From the country of Argentina, HERMIT'S MAZE doesn't really have much information about them. Aside from the fact that they are a progressive metal band that push out instrumental tracks. They are quoted saying "Songs are stories; however it's up to you to create them. Welcome to the Maze!" which implies that the name is really how it sounds. They don't want a lot to be known about them and their songs can make you feel like you're in a maze. The album in question however is "State of Mind" and it will be released independently later this month.
 
The album kicks off with "An Unexpected Collapse" and it starts very slow for a little bit then transitions into a Doom Metal backing track with a melodic guitar over top of it. The sound gradually builds up but doesn't seem to have much of a direction with it. "State of Mind" has a lot of distorted guitar chugs, with long drawn out power chords. It has a good ending to it though. "Just.Re:Born" shares some similar qualities. But what stands out in this one is the guitar solos and steady tremolo picking that help give it some good relaxing vibes. "Crystal Box" has a dreamy feel and almost an orchestration approach to it. The message they are getting across is loud and clear. "Fill Your Shadows With Black" begins with a dark gloomy bass line that is eventually met with uplifting guitar chords. It speeds up to give you a boost of energy and then keeps you there.  The ending to it was questionable though.
 
"N1n3" begins with the guitars chugging away and that is pretty much the entire song. The guitars are very forward and it was hard to hear the drums all the way in this mix. "Sea of Deafness" starts with a really cool piano riff. This song had a lot of winds in turns in it but that's a good thing, it kept me guessing (kind of like a maze). The final track on the album "The Calm Before..." is probably my favorite track on the record. The guitars at the beginning seem to give me some type of nostalgia that was very relaxing. What I love about instrumental music is that the instruments paint the picture that the vocalists normally help do when they sing; and they achieved that success with this song.
 
Now, HERMIT'S MAZE has some really good potential to offer in the genre and do serve as a great progressive metal band. But I feel like the mix wasn't all the way quite there though. Some songs seem to favor the guitars more and led to an uneven mix with the bass and drums. I wish I knew more about them but at the same time it's interesting that they don't allow more information to be known.