Morbid Angel made their vinyl debut in 1987 on New Renaissance Records. Morbid Angel was one of the original death metal bands signed to Earache Records, and was also influential in the transition of death metal from its thrash metal roots to its current form by adding guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beats, incorporating atonality in guitar soloing, and dark, chunky, mid paced rhythms. It was also the first death metal band to have a touch of mainstream success, such as being signed to Giant Records in 1992 and having the music video for the song "God of Emptiness" shown on an episode of Beavis and Butthead.
The original lyrical themes focused mostly on Satanism, paganism and anti-Christian subject matter, but from the second album, Blessed Are the Sick onward, the lyrics slowly moved toward the ancient Sumerian gods, though much of this is a nod to the Simon Necronomicon, which was influenced by Sumerian mythology as well as the author H. P. Lovecraft, as well as a fascination with the Roman Empire, though "anti-christian" elements continue to permeate the lyrics. Their albums are notable for being released in alphabetical order (their first album starts with the letter A, the second with B, etc.). Guitarist Trey Azagthoth has said in an interview that it was at first a coincidence with the first albums.
In 2008 appearance on some of the mid-summer 2008 European festivals was announced as a "short break from writing and pre-production of their new". After 3 years Morbid Angel released their expected 8th album Illud Divinum Insanus in June 2011. The album includes industrial and nu-metal elements. Also former Hate Eternal drummer Tim Yeung recorded the drum tracks for this album. The album was not well received by a big part of the fans, who liked the band's older and more purely Death Metal sounding albums.
But there were also fans who accepted and embraced Illud Divinum Insanus.
Maze of Torment
Morbid Angel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Evil ripping caverns through your mind
Immolation, in blood you've signed your soul away
Sickening life ends but the horror has just begun
Vultures moaning a funeral dirge
Walls await to cradle you and rip your soul apart
Incessant screams echoes through the maze
Insanity approaches, imminent demise
Maze of torment [Repeat x3]
(Maze of death)
Stricken from the holy book, deliverance to pain
Effigy of Jesus Christ burning in your mind
Voices cry out to bid you welcome
Locked within the dungeons of darkness, no escape!!
Passing through corridors embedded with
Scars of those who have gone before you
And left their marks
Warning comes too late to save you now
Visions of suffering stab from the inside
You pray for death
Mourning does no good as you can only die once
Souls are being raped by the maze
Lost in these halls, endlessly
Maze of torment [Repeat x3]
(Maze of death)
The lyrics of Morbid Angel's song Maze of Torment unravel the horrors of a labyrinthine maze that traps individuals in their own insanity. The first verse describes the state of someone who has given up on life and signed their soul over to darkness. They are tormented by evil thoughts that twist and turn through their mind, leading them to the relentless screams of tortured souls. The second verse speaks of the cruelty of said maze, where the walls are eager to embrace you and "rip your soul apart." The vultures and funeral dirge serve as the very welcome that lures you in, and once you're in, there's no turning back. Passages scarred by those who have come before are the only markers to guide you, but it's already too late, and the visions of suffering that start to overwhelm you are unbearable. And as you pray for death to end the suffering, you realize that mourning does no good, for you can only die once.
In essence, Maze of Torment is a tale of spiritual agony and disorientation. The maze is Hell, and one by one, souls are trapped, tortured, and raped by its crazed insanity. The only way to find out what lies at the end of this maze is to navigate through its very center, to keep going until there's nowhere left to go but death.
Line by Line Meaning
Life betrayal, a warping rage
A feeling of betrayal overcomes the singer, fueling their anger and warping their sense of reality.
Evil ripping caverns through your mind
The evil that surrounds the singer is tearing through their mind like a cavern, leaving scars and trauma.
Immolation, in blood you've signed your soul away
The singer has given their soul away to the devil, sealing their fate through a bloody sacrifice.
Sickening life ends but the horror has just begun
Although the artist's miserable life has ended, the horror of their fate is only just beginning as they enter the maze of torment.
Vultures moaning a funeral dirge
Vultures circle overhead, moaning in a mournful tone as if attending a funeral, indicating that death is near.
Walls await to cradle you and rip your soul apart
The walls of the maze seem welcoming at first, but they soon reveal their true intention of tearing apart the singer's soul.
Incessant screams echoes through the maze
The endless screams of previous victims echo throughout the maze, intensifying the singer's fear and despair.
Insanity approaches, imminent demise
The artist can feel their sanity slipping away and their time running out, indicating that their death is approaching.
Maze of torment [Repeat x3]
(Maze of death)
The maze of torment is inescapable and deadly, with the repetition emphasizing its destructive power.
Stricken from the holy book, deliverance to pain
The artist has been excommunicated from the holy book, dooming them to a life of pain and suffering.
Effigy of Jesus Christ burning in your mind
The image of Jesus Christ burning in the singer's mind represents the intense spiritual agony they are experiencing.
Voices cry out to bid you welcome
The voices that call out to the artist are not friendly, but rather welcome them to their doom.
Locked within the dungeons of darkness, no escape!!
The singer is trapped in the maze of torment, with no hope of escape.
Passing through corridors embedded with
Scars of those who have gone before you
And left their marks
Each corridor is marked by the scars of previous victims, a grim reminder of the horrors that await the singer.
Warning comes too late to save you now
The warning about the maze of torment came too late for the singer, who is already doomed to suffer its consequences.
Visions of suffering stab from the inside
The artist is haunted by visions of suffering, which feel like a sharp blade piercing them from within.
You pray for death
The artist's suffering is so intense that they long for death as a way to end their torment.
Mourning does no good as you can only die once
Mourning the loss of life is futile, as death is inevitable and can only happen once.
Souls are being raped by the maze
The maze of torment is violating the souls of its victims, taking away their dignity and humanity.
Lost in these halls, endlessly
The artist is lost in the maze of torment, with no sense of direction or hope for escape.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@donovandabosok5740
[Verse 1]
Life betrayal - a warping rage
Evil ripping caverns through your mind
Immolation - in blood you've signed your soul away
Sickening life ends but the horror has just begun
[Verse 2]
Vultures moaning a funeral dirge
Walls await to cradle you and rip your soul apart
Incessant screaming echoes through the maze
Insanity approaches - imminent demise
[Chorus]
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of death
[Verse 3]
Stricken from the holy book deliverance to pain
Effigy of Jesus Christ burning in your mind
Voices cry out to bid you welcome
Locked within the dungeons of darkness - no escape!!
[Chorus]
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
In the name
[Bridge]
Passing through corridors embedded with
Scars of those who have gone before you
And left their marks
Warning comes too late to save you now
Visions of suffering stab from the inside
You pray for death
Mourning does no good as you can only die once
Souls are being raped by the maze
Lost in these halls, endlessly
[Chorus]
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of death
@michaelrubino5897
This album must have been devastating in 1989.
@ricothesnake4608
It was my friend, it was. I was drummer in a Dutch thrashmetal band called Messina and our vocalist came with this CD from this 'new' band. I was pissed because the drumming and double bass was so fast...next level in those days. Saw Morbid Angel live in '89, '91' and '93. I Am Morbid once and still have to see Vltimas. I love Dave Vincent!
@Infamous_grinder
I really recommend the german band Poison from Ulm not these strange american guys.
@fabionovelli3136
Still is in 2020
@metallian2952
This album struck like an atomic bomb back then..............it was fantastic.............. adn still is.
@l.i.v.v4835
Not as much devastating as REALM OF CHAOS by BOLT THROWER released that same 1989 year
@zacharyhorvath3615
this intro is what got me to buy and learn guitar. THE MAZE!!!
@Xenoforge78
Did you learn the song?
@DeathMetalRob
this dynamic range edition is no joke it's so clear but punchy even on youtube! really hear the difference between this and my original cd copy.
@donovandabosok5740
[Verse 1]
Life betrayal - a warping rage
Evil ripping caverns through your mind
Immolation - in blood you've signed your soul away
Sickening life ends but the horror has just begun
[Verse 2]
Vultures moaning a funeral dirge
Walls await to cradle you and rip your soul apart
Incessant screaming echoes through the maze
Insanity approaches - imminent demise
[Chorus]
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of death
[Verse 3]
Stricken from the holy book deliverance to pain
Effigy of Jesus Christ burning in your mind
Voices cry out to bid you welcome
Locked within the dungeons of darkness - no escape!!
[Chorus]
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
In the name
[Bridge]
Passing through corridors embedded with
Scars of those who have gone before you
And left their marks
Warning comes too late to save you now
Visions of suffering stab from the inside
You pray for death
Mourning does no good as you can only die once
Souls are being raped by the maze
Lost in these halls, endlessly
[Chorus]
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of torment
Maze of death