passages that sound very close stylistically with how McWilliams tends to approach each verse, but the instrumental variety helps keep things from becoming stale and I think that his vocal work has gotten stronger with each release.
REZN has been exploring some of these psychedelic and post metal adjacent elements for a few albums now, but the hints of Americana and spacey synths further transform their music in ways that are entrancing to listen to. Where some of their peers fully moved away from doom, REZN has continued to use it to their advantage and the heavier sections serve as a nice contrast to the dreamlike ones. For me, this feels like the most complete version of the sound and vision they’ve presented over the last couple albums, and additional details pop out with each additional time through. Cycles in the Infinite Dream is available from Sargent House.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg