AGLO // Into The Maze // Album Review

Melbourne-based death doom project AGLO is about to release their new E.P. “Into The Maze”. Six tracks of heavy, balls-to-the-wall death metal influenced doom.

Formed by Aaron Osborne (Burn the Hostages, I Exist, Mental Cavity) as a solo project, AGLO is the perfect melding of some of my favourite parts of the death metal & doom genre. Mixing the catchy riffing of “Wolverine Blues” era Entombed & the spacy, wacky elements of Morbid Angel with the doom passages of Crowbar, Primitive Man & Hooded Menace.

AGLO’s first release “Collector” was an incredible start for the band with some tracks included in this release plus two new songs.

At first listen, I knew this would be some of the catchiest & knuckle dragging tracks of 2023. But also within the new tracks on “Into The Maze” Aaron has been able to make AGLO more cohesive, even more, catchier & somehow even more destructive in tone.

The opener “Into the Maze” starts with a slow, crushing riff that sounds right from the Kirk Windstein school of riff writing. A methodical & ripping way to engage the listener before the track breaks into an HM2-inspired stomping chugging section.

Osborne’s songwriting has always been top notch but on “Into the Maze” the song structures follow even more fluidly & are sonically more powerful.

Second track “Parasites” keeps the slow mesmerising momentum but the vocals really shine on this song. Somehow finding an even lower register this track is driven by the ungodly vocal take Osborne recorded here.
At the halfway point the track picks up enough speed to become even more slightly driving before opening up into a bluesy bridge full guitar strung bends & an eerie sample that gives the track the room to breathe before the closing seconds unleash into a decimation.

“Past” starts off with one of the best ways I’ve heard a cowbell used for some time. A headbanger of an opening riff gets the tempo running & keeps this track lighthearted. Still a track soaked in heavy tonnage but feels more soaring in the vein of High On Fire, even feeling like a raging party track!

Capping off the release is the nearly seven-minute closer “The Journey Home”. An epic journey into the most doom side of the release. The track slowly crawls then Osborne’s vocals discharge & fits perfectly with the guitar riffing. Multiple times I had to remind myself that AGLO is a one-man project, which at times is unbelievable as the performance on this record is top-notch on every instrument.

“Into The Maze” is an astronomical release. Mixing all the best parts of death/doom metal & leaving all the fluff by the wayside. Now to eagerly await the full length!!

Review: Joseph Mitchell

“Into The Maze” is out via Gutter Prince Cabal on 16th February 2023