Conjurer - MIRE (Album Review)

Release date: February 23^rd 2018. Label: Holy Roar Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

MIRE – Tracklisting

CHOKE

HOLLOW

THANKLESS

RETCH

THE MIRE

OF FLESH WEAKER THAN ASH

HADAL

Members

Dan Nightingale {Vocals/Guitar}

Brady Deeprose {Vocals/Guitar}

Jan Krause {Drums}

Conor Marshall {Bass}

Review

Editor's Note - Simon who is reviewing this album is the bassist from UK Doom/Sludge Metal crew - GREENHORN

After what seems to have been a relatively quiet time for probably the UK's most prolific live act these last few months, we can expect to be seeing and hearing a lot more about them again in the coming months. And with good cause.

Before we go any further I feel I need to be honest on my previous thoughts on Conjurer because "Mire" has given me what I believe is called a moment of clarity.

I'd been fortunate enough to see them play live on a couple of occasions (and less fortunate that due to scheduling I've had to play after them. Can't recommend it.) and like everyone else who's ever seen them have always been blown away and left feeling... well left feeling like I've been violated by their sheer ferocity.

I was also fortunate enough to review their EP which at the time I loved. But the more I listened to it, the less I loved it. I can't quite put my finger on it, but to me I felt like perhaps it was too much. Too heavy, too aggressive and after its initial impact, I struggled with repeated listens.

Well I can tell you this for nothing. Repeated listens is no problem here. Other than to the detriment of the rest of my record collection...

Conjurer have employed incredible use of dynamics, touches of light and shade, sublime vocal interplay and even a few clean vocals to result in a genuinely phenomenal and emotive experience.

Sure that ferocity that you're expecting and that you get live is still very much present and correct, but when it's needed Conjurer don't shy away from dialling things back a notch, which ultimately makes the pay off that much greater when it kicks back in.

The first three tracks, "Choke" "Hollow" and "Thankless" set out their mission statement for the album pretty succinctly.

Showing their influences but without ever simply mimicking them, there are nods to black metal, death metal, grindcore and of course the sludge/doom scene that they find themselves perhaps most closely associated with. Touching on most genres of extreme metal, but always retaining their own identity. The biggest compliment I can give is to say that,Conjurer sound like Conjurer.

For me standout tracks are the magnificently spiteful "Retch" and the closing track "Hadal" which is impossible for me to listen to in the car anymore for fear of setting off an airbag as I try and (badly and indignantly) drum along on the dashboard.

The first time I listened to "Mire" in full, I found myself being a little surprised at how much I enjoyed it. As I reached to switch the playlist on my phone and listen to something else I was even more surprised when I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I just played it again. And again. And again...

And if you buy the record when it comes out via the incredible Holy Roar you'll find yourself doing exactly the same.

Words by Simon Williams

Thanks to Lisa at Hold Tight PR for the promo. MIRE will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Holy Roar Records from February 23rd 2018.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Conjurer - I (Album Review)

Release date: July 01^st 2016. Label: Holy Roar Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

I – Tracklisting

1.Behold The Swine

2.Scorn

3.A Chasm Forged In Dread And Disarray

4.Frail

Band Members:

Dan Nightingale {Vocals/Guitar}

Brady Deeprose {Vocals/Guitar}

Jan Krause {Drums}

Andy Price {Bass}

Review:

Conjurer are a band that I have just recently been put onto and perhaps just in time as their debut E.P. "I" has just started streaming on the Terrorizer website ahead of pre-release sale on the Holy Roar. The band identify themselves as 'post sludge' but to me they have as much in common with a good, raw and primitive Black Metal outfit as anything else. Amongst their (substantial) listed influences are Slabdragger, Conan, Anaal Nathrak, Hang the Bastard and Oathbreaker. When listening to them I hear elements of Marduk's 'La grand dans Macabre', a guitar tone reminiscent of Sepultura and an ethereal mood of Angel Whore - 10 points if that last reference means anything to you.

I have been listening to the E.P. "I" almost perpetually looped for a couple of weeks now. Its production polished enough not to interfere with the raw nature of the music and each track dynamically paced for a conscientious sense of dramatic timing. The riffs are plentiful, meaty and industrious giving way to the occasional and appropriately placed solo that shows off a flair for the technical that would otherwise have them painted as the sort of 'purists' to turn their nose up at that sort of display. The drumming is a particular point of interest for me as it shows a creative flair with plenty of hooks, pauses and refrains that don't allow the listener a passive ride but instead have them on edge for the duration Like the ghosts in Super Mario that grab you when you look away. It is a record not dependant on blast beats to keep the it moving forward but when the time is right Jan Krause is well equipped to pulverise the track and the listener with a barrage on par with the first days of the Somme.

Vocally I could drop any number of adjectives that you've read in any number of reviews before (brutal, crushing etc. etc.) but instead I'll draw focus to the nature of the vocals and how the shared responsibility of Dan Nightingale and Brady Deeprose allows a saturation into the mix that is used to almost full potential. The rich texture and layering that you are accosted with in this record is exactly what you can expect to find in a live show but don't think for a minute that 'Rich' could confused with 'pleasant' as a rasping almost shrill topline accompanies a guttural roar placed against each other in pique discord that is both well developed but shows a real room for growth that will have me checking in on future releases.

To break down the individual parts is to ignore the bigger picture. This record is grim, primitive and melancholic. Reverb-y acoustic intros drop you into a well of despairing riffs at every turn and most often mutates into a palpable rage but every now and then with just one short bar or phrase it puts across a real sense of optimism that could stand to upset the purists but represents a serious progression in style and mood. I am happy this one landed in my lap and would encourage others to grab a copy of this future classic.

Words by Luke The Bastard

I will be available to buy via Holy Roar Records on CD/DD/Vinyl from July 1^st 2016.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter