Review CONJURER “Unself”

Hailing from the UK, riff grinders Conjurer launch their next album, “Unself”, presenting a brutal mix of sludge and post-metal. This raging album contains nine songs. It is the band’s second album with Nuclear Blast, and it is a musical fury.

The music of Conjurer is characterised by hoarse screaming, malicious growls and blasting riffs. Overall, the band seems to be pushing the boundaries of their music, focusing too much on its aggressive nature. A better approach emerges when listening to tracks such as “The Searing Glow”, which is slightly different. The band maintains its basic musical principles, but adds a few twists to the song. The desperate shouts in the middle section are one such moment, and the dystopian bassline adds another dimension to the mix.

Next is the instrumental interlude, “A Plea”, which is a total contrast to the other tracks and offers a moment of peace for the ears and mind. “A Plea” prepares you for the second half of “Unself”, which kicks off with “Let Us Live”. This song picks up the vibe from the interlude, putting more emphasis on the song’s structure than on sonic chaos. This doesn’t reduce the intensity of the music, but makes it more accessible.

“Hang Them in Your Head” is a sinister tune with alternating paces. Grooving moments give way to double bass parts, then return to a more moderate tempo. The rage that drives the song remains throughout.

“Unself” demands quite a lot from listeners. There is just too much going on, yet at the same time, there is too much repetition. While the effort to create a varied flow is apparent, the album starts to feel lengthy after a while because the massive fury is too much in focus and wrecks musical variety.