Haze Mage Slay With Evil Song in Ferocious 2nd LP, ‘Chronicles’
~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~
Album art by John De Campos/Ghost Bat Illustration
Enough with the wizards, stoner-doom -- let's bring on the mages! The difference between the two, you're wondering? One person (and I don't remember who) put it something like this: "The mage is not just a practitioner of the magic arts, he's also a scholar. Whereas the wizard? The wizard is just a user." Okay, that wasn't very nice, but it's not entirely without its truth. What we get with the mage is wisdom, the perspective of history, and deep, deep lore. Pair that with the ability to see clearly the mysteries of the occult and awaken forces supernatural and you can't be beat. Now, throw a little pot into the mix and you've got HAZE MAGE.
The Baltimore heavies are mages in the most fundamental sense, at least as far as the music is concerned. On the cusp of releasing their second full-length record, the band continues to conjure the galloping trot of NWOBHM glory and the rousing spirit of epic doom, along with a flair for showmanship in 'Chronicles' (2019). It's the next chapter in the fantasy world established by Haze Mage's debut, 'Blood Mist' (2017), which my fellow Doom Charts editor Bucky Brown called "a gutsy combination of Danzig meets The Sword drowning in riff-heavy psychedelic fuzz, propelled by dynamic stoner blues, with classic rock tones and doom inspired groove."
Indeed, the vocals remains a distinctive feature of the Haze Mage sound. Matthew Casella channels the dignity of Mats Björkman, the insanity of Scott Reagers and, yes, the bravura of Glenn Danzig. I would hasten to add, there's a just the slightest touch of strangeness that reminds me of Michael Scalzi of The Lord Weird Slough Feg -- which incidentally was a hop, skip, and a jump away from Casella in the '90s when Slough Feg was a staple of the Philly scene (interesting: Scalzi is a philosophy professor -- I'm calling him Mage Mike from now on).
Joining Casella in the dramatic line-up: Kevin Considine (guitar), Nick Jewett (guitar), Scott Brenner (bass), and John De Campos (drums). Together they are one tight troupe of magic makers, holding their own on stage with the likes of Valiant Thorr, The Flying Eyes, and Ruby The Hatchet, not to mention a veritable Who's Who of Doomed & Stoned Festival alumni, from Heavy Temple and Foghound to Horseburner and Book of Wyrms.
We got our first taste of Haze Mage's sophomore effort with the single "Fire Wizards," a feisty five-minute number, and the rest of the album follows suit, though with plenty of variety so that I never felt I was listening to the same thing over and over (the Achilles heel of doom-stoner music). If the celebratory rips of "Bong Witch" don't drag you in, then certainly the rich fantasy world of Haze Maze will, with standouts like the unhinged "Harbinger," the melancholy "Corpse Golem," the slow-burning "Priest of Azathoth," and (my favorite) the balladic ten-minute closer, "Dread Queen." In short, there's plenty here to satiate the bloodlust of the Riff Gods!
Chronicles releases on Grimoire Records this Friday, April 19th, with pre-orders for a sleek limited edition CD happening here. And now what you've all been waiting for: the world premiere of Chronicles by Haze Mage, which Doomed & Stoned is pleased to present at this time.
Give ear...
Chronicles by Haze Mage
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Forged in Baltimore, Maryland in late 2015, Haze Mage creates riff-driven anthemic fantasy metal that transports listeners to a world where they explore ancient dark forests, slay savage beasts, and bask in the sacred mystic haze. Haze Mage weaves their fantasy world through lyrics and sound that draw inspiration from many subgenres of metal to create one all their own: Sword and Sorcery Doom.
Blood Mist by Haze Mage
Through the sanguine tinted lens of a nameless warrior, experience a blood-soaked landscape shrouded in magic and inhabited by otherworldly beings. Ancient tomes of the realm recite tales of those seeking vengeance on evil, the perils which have been witnessed and passed down for generations, and the warnings of an impending doom.
Shrouded in blackness a shadowy towering figure layered behind curtains of effluvium, It’s clawed hands rise to the empyrean, silvery eyes glowing red and massive spiked horns cut through the vapor to reveal the master of this realm and the miasma of smothering murk he commands, the Haze Mage. Will you succumb to his haunting power or will you be consumed by the power of the haze?
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