Self-described hard rock outfit Messer lay down a chest-pounding metal-inspired anthem in their latest single “Unfvckwitable,” and it’s garnering some notable attention from critics and audiophiles this autumn. Right from the jump, Messer is firing off one gargantuan riff after another with a sense of urgency that is driven by both the intensity of the band’s play as well as the gallop of their devastatingly powerful drumming. The grooves are as big as the riffs they frame, and though there are a lot of really swinging hard rock and heavy rock singles due out this season, this is definitely one of the brighter gems that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.
URL: https://www.messerband.com/
The bassline is brutal from start to finish in “Unfvckwitable,” but it doesn’t muddy the tonality of the guitars at all. Acting as a thick cushion between the vocal track and the six-string carnage, the bass navigates the rhythm of the drums with exquisite precision, never interrupting the flow of the percussion but constantly mirroring its violence through a sophisticated sonic sway. It’s a conceptual means of forging a strong foundation for the melody, but it doesn’t stand out as the only such experimentalism present in this single.
Thunder rains down on us from the drums here, and by the time we reach the halfway mark in the song, the percussion is straight up waging a war with the roaring riffage for the lion’s share of our affection. The beats are really sporty and lend to the poppy portion of Messer’s alternative-rock hybridity, but they’re devoid of the 70’s plasticity that ultimately drove so many listeners away from the style. Woven into these mammoth guitar parts, they actually look and sound a lot chicer than they ever did back in the day, and furthermore, accent this band’s sound with a cosmopolitan edge that none of their contemporaries have.
No matter where we listen in during “Unfvckwitable,” the vocal track is rich with organic vibrato and stealthy theatrics that flirt with elements of glam, hard rock, and perhaps a touch of punk, but Messer is careful to avoid the pitfalls of creative overindulgence in this single. There’s just enough excess to satisfy fans of surreal hooks and blustery bass-centric breakdowns, but ultimately “Unfvckwitable” is structured inside of a tight master mix using efficient compositional techniques that stand as the antithesis of their more “retro”-inspired brethren in the underground.
SMART URL: https://messer.ffm.to/unfvckwitable
Hard rockers looking for that sweet new groove to complete their autumn playlist need to check out Messer’s new single the next time that they’re in the market for a better brand of alternative rock. As always, the underground circuit is producing a much more intriguing sound than anything on the mainstream side of the dial is, and this group is espousing a sleek variety of rock that has the potential to really raise some eyebrows for fans of both scenes. They’ve got a chemistry that I can’t wait to hear more of in the future, and I have a feeling that “Unfvckwitable” is only a glimpse into what their skillset can deliver.
Jodi Marxbury