While it's open to many different interpretations, the Aesopian fable of The Tortoise And The Hare is generally identified as the origin of the idiom, "Slow and steady wins the race." It may have been different for the Ancient Greeks, and Bugs Bunny sure had a different way of telling the tale, but there's plenty of other historical evidence to back up the idea that patience and persistence can pay off.

The same value can be applied to the music industry at large, and one such budding tale of perseverance comes to us from northeast Brazil. A Melodic Metal outfit has been simmering over a fire since 2014 in the form of LASTING MAZE, whose second EP "Thunder" demonstrates the band's ability to take a carefully measured step, but how far forward those steps go may be up for debate.

The eponymous opener delivers a showcase of major Melodic chops with talent to burn, though it unfortunately loses a bit of vocal power due to misproduction. The follow-up, "Greatest Sin", is far more impressive in both writing and production, getting very Heavy and featuring a nicely orthodox bridge, and gets a spot on the All-2021 playlist.

After that comes "To The Wolves", which retains the last track's heaviness while coming in more Melodically, then they introduce a synth to accompany the rhythm; far from an easy task, the band succeeds with it here, another entry for the playlist. "Kosmos" then brings in the greater essences of the last two songs to create a formidable average of themselves, and ending things is "Destiny (Carry On)", which picks up the synth work again, following a much more traditional Melodic structure, and the length suggests they may be getting comfortable with what they're doing.

Listed chronologically, the track order is 2-3-1-4-5, with "Greatest Sin" coming up all the way from 2018. Therefore, one might notice an evolution which tends to lighten up while becoming a bit more thought-out. There is something pleasantly scientific about this EP, but not in an algorithmic way like with Prog. There's an exploratory element at work here more so than a structural element, a geocentric mandala rather than a Vitruvian man.

Still, the nagging issues of this EP are the sorts of things which should get ironed out when a band is together so long. LASTING MAZE needs to find a studio and a producer who complements their work and then keep working with them. The musicians are talented, the vocalist is nigh-angelic, and if getting over with the crowds in Japan led them to working with AYUMI MIYAZAKI, that must mean the only thing missing is the proper industry backing.

A competent record label with the right pair of eyes should pick this one up stat.