Mage – ‘Hymns For The Afterlife’ Genre: Stoner Rock Label: Independent Release

Review By Smudge Smith

It’s been six long years since Leicester’s stoner titans Mage dropped their last record, and for fans of the UK underground heavy scene, their return with ‘Hymns For The Afterlife’ feels like a long-overdue seismic event. Over their 15-year career, Mage have built a reputation for blending fuzz-drenched riffs with a groove-laden backbone and vocals that drift effortlessly between power and restraint. This album not only reminds us why they’re considered one of Britain’s finest stoner acts—it reinforces it with thunderous conviction.

Right from the first few seconds of opener ‘Soil For The Worm’, the band wastes no time laying down intent. The riff hits like a hammer to the skull—massive, muscular, and undeniably catchy. What’s particularly refreshing is the crystal-clear production, something not always found in the murkier depths of stoner rock. Every instrument breathes: Tom’s vocals soar and snarl with calm authority, while the rhythm section—Mark on bass and Andy on drums—lock in tight like a machine of groove and grit. The song feels both immediate and ageless, a perfect statement of return.

‘Devil Be Damned’ takes things up a notch, flirting with a Thin Lizzy-style twin-guitar swagger that injects a classic rock energy into the mix. It’s a bold shift in pace that showcases the band’s ability to stretch their sound without losing heaviness. The track grooves hard, the riffs roll thick, and there’s that infectious Mage knack for turning a song into a ride you don’t want to get off.

Then comes ‘Witch’s Hollow’, a track that feels destined to become a live favourite. It lumbers into view with a monolithic Sabbath-inspired groove, dragging you deep into its smoke-hazed atmosphere. The interplay between Mark’s low-end rumble and the thick fuzz-laden guitars creates something hypnotic—a dark march through the occult heart of stoner metal. It’s vintage Mage: heavy, slow-burning, and utterly consuming.

‘Summer’ breaks up the shadowy intensity with something more direct and rock-driven. It’s a shorter, sharper hit that proves the band can do catchy without losing their weight. The melodies glisten beneath the grit, showing a different side to Mage’s songwriting arsenal before the album stretches into its most ambitious moment yet—‘Odin’s Eye’.

At over seven minutes, ‘Odin’s Eye’ is where Mage truly flex their psychedelic muscles. Built around Mark’s serpentine bassline, the track moves through several distinct phases, from drifting cosmic passages to all-out riff worship. There’s a hypnotic ebb and flow to it, as though the song itself is alive, breathing, and evolving. When it circles back to that shimmering psych groove, it feels like a full-circle moment—one that’s deeply satisfying and spiritually charged.

The album’s later stages hit even harder. ‘Vino Bambino’ is classic Mage—fuzzy, filthy, and loud, its riffs big enough to level mountains. It’s that kind of song you can imagine shaking the walls of any club or festival tent, full of head-nodding energy and desert-rock swagger.

Finally, the album closes with ‘The Hill’, an epic closer that encapsulates everything Mage does best. There’s something eerie about it—a creeping darkness beneath the surface that slowly builds before the track explodes into a colossal finale. The riffs tower, the drums thunder, and Tom’s voice takes on an almost ritualistic tone, as if summoning the ghosts that haunt the afterlife the title alludes to. It’s cinematic, unsettling, and absolutely masterful.

With ‘Hymns For The Afterlife’, Mage have delivered an album that feels like both a homecoming and an evolution. They’ve retained the raw, fuzzed-out heaviness that fans love but sharpened it with a cleaner production, tighter songwriting, and moments of genuine emotional depth. The record is a celebration—not just of the band’s 15 years together—but of the spirit of stoner rock itself: that sense of community, power, and catharsis that comes from a great riff played loud.

If this is the sound of Mage after a six-year wait, then the wait was worth every second. ‘Hymns For The Afterlife’ doesn’t just prove their relevance—it sets the bar for what British stoner rock can achieve in 2025. Congratulations, lads. Keep rockin’.

Tracklist:

1. Soil For The Worm
2. Devil Be Damned
3. Witch’s Hollow
4. Summer
5. Odin’s Eye
6. Vino Bambino
7. The Hill