Band:	Maze Of Torment
Album:	Hammers Of Mayhem
Style:	Death metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	March 29, 2005
A review by:	Malcolm

01. Beyond The Infernal Gates
02. F.O.E. (Face Of Evil)
03. Hammers Of Mayhem
04. Dead Cold Blood
05. Servants Of Menace
06. Into The Bloodswarm
07. Tyrannizer
08. The Dead Temple Prayer
09. Dead Soul
10. Catharsis
11. In League with Satan [Venom cover]

Sound Pollution's own metal label Black Lodge is taking step by step closer to the Label elite, and signing more and more young and talented bands.
Sabaton just released their Black Lodge debut and now Maze of Torment has released theirs.
Now, these two bands don't have much more in common than that they are both from Sweden and that they are both signed by Black Lodge.
Sabaton is Heavy/Power Metal and Maze of Torment is Death (Thrash) Metal.

Maze of Torment (formerly known as Harmony & Torment) has been around since 1992, and are know as a true underground band with serious bad luck when it comes to labels.
But they've always manage to rise on nine, and even if they had much problems with labels this is their fifth full-length album, and maybe their luck is about to change?

"Hammers of Mayhem" was recorded and mixed by Tommy Tägtgren in Studio Abyss during two weeks in August 2003, and ever since that Maze of Torment has searched for a label willing to release the album. And in 2004 they finally signed with Black Lodge and now in March 2005, the album is out, and now can Maze of Torment finally fight against their competition on the same conditions.

What these guys are giving you on this album is 37-minutes of raw, fast and grim Death with some Thrash-influences, 10 songs that's fast from the beginning to the end, you'll not get a chance to rest your head until the album is over.
And as a little bonus, you'll get a great cover of Venom's "In League with Satan" in the end.

"Hammers of Mayhem" is actually a good album, even if you'll easily hear that this band has been underground almost too long.
The material is good, and very even, and even if it's missing these really groundbreaking tops, I still rank it pretty high against bands of the same kind.
Production is great too, and that this would only take two weeks to finish is quite amazing.

But in general I think this album really got a chance to collect a serious amount of fans around the globe, if it will be given a chance. It won't change the way of music but it's a decent addition to all the great music we already have. And Maze of Torment is really having a bright future ahead, let's hope Black Lodge will give these guys some chances to show everyone what they can do if they'll get a peaceful surroundings conducive to work on new material.

Check Out: "F.O.E.", "Dead Soul" & the great cover "In League with Satan".