Release Date: May 09th 2025. Record Label: Glory or Death (USA), Kozmik Artifactz (EU), and gig.ROCKS! (PT). Formats: DD/Vinyl
The Thirds Coming - Tracklisting
1.Death by Astonishment
2.Widowmaker
3.Velvet Nebula
4.Endless Cycles
5.Burnt!
6.Hazy Morning
7.Sauerkraut
Members:
Electric guitar/vocals: Ricardo Sampaio
Bass guitar: Vasco Vasconcelos
Drums/percussion: Pedro Cruz
Keys/ Synths: Marco Lima
Review
Psych/Prog/Stoner Rockers Madmess return with their third full length album The Third Coming that combines old-school Hard Rock sounds with lush sounding Prog Rock melodies. There’s a sense of urgency to Madmess music especially where the 1970’s Proto-Metal and Blues Rock sound comes from. Pounding drumming and freaking instrumental jams are the main order of business for Madmess to deliver their heavy grooves upon the listener. With a subtle sideline in distorted Psych Rock attitude, the record is quite offbeat and devilishly off-beat when the record showcases a fine style of Retro Rock heaviness.
Madness are not adverse to slowing the mood right down with a streetwise Blues Rock attitude which comes across with the almost DOOM & GLOOM inspired opening track Death By Astonishment. This is purely an instrumental number with Madmess showcasing an impressive array of different styles of music that evolves quite differently with the majority of the tracks contained on the album,
Second track Widowmaker has a vivid Proto-Doom energy whilst keeping with a groovy sideline in FUZZ and GUITAR PEDAL WORSHIP with Led Zepp and Black Sabbath instrumental power and riff wizardry being developed and fully delivered with superb vocals to match. The inclusion of distorted Space Rock flows once again allows Madmess to think outside the box and play with Prog Rock influences that gives them a wicked OLD SCHOOL vibe especially when the mood is slowed right down. There is a feeling of Post-Rock energy merged with Blues Rock attitude once again showcasing many different sides to Madmess.
Third track Velvet Nebula is built upon epic waves of Classic Rock, Space Rock, Psych Rock and modern day Stoner based movements. There’s a fuzzed up STOP / START process that comes mostly through the wicked rhythm section from Pedro Cruz (Drums / Percussion) and Vasco Vasconcelos (Bass). Marco Lima can only be classed as the resident ASTRONAUT in attendance with his sublime performance on Keys and Synth. Ricardo Sampaio impresses as well on Vocals and Electric Guitar duties where he shows a great style of Prog Rock and Blues Rock extended instrumental jams and complete psychedelic freakouts of the highest order
Madmess fully explore and develop their subtle Psych, Space and Prog Rock sound even further with subtle flashes of Stoner Rock, Ambient and Post-Rock environments coming into play mostly on Endless Cycles and Hazy Mornning. Though, the band offset this style of music against heavier areas of Hard Rock, Doom and Proto-Metal which sees Madmess playing different genre rules, tropes and conventions completely against each other with brilliantly inspired results.
The Third Coming is a soulful and brilliantly mysterious record that brings a whole lot of different thrills, spills and genuine excitement which impresses throughout from start to finish.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Kozmik Artifactz PR for the promo.
Third Coming will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl from Saturday 09th May 2025 via the links below:
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
