Conjurer
– “Old World Ritual”. Release date: June 06th 2015.
Label: Self-Released. Formats: DD/CD
Old
World Ritual - Tracklisting:
1.Never
Enough 05:43
2.Trudge
Down 03:48
3.Entheogen
03:42
4.Black
Throne 03:23
5.Singularity
04:13
6.Flesh
To Ash 05:28
7.Witch's
Hale 02:51
8.Time
Stands Still 04:50
9.Marauders
05:43
10.Gold
Mask 05:45
Band
Members:
Dillon
Enright | Dustin Mendel | John Rau | Gabe Whitcomb | Brian Wyrick
Review:
Here’s
my first review for the new blog and the first I’ve written in
about 6 weeks, so I maybe a little rusty. Bear with me. Anyway, I’m
reviewing Conjurer’s debut album – Old World Ritual. Conjurer’s
sound can be described as Sludge/Stoner Metal though with Doom Metal
and Space Rock influences holding everything together. The vocals
have a slight hardcore edge as they’re more of the shouting variety
than the normal style of clean harsh vocals and even death based
growls. It’s a great choice as the vocals more than matches the
heavy angry atmosphere Conjurer create with conviction.
Opening
track – Never Enough – starts with a space-rock driven
Sludge/Stoner Metal riff that becomes more powerful with each passing
moment. Fans of TAINT and H A R K will get a kick out of this album
as Conjurer play a similar style to those fantastic bands. Conjurer
plays to their strengths through out this track by combining doom and
gloom atmospherics with a Hardcore Punk sound especially where the
vocals are concerned. The album is loud and angry from the word go
and will have many of you headbanging in agreement. The final two
minutes of the song sees Conjurer play a more stripped back approach
of Post-Metal that will leave you in a peaceful mood. Trippy and
endearing moments that I didn’t expect.
Second
track – Trudge Down – is a more direct song compared to the
opening track with different vocals to show you another side of
Conjurer. The song has a true DIY feel as the music convinces you
that these guys don’t rely on recording studio trickery at all. You
get the impression this is what Conjurer actually sound like live in
the flesh. The song is another Punk/Sludge Rock driven track with
Conjurer creating more sublime moments of Doom/Stoner Metal madness.
The riffs have a down-tempo feel though played at a fast pace.
Third
track – Entheogen – is one the angriest tracks on the album as
you can feel the intensity from lead vocalist – Insert Name Later –
vocals. Conjurer’s mood and riffs become more distorted and direct
with the band shifting from one musical spectrum to the next. Doom,
Stoner, Sludge and Hardcore Punk combine to create an addictive sound
with hard-hitting lyrics to match. Conjurer is in full confident mood
and it’s impossible to resist the violent manic energy they’ve
created here.
Fourth
track – Black Throne – carries on the angry vibe and with 10
songs on the album Conjurer are going to make sure you pay with heavy
bombastic riffs with enough power to cause permanent damage to you’re
well being. Heavy slabs of Sludge/Stoner Rock are fused with a cosmic
sound with the distorted guitars played at maximum volumes. It’s an
interesting style of early Mastodon/Baroness crunching riffs with a
more space rock sound. Though without any of the commercial rock/pop
trappings that has hindered those bands albums recently.
Fifth
track – Singularity – is perhaps my fave song of the album as
Conjurer open with down-tempo riffs that slowly builds up the
atmosphere for all hell to break loose. The mood slowly becomes more
psychedelic with the vocals offering that sense of despair from the
earlier songs. Though it’s the riffs that are the main attraction
here with intense drumming to match.
The
2nd half of the album sees Conjurer venture into even heavier
territory as the band continue on their gruelling and punishing
journey. Expect even more heavier and intense sounds to blast your
hearing with. Tracks such as Flesh To Ash, Time Stands Still and
Marauders sees Conjurer offer a sense that the whole world is going
to end. With the recent warnings from leading scientists and world
scientific bodies saying that the end of the human race is nigh
possibly in the next 100 years, Old World Ritual may not be the best
album to lighten your mood with as Conjurer offer a more Doom and
Gloom on the remaining tracks compared to the first half of the
album.
Old
World Ritual is a stunning debut album. It’s packed full of
intriguing ideas and visions that will have you listening to the
album over and over again. Old World Ritual is an exciting and action
packed ride that will turn some heads within the Sludge/Stoner Metal
scene. Conjurer is a band to look out for in the future.
Words
by Steve Howe
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