HAZE MAGE "Chronicles"

HAZE MAGE

"Chronicles"

I’ve been of the opinion for quite some time that most current stoner doom and fuzz rock is on the same level as nu-metal and metalcore. Derivative, old hat and lacking imagination. As if to prove this corollary, we have "Chronicles" by Baltimore’s Haze Mage.

The stoner genre is overflowing with tired cliches and these guys have mined just about every one of them, from the overdone, snore-inducing dope worship to third rate imagery from 70’s horror/sword and sorcery works and most importantly, to the borrowed riffs and jams of many older and more established bands. This whole album seems like a carbon copy of a carbon copy of a carbon copy, ad infinitum.  When you see there is a song called “Bong Witch”, you’re about ready to throw your hands up and start listening to mumble rap…

Some bands can overcome the tiredness of the material with sheer batshit energy, but there isn’t much of that here. Sure, the pace picks up on songs like “Storm Blade” and “Harbinger”, but even those are plodding on a well worn track. Worst offender here is “Priest of Azathoth”...this is stoner rock that’s as prefabricated and cookie cutter as a metal toolshed you buy from Home Depot and build yourself. The vocalist here definitely imagines himself as the bastard son of Danzig as well. Final tune “Dread Queen” is the expected 10 minute jam that tosses uninspired acoustic work into the mix.

If you’re in the market for generic stoner doom, your ship has come in. This is really no different than the flood of bands trying to sound like Shinedown or Breaking Benjamin on the radio.

GRIMOIRE RECORDS

HAZE MAGE