Hazemaze - Hymns Of The Damned

Black vinyl / Hymns Of The Damned is the follow-up to the band's acclaimed Self-Titled debut. Opens with Shadow In The Night with its steady kick drum intro that recalls Black Sabbath's Iron Man. The next track Morbid Lust comes and goes, its' loud, it rocks but you'd struggle to remember it as it does sound, for the most part, rather interchangeable with other Stoner/Doom bands currently doing the rounds. Thrill Seeker is better, with a sound that would suggest that Hazemaze have been listening to The Cramps, what with the swampy dark sound it conjures. For me, any band that takes its cues from the Psychobilly legends suggests they have an excellent taste in music if nothing else. The albums longest track is Solicitor Of Evil, (kind of ironic when you think about it, to any Americans reading this, solicitor means lawyer in the UK) and chugs along at nearly 7 interminable minutes. The track Green River has some nice Nebula influences and helps pique my interest momentarily. A major criticism of the Stoner Rock genre/sound has been its over infatuation with 70's retro Hard Rock, Sabbath, Bang, Pentagram, Dust, Deep Purple, you know the names So, cutting to the chase, the album is well-played, produced, with fabulous new cover art colors