Gary, Paul, Jack, Lee and Sam make up the 5 piece band from London UK, called MAZE. The band started out as a recording project, but the response and reaction they received induced them to start gigging and they have since been offered plenty of gigs for 2020. In the meantime they have released their 4 track EP, entitled “From Start To Perfection”. The recording is a rich quilt of guitar-driven sounds and rock influences. What’s thrilling about the production is not only are the clear punchy sonics, where each instrument is captured at its most resonant – but there’s a freewheeling sense of vision amongst the players. It’s abundantly clear throughout that the EP is meant to be listened to as an entirety and it’s a delight to do just that.
The opener, “Heading out of Nowhere” is primal, and yet expansive, fueled by overdriven guitars and a galloping rhythm. It is a perfect overture to a grand symphony of alternative and melodic rock abrasion. The rest of the album follows suit beautifully and fiercely. “Need Someone” identifies the group’s mainstream rock ambitions.
It’s a swashbuckling assault of the senses; a channel for the band’s fractious spirit, bound together by tight instrumentation and an unforgettable chorus. The radio friendly nature of the track points toward a single release, and its succinct, perceptive lyrics are even better the second time round.
“Time is on Our Side”, is slower but not less intense. Modern and yet ancient in the power behind the music. I can’t really do the depth of this track justice in writing. You must hear it. The song has powerful vocal and guitar crescendos that build as the song progresses. Underneath, it is driven by a deep, layered rhythm section.
The bass is low and heavy and it’s mixed at a very reasonable volume where you don’t have to max out your speakers to actually hear it. It also owes its appeal to an undeniably relentless lead guitar that does the best it can to pull you in.
While the lead vocalist soars on “Can You Feel It”, each instrument bolsters the scene, adding dimension and teasing out thematic elements. The bass is heavier, drums punchier, the guitars louder, and the words are a lot clearer – you can easily belt along to the chorus, on this one.
It’s a bombastic blitz of the electric six-string and sassy vocals shot through with swagger. The record’s finest, most accessible moments comes in these closing minutes. It’s undeniably huge; a rousing, arena finale kind of track that would fit just as well on rock radio, leaving you with goosebumps peppering every inch of skin.
The last memory you’ll have of “From Start To Perfection” is pure melodic rock adrenalin, and you’ll be forced to revisit the record the earliest chance you get. Each listen reveals more, scraping back another layer. You’ll get more and feel more each time you hit play.
The gritty guitars are abundantly, but tactfully used, and the prominent vocal melodies are allowed to carry the music. The EP definitely achieves what MAZE set out to accomplish, by yanking a small piece of modern music out of its airy, starry-eyed electronic world, and injecting it with an infectious dose of rock n’ roll relevancy.
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