Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll.
It sounds like the perfect motto we hear whenever we listen to something related to riffs, a prominent drum set and very, very rock. We dream of that wicked and exclusive world, where all the authors are kings of a parallel life that stands out in the crowd.
Those who like the genre, listen and vibrate to the sound of that loud and powerful sound that stirs our soul. For those who don’t understand/don’t appreciate it, they don’t understand and it seems we are almost demonised by the power of all the rhythm that originates over the style – almost as if it defines us as a person, even though we are all good boys and girls.
Today the power comes from within, and it’s from one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal that we unveil to you a pearl that’s going to be huge on the international rock scene. Meet Madmess and their debut album.
REBIRTH
The Madmess band is made up of a trio of Lusitanian rockers: Vasco Vasconcelos on bass, Luís Moura on drums and Ricardo Sampaio riffing the guitar. They kicked off the band in 2017, still in Portugal, with multiple concerts and a lot of sweat mixed in. Shortly after giving their first intonations on the banks of the Douro, they decided to expand their horizons and live the London dream.
And it is from the United Kingdom that they have been spreading their culture, to the sound of rock that goes through several genres from progressive metal, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, stoner metal or even stoner rock. The guarantee? A pure pleasure of will, desire and ambition.
Listening to it, one is reminded of the crazy 70s, with Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Van der Graaf Generator or Led Zeppelin to mind: a true pearl in the middle of the 21st century.
After debuting their first EP in 2020, ‘Madmess’, in 2021 they make their mark and take great strides towards worldwide success. Rebirth’ is the Portuguese artists’ first studio album, with a guaranteed release by Hassle Records.
We are seduced into this intergalactic journey with five themes, separated by 45 minutes.
“Albatross” kicks off this adventure, and it’s slowly growing on us, like a perfect storm. We feel like we’re in an intergalactic movie, with multiple stars and many unfulfilled dreams. The guitar, bass and drums are in a perfect symbiosis, which certainly makes the biggest names in the rock industry blush.
We already know what we’re coming to, and it’s on “Mind Collapse” that we definitely feel at home. Unlike the first theme, this version kicks off at full blast, with a unique and vibrant energy power, where it seems that even the instruments speak to us.
In raw and hard rock there’s also time to be sensitive and it’s with “Rebirth” that we feel, truly, rejuvenated. The beginning is very soft, almost as if we were facing a reflection. After looking at all our past to apply to the present and future, the band throws themselves in with their rather irreverent style, where the rhythm commands the story they want to tell.
“Shape Shifter” is definitely a definitive turn-around for the band from Porto. Applying the psychedelic vein they promised, it is here that they make a total change to what we were listening to before and pull out the true Pink Floyd they have inside them. The solos are so vibrant we can’t stop listening.
We finish with ‘Stargazer’, a single from the album and the most danceable song on the whole record. The mood is groovy and the dance floor is definitely ours as Madmess soothe our souls. There are instruments, voice and immense passion.
The first rock riff on the Moon has Portuguese blood, and it’s so good it promises to be huge. Save the name, because Madmess are going to be giants. A WtMM recommendation.
More on Madmess:
Facebook – Instagram – Bandcamp – Youtube – Spotify