Conveying genuine emotionality and reach in the vocals of Michelle Malley, the four-track Solace EP from L.A.’s Iress turns its humble 16 minutes into an expressive soundscape of what the kids these days seem to call doomgaze, with post-rock float in the guitar of Graham Walker (who makes his first appearance here) atop the solemn and heavy-bottomed grooves of bassist Michael Maldonado and drummer Glenn Chu for a completeness of experience that’s all the more immersive on headphones in a close-your-eyes kind of listen — that low contemplation of bass after 2:20 into “Soft,” for example, is one of a multitude of details worth appreciating — and though leadoff piece “Blush” begins with a quick rise of feedback and rolls forth with a distinct Jesu-style melancholy, Iress are no less effective or resonant in the sans-drums first two minutes of “Vanish” in accentuating atmosphere before the big crash-in finishes and “Ricochet” offers further dynamic display in its loud/quiet trades, graceful and unhurried in their transitions, the surge of the not-cloying hook densely weighted but not out of place either behind “Vanish” or ahead of “Soft,” even as it’s patience over impact being emphasized as Malley intones “I’m not ready” as a thread through the song. Permit me to disagree with that assessment. The whole band sounds ready, be it for a follow-up album to 2020’s Flaw (which was their second LP) or whatever else may come.

One of my favorite underground bands over the past few years is Iress, the Los Angeles-based doomgaze band gearing up for the release of a brand new EP next month.

Vocalist Michelle Malley has been dubbed the “Adele of Doom” by her LA music peers Iress has generated a tremendous underground following since their 2nd self-released album, 2020’s must-hear Flaw.

The band returned from a long pandemic show break with a sold-out headlining show at LA venue The Echo and have now shared exclusively with Bloody Disgusting “Blush”, the latest track on their forthcoming EP, Solace, arriving May 12 via Dune Altar Records!

“‘Blush’ was the first song I wrote the bulk of on my own since joining the Iress, so I was kind of nervous to share it with the band,” said guitarist Graham Walker. “It was a fun new challenge to write in my own voice while also capturing the Iress sound that I’ve been a fan of for years. I remember being really excited when Michelle sent the demo back with her vocals… I immediately thought to myself, ‘Wow this is it’”

“It felt magical how naturally ’Blush’ came together,” exclaimed Michelle Malley. “I fell in love with Graham’s guitar, and the lyrics might just be my favorite on the EP. To me, this song feels like a turning point for Iress.”

On “Blush”, Malley channels doom legends King Woman, while the forthcoming EP itself is a powerhouse that’s soaked in a heavy dose of 90s grunge, calling back to bands like Alice in Chains and Deftones.

Solace releases on May 12.

Iress are a doomgaze act from Los Angeles, California who have been described as the “Adele of Doom.”

They recently put out a new single called “Ricochet” on Dune Altar Records. The single is available on their Bandcamp page.

It starts off with those beautiful femme vocals that build up with no distortion in the music until the heavy guitars come crashing in like waves against the rocks. It’s a song that thrashes hard but still comes back to some really powerful vocals, like a less radio-friendly Evanescence.

By GRACE DETWILER

IRESS, a Los Angeles band equally influenced by doom metal and shoegaze, has released their first single since the 2020 album Flaw, entitled “Ricochet.” The following EP, Solace, promises more of the dark beauty of Flaw and its predecessor Prey (2015). Featuring Michelle Malley, Michael Maldonado, Glenn Chu, and Graham Walker, IRESS alchemizes Malley’s rich vocals with the heavy instrumentation of her bandmates. 

On “Ricochet” Malley laments, “Ricochet on me, I can feel us dying / I could blame you, drinking your life away.” Their band name, as reported by Buzz Bands, is a pseudo-portmanteau – “ire” for anger and the feminine suffix “-ess.” With its poignant emotional content and deep, dark musical landscapes, the music of IRESS is a sharply sorrowful balm for the deepest of wounds. 

Listen to “Ricochet” by IRESS below, and add the single to your music library by clicking here. 

A Los Angeles-i székhelyű heavy slowcore / doomgazey banda az Iress május 12-én kiadja új EP-jét Solace címmel. A csapat 2010-ben alakult az “Adele of Doom“-nak becézett Michelle Malley énekesnő és Michael Maldonado basszusgitáros által. Zenéjükben a  shoegaze, a slowcore és a domm metal sötét, parancsoló elemeit keverik a filmszerű crescendo pillanataival, ami által műfajilag is valami újszerűen brutálist, egyben fájdalmasan gyönyörűt alkottak. Hamarosan megjelenő kislemezükről elsőként Ricochet című daluk hallgatható meg.

Müziği dalgalar halinde yayılan post-metal topluluğu Iress, 2010’da Amerika’da kurulmuş bir isim. Kadın vokalist Michelle Malley‘nin sesinden güç alan ekip, Mayıs ayında yeni bir EP yayımlayacak. Şimdiden hayli kasvetli ve doom atmosferinde olacağını tahmin ettiğim EP öncesi Ricochet parçasına kulak kabartıp Iress müziğiyle tanışabilirsiniz.

Style: Doomgaze, Doom Metal, Shoegaze
Like: King Woman, True Widow, Chelsea Wolfe
Label: Dune Altar
Adjectives: Emotional, Atmospheric, Dynamic
Description: Iress rose to prominence when they published their album Flaw a few years ago, and they now have plans for releasing their new EP, Solace. The first example, Ricochet, is a very heavy and dark shoegazer which is drenched in melancholy and features excellent guitar work and lovely vocals. Frontwoman Michelle Malley says: "I feel emotional every time I sing ‘Ricochet’. I started writing it a couple years back during a really rough time in my life. When the band got their hands on it, it really transformed into something powerful. It’s a song about loss and anguish and the journey to self discovery and acceptance."

There is something to be said about finding beauty in darkness. In this case it’s found within the band Iress. The moment I heard this band, I knew there was something more to it than just a “dark/moody vibe.” What I found was a band that sonically devastates while at the same time draws you in seductively. Iress derives their name from two concepts that when put together perfectly describes what this band is all about; Ire, as in fury, indignation, rage, and wrath and  -ess as a noun suffix meaning “female”. Now that combination has been recorded and now gearing up to be unleashed upon us all. Dubbed the “Adele of Doom” by her local LA music peers, frontwoman Michelle Malley’s vocals are subtle yet powerful as she sings of love, loss, pain, and anguish but, with such restraint that it’s almost hypnotic how the melodies seep into your pores and make your skin crawl in a fantastic way. The band itself brings all this to life with their willingness to serve the songs and provide the right amounts of atmosphere, heaviness and an unrelenting passion that really makes this all come together. Iress’s sound stretches across different sub-genres but the way it all comes together is tremendous. By mixing, doom, shoegaze, metal, dream pop and ambient/psychedelic sounds, Iress has the recipe for one of the best releases of 2023. The first single “Ricochet” from their upcoming EP, Solace is absolutely stunning. Once you listen to this song you’ll feel compelled to play it again and again. One more thing I have to talk about is the production on this single and EP. It’s truly stunning. Being able to capture the rawness and real emotion of these songs is astounding. Producer/Engineer/Mixer Alex Estrada did a phenomenal job on this record. I’m personally really stoked on this band and can’t wait to hear more and see this all come together live. Do yourself a favor and on May 12 via Dune Altar Records (one of my favorite Indie Labels by the way), pick up a copy of this EP!

One of the most anticipated returns in the world of heavy shoegaze and beyond, finally starts to unfold, as Los Angeles-based doomgazers, Iress, deliver their killer new track, Ricochet. The song is the first reveal off the band's upcoming EP, Solace, arriving on May 12th, 2023 from the eclectic roster of Dune Altar.

"I feel emotional every time I sing Ricochet," says frontwoman, Michelle Malley. "I started writing it a couple years back during a really rough time in my life. When the band got their hands on it, it really transformed into something powerful. It’s a song about loss and anguish and the journey to self discovery and acceptance."

The Solace EP represents the harsh truth of change, which is both inescapable and exquisite, and Ricochet brings a massive supply of emotionality. Impressive and unquestionably a worthy continuation of the band's great 2020 album Flaw, the new song is an absolute standout.

Iress are composed of Michelle Malley (vocals, guitar), Michael Maldonado (bass), Glenn Chu (drums) and new member, Graham Walker (guitar).

One of my favorite underground bands over the past few years is Iress, a Los Angeles-based doomgaze band that’s reminiscent of Alice in Chains with a heavy dose of 90s grunge.

Vocalist Michelle Malley has been dubbed the “Adele of Doom” by her LA music peers
Iress has generated a tremendous underground following since their 2nd self-released album, 2020’s must-hear Flaw.

The band returned from a long pandemic show break with a sold-out headlining show at LA venue The Echo and have now shared “Ricochet”, the first track on their forthcoming EP, Solace, arriving May 12 via Dune Altar Records!

“I feel emotional every time I sing ‘Ricochet’,” the singer told Buzz Bands. “I started writing it a couple years back during a really rough time in my life. When the band got their hands on it, it really transformed into something powerful. It’s a song about loss and anguish and the journey to self-discovery and acceptance.”

The site notes that fans of artists such as Marriages, Chelsea Wolfe, Red Sparowes and Emma Ruth Rundle might want to circle May 12 for the release of Solace.

“Ricochet” is officially out on Friday. Listen now.