Maze of Terror - Skullcrusher (Capricorn Records) 2012

1. Damned to Eternal Pyre (4:29)
2. Hatred & Repression (4:47)
3. Lord of Destruction (5:41)
4. Rivals (5:10)
5. Run with Death (4:58)

Arriving in my mailbox all the way from South America is the demo CD from Maze of Terror. This band from Lima, Puru is a 3-piece thrash metal unit that was formed in 2011 from the ashes of R.I.P. This EP was released in 2012 and unfortunately has sat in a pile of CD to review for much too long. The demo is aptly titled because what these three guys do is make music that will crush your skull and leave you wanting for more. Maze of Terror are part of the new wave of thrash metal and their sound is a mixture of influences from American bands like Slayer, Dark Angel and At War to the Teutonic bands like Sodom and Kreator.  The five songs here are each as intense as the next, but "Hatred & Repression" stands out from among them. This one song crushes and reminds me of that same feeling I had when I first heard "Whiplash" back in the early 80's, or the first time I heard "Reign in Blood". There's just something about it that get's your blood flowing and your head banging. The song is built around machine gun riffs, slightly-blackened vocals, a noisy Slayer-like guitar solo, cannon drums and speed, speed and more speed. It's absolutely vicious!