When it comes to development of any bands sound and progression from record to record, a solid line-up is one of the fundamental components to ensure a winning formula. A lesson Maze Of Torment have learnt through bitter experience. The band have not so much had a revolving door policy, more a trap door policy when it has come to personnel changes.

"Hidden Cruelty" is the bands first release in over two years and it should come as no surprise that the member merry-go-round still appears to be in full swing; in come new guitarist Richard Dahlin and new bassist Cloffe Caspersson and out go Kalle Sjödin and Peter Karlsson. The two year hiatus and personnel reshuffle has had a huge impact on the band with "Hidden Cruelty" being by far the cleanest sounding album to carry the Maze Of Torment name. Gone are the dirty sounding guitar tones in favour of a true Bay Area Thrash vibe; crunchy with a snap like a bull whip to the ear drums. It is Erik Sahlström's vocals which have undergone the largest transformation however, with much of the old Death Metal elements we've come to expect from Maze Of Torment remaining, the old gruffness has been polished away. Bringing a new found clarity without any loss to the venomous bite of previous albums.

The bands aggression has not diminished with this change in style. Ferocious riffing is in abundance, underpinned by some blistering drumming that serves to act as the foundation from which each torrent of musical mayhem is launched. Unquestionable similarities and parallels will be drawn between this and much of the mighty Slayer's work. From the vocal styling to the dual guitar attacks, all have a feel of Araya and Co.

"Hidden Cruelty" offers little in the way of ground breaking genre defining metal. It is however a solid honest to goodness pure Thrash record; 100% certified! It makes no apologies for it's rawness, nor does it bow to any trends of today, as the album rages like the 1980's never ended. Stompin' it's way through ten pieces of savagery with a sole aim to cause maximum carnage and isn't that what Thrash is all about?