Maze of Torment

Album: Altars of Madness (1989)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Maze of Torment" was written by guitarist Trey Azagthoth and bassist/vocalist David Vincent, of Morbid Angel. Drummer Pete Sandoval mentions this song as his favorite from the Altars of Madness album.
  • This is one of three songs on the album to have a remix version. In Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces, the band members explain the remixes: Vincent says that they're more like different versions than mixes since, "It's not the easiest music in the world to mix, you know?" Lead guitarist Richard Brunelle mentions that the remix gave him an opportunity to improve some of his leads. Pete Sandoval notes only that the drums came through louder on the remix.

    David Vincent recalls the early days of the group and recording this first album, explaining that the rejection letter from one album (which he still has) said in part: "After listening to your tape, all we can say is that you do for music what King Herod did for babysitting."
  • The Altars of Madness album was recorded at Morrisound Recording in Temple Terrace, Florida. Since the '80s, the studio has almost singlehandedly popularized the death metal sound. It counts amongst its clients Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Iced Earth, Seven Mary Three, Savatage, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Death, Demons and Wizards, and Obituary.

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