Majaedus

Black Sabbath’s greatest contribution to hard rock was its realization that lumbering dirges could be just as heavy, if not more so, than flashy thrash blitzkriegs. Sometimes spooky lyrics need room to breathe and riffs need space to sprawl. Majaedus has mastered molasses metal. Ryan Red Corn’s shouts seem stretched, as if they’re being played back in slow motion, while the guitars move slowly yet menacingly, like a leisurely elephant stampede. Most of these Offerings resemble the breakdown portion of hardcore songs in pacing and structure, but Majaedus never falls victim to the speed trap by tacking double-time endings onto tunes that were content to plod. On “Stratagem,” crystalline guitars shine with a sinister sparkle as Red Corn delivers a spoken-word rant about religion as addiction and bullets for kerosene. Even the noisier tracks contain solid melodic undercurrents, making Majaedus one of the loudest local bands with radio potential.