Review: HAZEMAZE - Blinded by the Wicked

Stockholm, Sweden’s fuzzy Doom Rock trio HAZEMAZE is back at last! Blinded by the Wicked, their third full-length album, has just been released through Heavy Psych Sounds Records. The band’s previous release came in September 2020 when they put out a great EP as a tribute to Black Sabbath’s Paranoid record titled The Paranoid Sessions (which I reviewed here). This time, they return with another classic Doom-sounding record with their distinctive brand of occult rock, lyrics about the lord of darkness and the dangers of forsaking your soul.

The dark ritual begins with “In the Night of the Light, for the Dark”, which was also the album’s first single. Thick and heavy, a tremendous song with strong Sabbathian influences. “Devil’s Spawn” follows, a slower-paced number with a good dose of psych and stoner featuring hypnotic synths. “Ethereal Disillusion”, third track and third single as well, gets my vote for best song of the record. With addictive riffs, bleak lyrics, and a really cool video which you can watch on Heavy Psych Sounds’ YouTube channel. Let’s all chant together now: “Death! Death! Death!”. “Sectatores Et Principes” is a gorgeous, gentle instrumental interlude reminiscent of Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan” at times. “Ceremonial Aspersion”, which was the second single, is another highlight of the album, relentless and full of entrancing synth goodness. “Divine Harlotry” wins the prize for most original title for a song; a solid track with spoken parts that’s ominous and fiery. “Luciferian Rite” is self-explanatory with its title and features more quality Sabbath worship. A gem of a song. The ritual concludes with “Malevolent Inveigler”, the LP’s longest cut and a memorable one at that, with its evil opening riff that will stick with you long after the song ends. It references the album’s title and is a true Doom track in every sense of the word.

I have loved this band ever since the first song I ever heard from them (a track titled “Doom” taken from their Live at Copperfields album released in 2017). Blinded by the Wicked solidifies their place into the pantheon of all-time great Doom bands. It’s HAZEMAZE’s most polished effort yet, and it’s also their heaviest and most evil record. I’d argue that it’s also their best, and it’s not recency bias talking, it’s that good. If you’re into Sabbath worship, enjoy bleak albums, and favor more traditional Doom-sounding bands, then Blinded by the Wicked will seep into your soul and never let go. I give it my highest possible recommendation. 

Heavy Psych Sounds Records’ Bandcamp page for Blinded by the Wicked: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hazemaze-blinded-by-the-wicked

HAZEMAZE’s Bandcamp page: https://hazemazeband.bandcamp.com/

Video for “Ethereal Disillusion” on YouTube 

Review: Kajgun - Daogoad

Fusion in music genres can often bring wonderful results. This is what Kajgun is all about, a psychedelic Jazz metal band comprised of members from bands Vanta and Modef. What’s even more special is that all of the tracks on their instrumental debut album, Daogoad, are improvisations, very much in the spirit of classic jazz bands who used to perform on the fly and improvise much of their live sets. The quartet hails from Budapest, Hungary, hence the album and song titles in Hungarian, perhaps? I wasn’t able to find translations for them online. One interesting tidbit is that the album title, Daogoad, is a palindrome, a word that is spelled the same backwards and forwards.

This was my first time listening to a Jazz metal album and I was impressed. It reminded me of my first foray into Jazz fusion/experimental with Miles Davis’s legendary 1970 double album Bitches Brew. That album was looser than Miles’s previous records and focused more on rock-influenced arrangements based on improvisation. Daogoad opens with my favorite of the four tracks on the album, titled “Maorey Suh Raawb”, it features synths reminiscent of ‘70s/’80s electronic prog band Tangerine Dream. The saxophone really adds extra class to the procedures. This is also what makes this band so unique: the plethora of instruments showcased. There are guitars, drums, saxophone, wind instruments, synthesizers, theremin, electric violin, and other effects. Track number two, “Dhao Neyr Kouxmala”, the lengthiest on the record, running a little over fifteen minutes, starts off quietly and builds to a crescendo of sounds. The song has a pleasant oriental flavour. The guitar playing truly gives it a metal edge, making it stand-out from what we usually encounter on a Jazz piece. The third cut, “Ptahfraw Nowmuuz”, is runner-up for my favorite track. Very elaborate with splendid use of the theremin, it fully immerses you in the band’s jam session. “Alaiyenna” concludes the album and may very well be the catchiest of the four pieces. It has a sense of urgency that leaves you invigorated when things come to an end.

Daogoad will be unleashed on February 11 and I urge you to seek it out. If you like Jazz, metal, instrumental albums, or all three, I’m convinced you’ll appreciate this record. For instance, on a personal note, my girlfriend happens to be a Jazz enthusiast but she’s really not a metal fan, yet she enjoyed Daogoad. The opposite, I believe, would work as well: if you’re a metalhead and don’t care for Jazz, you’ll still get a kick out of this album. I also recommend visiting the band’s YouTube channel where you can watch them play these and other jam sessions, including live shows. Watching them perform adds a lot to the experience of listening to their unique brand of music.

Kajgun’s Bandcamp page: https://kajgun.bandcamp.com/music

Kajgun’s YouTube channel 

Review: MAULE - MAULE

We live in really exciting times for music. If you long for the days when traditional metal was king, then you’ll be happy to hear that it’s alive and well. It almost feels like it’s 1983 all over again. There’s so much great new music on a monthly basis coming out that it’s sometimes dizzying and a challenge to keep up with what’s going on. I was thrilled to find out about MAULE, a Canadian band from Vancouver, BC whose brand of traditional heavy metal and NWOBHM is a great reminder of the glory days of Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Diamond Head. Their self-titled debut puts a modern spin on the music I loved the most growing up in the ‘80s while maintaining a strong dose of its roots.

Following on the heels of their 2019 From Hell demo, the boys are back with an incendiary full-length album. All five songs from the demo are included on this LP. They sound tighter and more polished here. Released through Gates of Hell Records, MAULE also takes inspiration from the tales of Robert E. Howard, literary father of Conan, Red Sonja, and Kull, as well as from H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. The album’s first single, “Evil Eye”, kicks things into motion with powerful guitars, a doomy bass, and groovy drums, setting the tone of the LP.  “Ritual” and “Summoner” are two highlights of the album with their walls of sound, energetic choruses, infectious riffs, and killer guitar solos. The title track (which also happens to be their bassist/co-founder’s last name, Johnny Maule) is relentless with a fiery guitar solo and catchy chorus. The fifth and sixth songs are dedicated to Robert E. Howard’s red-headed heroine: “Red Sonja” and “Sword Woman.” Speedy, thrashy, and riff-heavy, you can picture Sonja wielding her sword and battling monsters and demons. “Father Time” feels ominous and reminiscent of early Metallica with its “Creeping Death” vibe. A definite high point of the record and one of the two longest tracks. “March of the Dead” is a terrific head-bobbing tune, Maiden-like in cadence. The trip comes to an end with the second longest song, “We Ride”, an aptly-titled track where you can picture the quartet riding on motorcycles, wreaking metal havoc on their path with a rallying chant.

MAULE’s self-titled debut is reason to rejoice. Pure traditional heavy metal, unadulterated fun, with literary-inspired lyrics about demons and warriors, a tight-playing band, featuring sensational guitar solos. In short, everything an old-school metal fan could desire. Have no fear about picking up this 9-song set, it’s an awesome ride from beginning to end. Spoiler alert: this one will definitely wind up on my “Best Albums of the Year” list at the end of 2022.   

MAULE’s Bandcamp page: https://maule.bandcamp.com/releases 

Review: Dominance and Submission - A Tribute to Blue Oyster Cult

Like many of you, I discovered Blue Oyster Cult through FM radio and their big hits “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and “Godzilla” as a kid back in the early ‘80s. It wasn’t until I heard “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” off of the 1981 Heavy Metal movie soundtrack that I became a fan though. That song made me get what was to be my favorite BOC album, Fire of Unknown Origin. I played that tape a lot and now own it in digital format. When it was first announced that a BOC tribute album was in the works and that the mighty Ripple Music would be releasing it, I was stoked.

Dominance and Submission was a project initiated by former Poison Idea drummer Steve Hanford aka Thee Slayer Hippy joining forces with guitarist Ian Watts of Ape Machine. Sadly, Hanford died of a heart attack in May of 2020 and didn’t live to see the finished compilation. Proceeds from the album sales will go to Hanford's widowed partner, Kitty Diggins.

I won’t do a track by track comparison of each song with its original counterpart (I’m not familiar with all the songs anyway), instead I’ll give my thoughts on the songs that are included in this collection. It’s a selection of hits and deeper cuts, which is always appreciated. Mondo Machine do a bang-up job covering “ME 262”, a track from BOC’s most popular record, Secret Treaties. The compilation’s title track, “Dominance and Submission”, also from Secret Treaties, gets an all-star lineup to cover it featuring Steve Hanford, Nick Oliveri, Mark Lanegan, and Sam Coomes who keep its groovy rock n’ roll origins while injecting new vigor into it. “Flaming Telepaths” gets a new coat of varnish from Great Electric Quest. Howling Giant are joined by Bob Balch for an even more ominous rendering of “Godzilla.”

Tony Reed of Mos Generator fame is joined by Steve Hanford himself for a superb rendition of “Transmaniacon MC.” “Wings Wetted Down” gets a female vocalist makeover in one of my favorites of the record via Andrea Vidal joining the band IT for the occasion. “Tattoo Vampire” is a lot of fun redone by Mos Generator with Steve Hanford aka Thee Slayer Hippy, once again. Ape Machine does a fantastic interpretation of my fave BOC song, “Veteran of the Psychic Wars”, breathing new life and sounding just as fresh as it did 40 years ago. Could very well be my favorite track on this comp! ZEKE inject raw energy into the perennial classic “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll.”

“Stairway to the Stars” is another track that gets a female vocalist to give it a unique sound as Janiece Gonzalez guest-stars with fan favorites War Cloud. Year of the Cobra, a duo I adore, covers “Fireworks”, a song I wasn’t familiar with, but this version is gorgeous with a palette of musical nuances. I must admit, I didn’t care for “7 Screaming Diz-Busters” upon my initial spin, a BOC song I’d never heard before, done by Fetish, a band I also had never heard of, but it has grown on me on subsequent listens. We close things off with BOC’s most famous song, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”, which gets a complete remodeling from Spindrift, infusing it with an alternative edge and fully making it their own.

Dominance and Submission is a stellar tribute album in every aspect. From the selection of songs covered, to the variety of bands covering them in an assortment of musical genres. It’s clear that Blue Oyster Cult’s influence continues to inspire bands to this day in the many realms of rock n’ roll. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a covers album this much from top to bottom since 1994’s Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath. More often than not, tribute albums are so-so with only a handful of songs that make it worth spending your hard-earned cash on. Not so with this compilation of 13 BOC classics. I do wish someone would have covered “Astronomy” though, one of my all-time favorite songs from BOC. All kidding aside, this outstanding collaboration gets my highest possible recommendation.

Ripple Music’s Dominance and Submission Bandcamp page: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/d-minance-and-submissi-n-a-tribute-to-blue-yster-cult

Review: Bloody Monroe - Some Like It Heavy

There’s a period during the last three weeks of the year that is a veritable black hole for music releases (and pretty much any kind of entertainment releases, be it movies or books) and anything that comes out in that window of time gets lost in the Holidays/year-end shuffle. I feel that this is what happened to this remarkable debut album titled Some Like It Heavy from Calgary, Alberta trio Bloody Monroe. I love how the band references Marilyn Monroe both in their band name (and album cover art) as well as in their album titles. Their first EP released in 2019 was called How to Bury a Billionaire, a word-play on the Monroe movie “How to Marry a Millionaire”, and now their full-length album, a play-on-words of what is probably Marilyn’s most iconic role in “Some Like It Hot.” I hope they continue using that pattern of Marilyn Monroe movie titles as album titles.

On to the music. Some Like It Heavy is a blend of hard rock and heavy metal with a sprinkle of alternative. It’s got old school values that will make fans of ‘80s and ‘90s metal appreciate this record. “I Cast a Shadow” pulls you right in with its infectious opening riff. “Utero Manifest” and “Left of Sin” follow, two good tracks with more of an alternative flavour showcasing the band’s talent for songwriting. “Only You” gets a vote for my favourite song on the album. It’s the closest thing to a rock ballad I’ve heard in quite a while and I love it. It features a nice acoustic guitar intro, with accompanying strings and piano. “Over Again” is a track that displays singer/guitarist Mike Green’s guitar skills. “Why So Serious”, with a nod to Batman’s Joker, is one of the highlights of the record with its super catchy chorus. “They Live”, another reference to a movie title, this time of John Carpenter’s socially-relevant film, is a well-crafted song, but one that runs a little long in the end. “Chosen One” is a solid song with a barrage of great guitar licks. I’m torn about the next song, “People of Today”, as it’s one of the highlights of the album with timely lyrics and a terrific guitar solo, but in similar fashion as “They Live”, its lengthy runtime makes it lose some of its momentum in my opinion. Song number 10 closes the album out on a high note, “Army of Two”, a head-bobbing tune with another superb guitar solo where Mike’s vocal style sounds reminiscent of Metallica’s James Hetfield at times.

As a proud Canadian, I’m always thrilled to discover talented new Canuck bands. Bloody Monroe is definitely a band to keep an eye on. Their debut full-length record is a solid and meticulous effort that is sure to find legions of fans. Give Some Like It Heavy a spin and you’re bound to become an admirer of this Bloody Monroe. You can pick up the album in digital formats free of charge (for now) at their official Website.

Bloody Monroe’s Website: https://www.bloodymonroe.com/ 

It's the First Harbinger Friday!

Welcome to the very first Harbinger Friday! What is Harbinger Friday you ask? Well, since Bandcamp Friday (a day where Bandcamp waives its revenue share and all the money goes directly to the artists and labels) seems to be on vacation for the time being, I decided to continue doing my little roundup of suggestions the first Friday of the month. So, just like I used to do to celebrate BC Friday, I’m going to give you readers and listeners five picks for the week to spend your money on and support the bands and labels we love so much.

First off, to close out 2021, on the very last day of the year, Deathgaze duo VAZUM released a “Name Your Price” double single titled “Gallows” and it’s absolutely excellent. Give it a listen and pick it up on Bandcamp here.

Second, to kick off the year in style, The Swamp Records’ Willow Ash released an album of oddities and unreleased tracks titled Oddments By… and it’s a great collection of songs that go well together as a whole. At only $4 on Bandcamp, you can’t miss on a deal like this right here.

Third, Italian genre label Heavy Psych Sounds Records just released a repress of punk rock/garage rock band Hot Lunch’s 2013 self-titled debut and it’s a doozy! You can grab this little gem right here.

Fourth, if Power Metal and NWOBHM is your thing, you can do no wrong with Spanish label Castle Black’s release of Power Paladin’s debut album titled With the Magic of Windfyre Steel. The Icelandic power metal band delivers the goods aplenty and you can hear/buy it over here.

Last and certainly not least, the mighty Ripple Music will be releasing a 13-song tribute album to rock legends Blue Oyster Cult titled Dominance and Submission next week on January 14. The project features a who’s who of today’s best heavy rock bands such as Howling Giant, Great Electric Quest, Mos Generator, and War Cloud to name a few. I’ll be reviewing said album next week and, in the meantime, you can pre-order it here.

That’s all she wrote, folks! Here’s hoping Bandcamp Friday returns over the next couple of months. Until then, you can tune in right here on the first Friday of every month to get some recommendations from your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M. Have a great weekend and happy listening!

Review: Titanosaur - Absence of Universe

Brand new year, brand new records. My first review of 2022 features Hudson, New York’s one-man army Titanosaur’s Absence of Universe album. It starts the year off with a wallop of a record. Geoff Saavedra is the mastermind musician/singer/songwriter behind Titanosaur and deftly performs this plethora of tasks.

I first became aware of Titanosaur through Fuzzy Cracklins’ The Swamp compilation a little over a year ago with a great track titled “Messages.” Then I heard his team-up with DemonScar when they did a kick-ass cover of Motorhead’s “Mean Machine” and I was impressed. Last year saw Titanosaur release the excellent Inti Wañu EP and on February 4^th, the world will hear the culmination of what I believe is the man’s most polished effort yet, Absence of Universe. Titanosaur has a raw sound of old school meets the new school of metal/hard rock with a pinch of punk and stoner rock thrown in. Another thing I appreciate a lot about this one-man band is the use of a mascot. You know, like Iron Maiden’s Eddie or Megadeth’s Vic Rattlehead? Titanosaur has Titano, an uber cool alien dinosaur which appears on the album cover and in pretty much every videoclip. Nobody seems to be doing that anymore (aside from the aforementioned Maiden and ‘Deth, of course) and I miss it, and I love that Geoff is doing that with Titano.

On to the music! If you’ve never heard Titanosaur’s music, it’s got echoes of Motorhead, the rawness of the Ramones, and the ferocity of Sabbath. I even hear nods in the vocal department to Godsmack—haven’t heard that band in ages but they had some cool songs back in the day—which remind me of that awesome “Scorpion King” soundtrack song “I Stand Alone” at times. But I digress. The record opens with the frenetic “The Echo Chamber.” You know you’re in for a good time from the get-go. “Conspiracy”, which was the first single, follows. A catchy and timely song, percussion-driven and filled with heavy guitar chugging. “So Happy” is another song dealing with the state of society today with some great guitar licks. Next up is “We’re All Waiting”, the second single and my personal favorite song on the album. Bound to stay stuck in your head all day (in a good way), catchy as all hell, with a groovy bassline to boot. This one has it all. “Miles to Go” slows the pace down and introduces keys to the mix. A good track to bridge the album’s two halves. The sixth song, “The Mountain”, is set to be the next single and a damn good choice at that. It’s one of those head-bobbing tunes with some terrific guitar playing. It’s followed by “Shut Off the Voices”, a definite highlight of the album. It addresses the voices in our head, whether you want to take it from a mental health point of view or just silencing our inner-demons that can sometime sabotage us, the song works really well. “I Will Live Forever” is one of the most accessible songs on the album and is about self-empowerment. It features a splendid guitar riff and some Spanish lyrics as an added bonus. The record comes to an end the way it started, with a banger, to close out in the form of “Needed Order”, packed with chugging guitars and thumping basslines.

Titanosaur is here to stay. Absence of Universe is the first must-own album of 2022. Its nine songs have infinite replay value, not a single dud on this record, folks. The musicianship is tight, no small feat when it’s one dude performing all the duties. And the songwriting is quite sound, with its parallels and analogies between Titano’s life in space and our life and issues on this earth. Head over to Bandcamp to pre-order your copy when it lands in our universe on February 4^th!

Titanosaur’s Bandcamp page: https://titanosaur1.bandcamp.com

Happy Doom Year!!!

Another year is over, and sadly the world is still pretty much in the same state as we left it a year ago. In terms of music though, it has been an even bigger and better year than 2020 which had provided us with an enormous amount of amazing music. It’s been a year of new discoveries from awesome bands all over the world, of old favorites releasing fantastic records, of reliable labels delivering the goods in spades, and a community where support and friendship has reigned supreme. I’d like to thank all the bands, the labels, the artists, the Twitter metal community and family, and the friends I’ve met along the way for continuing to make the Harbinger of D.O.O.M. blog a growing presence in the Doom/Stoner/Metal landscape. I truly hope this blog has helped brighten your musical horizons in one way or another. I have lots of stuff in store for you in 2022, including a major project. Here’s to you all, wishing you a very Happy New Year filled with good health, lots of love, abundance of wealth, and stacks of phenomenal records and digital albums.