Schwyz, Switzerland-based psychedelic, mystical rock outfit Son Cesano will release their new album, Emerge, on November 4, via Monobuster Records.
Talking about the album, guitarist Simon Marty says, “For me, the special thing about the new album is that many different musical influences have flowed into it. To bring them together in songs was a challenge, but it came out very well. The songs therefore often have a special mood, which in my opinion makes it all the more interesting to listen to.”
Drummer Dominik Zgraggen adds, “While developing the songs and jamming the ideas, there were always those magic moments where you don’t know where it’s going to take you, and finally something great and unexpected comes out. These are usually the moments that trigger various emotions in the listener as well as in us. Such moments inspire me when listening to other music, and I would like to do the same with our music.”
While guitarist Robin Weissen shares, “What I find special about the new album is the way certain songs were created. Due to the fact that a part of the band was traveling for a long time and therefore the band had longer breaks, we worked diligently on ideas alone. We then worked together on the ideas and refined them until a Son Cesano song emerged, with which everyone could be identified.”
Made up of Simon Marty (guitar), Robin Weissen (guitar), Julian Betschart (bass), and Dominik Zgraggen (drums), Son Cesano was formed in 2015. After discovering their own brand of heavy psychedelic Sud rock influenced by titans of the underground like Rotor, Causa Sui, and Colour Haze, Son Cesano entered the studio to record their debut album, Submerge, which was released in 2018.
Comprising seven tracks, Emerge begins with “Monus Bonus,” opening on light, inchoate tones flowing into a low-slung prog-rock rhythm vaguely reminiscent of Pink Floyd, only more centered and pushing. Betschart’s drumming imbues the rhythm with a finessed cadence as gleaming, subtlety-flavored guitars intertwine into lush, sophisticated leitmotifs that take on increasing resonance and energy.
Highlights include the previously released track, “The Mystic Four,” which rides a mid-tempo rhythm dripping with drifting essence. A glittering breakdown shifts the harmonics briefly, followed by dual layers of silky-smooth, evocative guitars.
The last track, “Hardangial,” rolls out on floating washes of deliciously trickling guitars tinted with prog-rock savors and elusive hints of surf rock. A personal favorite, along with “Monus Bonus,” this might be the best track on the album because of its dazzling, meandering guitars, exuding tinctures of residual energy, an energy that assumes shape as the tune ebbs and rises, finally embracing grungy, chunking textures.
At once impressive and wonderfully wrought, Emerge delivers luscious sonic sensations that ripple through listeners’ inner cores. Emerge is an album you don’t want to miss – one of the best of the year.
