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If I had to describe Maze of Torment in just a few words, I'd say it's a mix of Desaster and The Chasm, with a pinch of Carpathian Forest, the whole thing sped up a little, with some added aggression. This band plays Death/Thrash with some Black Metal elements, and fans of Death Metal and Thrash especially are most likely assured to find something they like on this album. Fast, brutal, raw, blasphemous and fucking metal are all words that come to mind when listening to this stuff. The vocals are a perfect combination of thrash and death vocals, slightly more on the thrash side of things, and not without reminding me of Desaster's new vocalist with a slightly harsher voice. While most of the material present here is of the Death/Thrash variety, there are some more “blackened” elements that bring “Strange Old Brew”-era Carpathian Forest to mind, especially on the fourth song, “13th Disciple”, which definitely borrows some CF elements - coincidence or not, I don't care, the song is great, just like the rest of the album.

I must note that the cover is very well done (not necessarily obvious on screen) and conveys well the spirit of the music. The couple of “666” in the tree's branches look a little weird, however. :) Those who like the more brutal thrash, or do not need their death metal to have blast beats and guttural vocals from beginning to end should definitely look into Maze of Torment. It seems like the release of this satanic onslaught was delayed because of label problems (the album was recorded in October 2001), which is a real shame. Hails to Hellspawn Records for finally bringing it to the masses. Already a contender for this year's top 10.