The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: REZN

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

Whatever we’re doing is just a culmination of all of our musical tastes and creative energies. We love the atmosphere of cinematic and psychedelic music, but we wanted to add more of an edge to it. At the beginning, it was just Rob and Phil jamming together with the intention of making a blend of heavy and cosmic music. When Patrick and Spencer were brought into the mix, our combined writing styles and personal musical goals gave REZN a backbone that was stronger than all of us could’ve imagined. It’s very much based around an organic friendship that glues us all together.

Describe your first musical memory.

We all grew up digging through our parent’s record collection and their music taste, which was mainly just a mix of classic rock and country music. It seems like the one common thread we all shared was listening to Pink Floyd from a very early age. Who would’ve thought?

Describe your best musical memory to date.

This is impossible to answer, but playing our ‘Live at Ohmstead” collaboration record with Lume live on stage at The Empty Bottle was up there as our favorite. Simultaneously, there were two drummers, two guitar players, two bassists, two vocalists, and the sax and synth just swirling everything into a sonic milkshake. Transforming simple melodies into colossal walls of sound with the people that we love was unforgettable, not to mention the feeling of playing it live. The Bottle was the perfect finale to that tour we did with Lume, and the energy in the room that night was very, very good. Here’s a video taken by our good friend Austin that gives you a glimpse into that performance: https://youtu.be/0qT00rnLGZ4

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

We come in conflict with our own independence quite a lot, mainly because we’re a small team and have very limited outside help as a band. Although that comes with its own set of challenges, it has allowed us to act and change whenever and however we want. As with other bands, our biggest challenge was getting through the pandemic with our sanity and ambition intact. We still managed to release a record during that time, and although we weren’t able to tour it like we would have wanted, we realized that our independence is what fulfills us as musicians. So even when the responsibilities and band tasks can become overwhelming between the four of us, we can appreciate those moments because they’re founded on an independence that has allowed us to grow in our own direction as a band and as people.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

We don’t necessarily think artistic progression is a linear process. We believe our music grows with our own life paths. That includes our influences and what we continue to learn in regard to writing, our style, and what is going on in our lives while we are creating new art. One major tenant of ours is to try to not make the same record twice, so we always focus our efforts to reshape and reinvent how we make music as REZN.

How do you define success?

In the context of our band, we would love to keep being able to write music we are proud of and perform it in front of the world. As long as we can continue to do that, we would consider ourselves successful.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

We wish we never saw the black mold on that guy’s carpet floor we slept on after a show one time. We also wish we never saw the uncensored cover of The Origin of the Feces… so we could see it for the first time all over again.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

We would love to make a dark ambient noise record. It’s something we are all interested in, and it would be fun to see where our vision for it leads us. We would also like to help create a space in the music scene where heavy music can continue to be fused and transformed by other genres and sounds. If someone can hear our hybrid blend of “psychedelic doom” and take it further, then we know we’ve done something meaningful.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

We believe it’s a connection between the creator and the observer. It’s a force that gathers, motivates, inspires, and provides pure enjoyment of life.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Disc golfing season. Everyone except Patrick loves it. Also excited to experience Chicago while Lori Lightfoot is no longer mayor. Lastly, we’re looking forward to camping and relaxing outdoors as much as possible once we’re done touring.

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Rezn, Solace (2023)

[Click play above to stream REZN’s Solace in its entirety. Album is tomorrow, March 8. US tour dates here.]

Serenity in and through heft, exploration of space and a space, creation of a parabolic world movement, and a bit of The Tempest to keep things classy; the fourth album from Chicago’s REZN, not coincidentally titled Solace, is revelatory as regards the band’s blend of cosmic doom, experimentalist ambience, drone and that-which-is-riffed-big. It is their most accomplished offering to-date. Though they’ve done between-LP releases before, collaborations, live records, etc. — and they’ll have more to come in a full-length PostWax collab with Mexico City instrumentalists Vinnum Sabbathi sometime later this year — it’s been three years since the four-piece of guitarist/vocalist Rob McWilliams, bassist Phil Cangelosi (also rainstick), drummer Patrick Dunn and synthesist, flutist, pianist and saxophonist Spencer Ouellette (aka Catechism) — who shines throughout Solace in ‘secret weapon’ style whether it’s the flourish of synth after a minute into “Possession” or the sax in the penultimate “Faded and Fleeting” — offered their sprawling, hour-plus-long third full-length, Chaotic Divine (review here), and while the comparatively tidy six-track/40-minute Solace doesn’t spread itself across two 12″ platters the same way, its consuming tonality, patient but methodical execution and overarching music-as-narrative procession are both more pointed and more engrossing.

Recorded and mixed in 2021 by Matt Russell, who mixed Chaotic Divine, with an abiding lushness of tone and psychedelic, headphone-filling fullness, mastered by Zach Weeks and topped off with cover art by rightly-revered Oregonian painter Adam Burke, the album plays out across three discernible stages that run through and between the songs themselves, and quickly benefits from perhaps the most crucial decision REZN made in its construction, which is to open instrumental. “Allured by Feverish Visions” is by no means the longest cut on the album — four of the six tracks are between seven-and-a-half and eight minutes long, including the leadoff — but its transcendental sensibility is pivotal to setting the mood and atmosphere for everything that follows.

It is the point from which the band branch out, unfolding gradually with gentle ride cymbal taps, ethereal wisps of flute, solidified bass underneath prefacing the roll to come, and standout shimmers of guitar, likewise soothing and hypnotic. In addition to beginning Solace as a whole, it marks the start of the first of the three stages, chapters, parts, movements, etc., of the record as a whole, growing heavier as it nears five minutes with deeper distortion and feedback, calling to mind the drone-heavy triumph of Mühr (who roundabout begat Temple Fang and is not a comparison I make lightly) a decade ago.

This relatively peaceful, gorgeous, molten and meditative beginning continues as the guitar and synth ring out on a fade into silence ahead of the more active beginning of “Possession,” more immediate in the kick drum and bassline, guitar soon joining. McWilliams‘ first vocals arrive shortly after, echoing, gently melodic, unforced and soulful as they shift from channel to channel with each line, and the temperament of “Allured by Feverish Visions” is maintained, and that’s the key.

In some ways, Solace feels less about the individual splits between songs — though pieces like “Stasis,” “Possession” “Reversal,” and even the spoken word-inclusive closer “Webbed Roots” have their standalone impressions as well — than the whole-album spirit that seems to have been so purposefully harnessed and toward the emphasis of which those individual songs seem placed. As “Possession” unfolds and builds, the second verse becomes more of a call and response and they sound like they’re still moving slow but they’re not, and when they let go, that’s the beginning of the next stage. There’s a break four minutes into “Possession.” The drums cut short, Dunn‘s hand muting the cymbal, some residual guitar is maintained for ambience, and when they sweep in at 4:16 with the heaviest riff they’ve yet brought, that’s the start of Solace‘s second phase.

Had REZN been writing strictly for bombast, chances are they would’ve called the record something else, but Solace at its heaviest — which is in this second movement across the middle of the record starting in the latter part of “Possession” and moving through “Reversal” and until about 5:30 into “Stasis” — wants neither for crunch, as the bass chugging in the march of “Possession” demonstrates before crashing into the amp hum and feedback from whence the ready-to-go lurch of “Reversal” picks up, nor mass, as said lurch offers in plenty. With synth again peppering and enriching the totality, the initial roll breaks to make way for the first verse, McWilliams again turning an otherwise inconspicuous moment into a soft-touch highlight à la Sean Lennon, but will return as the low-end volume surge after three minutes takes hold, this time met by the vocals (in at least two layers) in a kind of chorus preceding a spread-out guitar solo and whale-song synth/effects that leads the way back to the quieter verse.

But the tension is there where it hadn’t been until “Possession” established it, and through a willfully meandering stretch of echoing almost Morricone-style guitar, through the subsequent verse, stop and final plucks, it’s still there in the drums, waiting for payoff not in itself but to come with the rolling “Stasis,” which follows. I’ll put this in bold because it’s important: This interaction is what it’s all about. It’s not just the songs; it’s the way the material converses with itself, the way the songs interact and complement each other. On the vinyl, “Stasis” is the start of side B, but even as they capitulate to the needs of format, REZN maintain the linear trajectory begun with “Allured by Feverish Visions,” which “Stasis” brings to its most outwardly intense point.

One might liken its celebration of nod to Monolord, but “Stasis” is consistent atmospherically and speaks to Ufomammut‘s Eve in its larger-than-some-of-parts aspect. More forward vocally and swirling its heaviness as it goes, “Stasis” is a slow careen until nearly four minutes into its total 7:40, when it moves to a stretch of calmer guitar and verse that begins “Feels like I’ve been here before…,” and fairly enough so, but it’s something of a misdirect since at 4:54 the full brunt of the distortion lands punctuated by the thud of the drums, and all else seems to stop. It is the darkest moment of Solace and the topmost point of its whole-album parabolic sequence, with a light guitar strum and bright-shine of keyboard announcing the arrival at the third stage, which begins with the comparatively minimalist ambient guitar-and-keys-together-into-drone-oblivion end of “Stasis” and into and through the penultimate “Faded and Fleeting,” also the shortest single piece here at 3:32, and beyond, to “Webbed Roots” at the finish.

But just as “Allured by Feverish Visions” was more substantial than an intro, so too is “Faded and Fleeting” more than an interlude. For the moment at about 1:40 alone with McWilliams‘ voice and Ouellette‘s sax transition from one to the other on the same note alone, it is a high point of REZN‘s career to-date, and its mellow-heavy acid flow, feeling all the more there and gone for its relatively brief runtime, encapsulates the fluidity of Solace‘s entire articulation.

This third and final-with-an-asterisk movement of Solace concludes as “Webbed Roots” begins with a foreboding current of distorted drone beneath the floating figure of guitar, the drums pushing along and the bass tense. Over the first three-plus minutes, “Webbed Roots” follows a linear build, and gives it due crescendo with the synth-topped heft of the riff that emerges, but the feedback gives way to otherworldly drone and the drums announce the redirect about to take place with a quick fill, so that when Marie Davidson begins the recitation of Prospero’s monologue/soliloquy from Act V of The Tempest — “we are such stuff as dreams are made on,” etc. — and McWilliams returns for a last verse leading to a final heavy surge, the sense of arrival is palpable.

They’re at the end and REZN unrepentantly give the occasion its due, following an ascending heavy nodder progression to a logical peak and then stopping, leaving just an epilogue of standalone guitar to mirror “Allured by Feverish Visions” as the final element to depart.

In part because of that last stretch of guitar, “Webbed Roots” most makes sense in thee context of Solace as a whole, but that’s precisely the point. I don’t know when it was composed in relation to the rest of the album — the band has said that “Reversal” was one of the earliest written, so perhaps they worked from the middle out in terms of the movements across the span — but its intent as closer is as much to cap as to summarize the depth of what’s come before, and the incorporation or Shakespeare near the end feels as much like an underscoring of the record’s play-in-three-acts structure (despite the fact that The Tempest had five; similar shape, different application) as a suitable conclusion for this particular midwinter night’s dream.

It is further evidence to support Solace as intended to be taken in full, and invariably positions REZN among the US’ most resonant purveyors heavy psychedelia. In every turn and contemplation, it is ‘next level’ craft, concept and performance — no minor achievement, considering their first three long-players — and offers a progressive stylistic path forward that others hopefully will follow, using heft and repetition and scope and melody as tools toward the greater purpose of its expression, rewarding those who take it on through the internalization of its magnitude and the comfort complete panorama.

Solace wants to become a part of you. Let it.

REZN on Facebook

REZN on Instagram

REZN on Bandcamp

Split up into two runs, REZN’s newly announced US tour is still pretty extensive. On March 8, they release their new album, Solace, which, if you’re not hyped for it, I’ll tell you flat out you should be. It’s not the kind of record every band gets to make.

The Chicagoan troupe start in May, break in June, pick up in July. I wonder if they’ll go back to Europe for the Fall — I was lucky enough to be at last year’s Høstsabbat (review here) when they played, but I’m pretty sure that was the only stop of their trip — as that would certainly be a next logical step, considering this is their second US stint of the last year.

I’m considering REZN in a different league of bands, I guess is what I’m saying. So there’s that. I can’t wait to dive into this one for a review.

From the PR wire:

REZN: Chicago Heavy Psych Outfit Announces Solace North American Tour; New LP To See Release Next Month

Chicago-based ethereal heavy psych outfit REZN today announces their Solace North American Tour. Set to commence on May 20th and run through July 22nd, the tour will feature special guests Oryx and Grivo on select dates throughout the full US and Canada journey.

The tour comes in support of REZN’s upcoming new full-length, Solace, set for release March 8th. Their fourth studio offering and follow-up to the critically lauded Chaotic Divine finds REZN once again blurring the boundaries of their psych and doom labels. Solace was recorded in July of 2021 at Earth Analog in Tolono, Illinois, engineered, mixed, produced, and reduced by Matt Russell, and mastered by Zach Weeks at God City Studio in Salem, Massachusetts. The album art and tour poster features work by the prolific painter Adam Burke/Nightjar Illustration.

Tickets for all shows can be found at REZN’s website HERE or the REZN Bandcamp page HERE where first Solace single, “Possession,” can be streamed.

REZN – Solace North American Tour 2023:
5/20/2023 Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
5/25/2023 Black Circle – Indianapolis, IN **
5/26/2023 Portal – Louisville, KY **
5/27/2023 Sabbath Brewing – Atlanta, GA **
5/28/2023 The Pour House – Raleigh, NC **
5/29/2023 The Camel – Richmond, VA **
5/30/2023 Pie Shop – Washington, DC **
5/31/2023 Silk City – Philadelphia, PA **
6/01/2023 The Broadway – Brooklyn, NY **
6/02/2023 O’Brien’s – Boston, MA **
6/03/2023 Turbo Haus – Montreal, QC **
6/04/2023 The Garrison – Toronto, ON **
6/05/2023 Bug Jar – Rochester, NY **
6/07/2023 Spacebar – Columbus, OH **
6/08/2023 Sanctuary – Detroit, MI **
6/09/2023 Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI **
6/10/2023 Cactus Club – Milwaukee, WI **
7/05/2023 7th St Entry – Minneapolis, MN ^
7/07/2023 Hi-Dive – Denver, CO ** ^
7/08/2023 Aces High Saloon – Salt Lake City, UT ^
7/09/2023 The Shredder – Boise, ID ^
7/11/2023 Substation – Seattle, WA ^
7/12/2023 High Water Mark – Portland, OR ^
7/13/2023 John Henry’s – Eugene, OR ^
7/14/2023 Eli’s Mile High Club – Oakland, CA ^
7/15/2023 Permanent Records Roadhouse – Los Angeles, CA ^
7/16/2023 Yucca Tap Room – Tempe, AZ ^
7/17/2023 Sister Bar – Albuquerque, NM ^
7/19/2023 Mohawk – Austin, TX ^
7/20/2023 Club Dada – Dallas, TX ^
7/21/2023 Gasa Gasa – New Orleans, LA ^
7/22/2023 Drkmttr – Nashville, TN ^
** w/ Oryx
^ Grivo

REZN are:
Rob McWilliams: Guitar + Vocals
Phil Cangelosi: Bass + Rainstick
Patrick Dunn: Drums + Percussion
Spencer Ouellette: Sax + Synth + Piano + Flute

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Rezn, Solace (2023)

In my head it’s still August, if not June, so seeing an album announcement for March 2023 is a little jarring, but in light of the traditional music-industry slowdown over the winter, it makes sense, and certainly a new REZN album is going to be anticipated. The band, who are also taking part in PostWax in collaboration with Vinnum Sabbathi — gotta get those liner notes done — have toured West and East Coasts since things opened back up, supporting 2020’s Chaotic Divine (review here), are due for a trip to Europe, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to find them headed over for next Spring’s festival season, though that’s pure conjecture on my part. The usual disclaimer: I know nothing.

Except that the new song rocks. You can stream “Possession” now as a well-in-advance preview of Solace to come. Obviously March 8 is a ways off, but I’d be very surprised if this is the last glimpse they give of where they’re at before the release. Though, to that end, it’s worth noting that these recordings will be well over a year and a half old by the time the vinyl arrives. I’d be itching to get a single out too. That’s a long-ass time to sit on a release, though somewhat par for the course of the age we’re living through.

The following comes from Bandcamp, where LP preorders are already up:

REZN – Solace

“Our new album ‘Solace’ will be release March 8, 2023. Until then, stream the single and check out the pre-order edition vinyl. See you on the road ✌️ ~REZN”

Pre-order, streaming links, and tour dates can be found here: linktr.ee/rezzzn

TRACK LISTING:
1. Allured by Feverish Visions
2. Possession
3. Reversal
4. Stasis
5. Faded and Fleeting
6. Webbed Roots

Releases March 8, 2023.

Recorded in July of 2021 at Earth Analog in Tolono, IL

Engineered, Mixed, Produced, & Reduced by Matt Russell

Mastered by Zach Weeks at God City Studio in Salem, MA

Album art by Adam Burke/Nightjar Illustration

Written and Performed by REZN

REZN FALL 2022 SHOWS

Sep 16: Taos, NM @ Monolith on the Mesa

West Coast w/ Russian Circles
Sep 17: Englewood, CO @ The Gothic Theatre
Sep 18: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Sep 20: Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Showroom
Sep 21: Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Sep 23: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Sep 24: Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall
Sep 25: Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
Sep 26: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Sep 29: Austin, TX @ Empire Garage
Sep 30: Dallas, TX @ Amplified LIve
Oct 1: Memphis, TN @ Growlers

Exclusive European appearance
Oct 7: Oslo, Norway @ Høstsabbat

East Coast & Canada w/ Russian Circles
Oct 27: St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
Oct 28: Louisville, KY @ Headliner’s
Oct 29: Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Oct 30: Orlando, FL @ The Social
Nov 1: Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
Nov 2: Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Nov 4: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Nov 5: Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
Nov 6: Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
Nov 8: Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
Nov 9: Montreal, QC @ Théâtre Fairmount
Nov 10: Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
Nov 11: Detroit, MI @ El Club
Nov 12: Chicago, IL @ The Metro

Rob McWilliams: Guitar + Vocals
Phil Cangelosi: Bass + Rainstick
Patrick Dunn: Drums + Percussion
Spencer Ouellette: Sax + Synth + Piano + Flute

Marie Davidson: Spoken Word on Webbed Roots

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Rezn, Solace (2023)