Conjurer – Mire
I had Conjurer’s first EP “I” down as my album of the year when it was released. It took me surprise despite being more than familiar with the bands live performances in the Leicestershire Metal 2 the Masses event, which saw them get onto Bloodstock Festival 2016. Now we’re seeing them touted in national magazines as a special band, so it’s been a quick rise for these guys to say the least. They are worth the effort I must confirm, as a live act they really do produce a mighty sound, and what’s better is that their recorded output captures their essence perfectly.
There’s not really a mainstream band I’d be able to liken them to, because they really do seem to have their own sound. But if I had to I’d suggest that fans of “from mars to Sirius” era Gojira would find a lot to like here. Not really in style, but in power and execution. Their tones are so damn heavy that they smash your soul even at their lowest depths. It’s the sheer volume of everything going on that captures you, when Conjurer are in full flow it’s hard not to be dragged along with the wall of sound.
Despite being labelled as such, it’s not all out Doom or Sludge. You’ll find high tempo blast beats and thrash elements, though never too much of anything to feel unwelcome amongst to groove. It’s hard to pin them down because quite simply Conjurer don’t stay in one place at all; their songs go in all kinds of directions without sounding messy or convoluted.
They feel like a force of nature, and bring a sense of foreboding in all aspects of their songs. When breaking down into sombre and hollow tones in their quiet moments, they keep those emotions present throughout allowing for the loudest sections have the most impact. The seamless transitions between their movements whilst keeping it thematically together impresses me no end. They hit huge epic sections that floor you, but also batter the listener in other places without ever moving too far away from their Doom roots. It’s impressive to hear such range on a seven track album, though at 44 minutes it’s still a decent amount of time, but they don’t waste a second.
Conjurer have really put out a fantastic album here. No messing around, I say this as someone who was already a fan of their previous release. But I also say this as someone who I genuinely impressed with how they have managed to craft their own vibe across an album that is diverse and intricate, yet is very much for Doom fans. I’m interested to see how far these guys can go, I’m not sure about their mainstream appeal but that’s not a criticism. Mire is very much a product of the underground and unashamedly so.
Watch their new video ‘The Mire’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgYK2DsL_4o
Conjurer – “The Mire: 9/10
