Album Review: Conjurer - Unself
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
With their 2022 album “Pathos”, Conjurer announced themselves on the British metal fraternity with a collection of phenomenal soundscapes that ripped through the music scene. It wasn’t until June the following year, that I finally got to witness them in the flesh, as part of the Carcass Bloody Blighty tour.
They left a lasting impression on me that night, so I was eager to listen to their new music, and with “Unself” they might have just surpassed their previous release. There’s not much you can do to prepare yourself for what you are about to hear as it’s “a more intense, more personal voyage of discovery” as vocalist/guitarist Dani Nightingale explained.
Opening track “Unself” is something quite unexpected, an acoustic guitar being gently strummed with a melancholy vocal over the top. There’s an undercurrent of noise that build halfway before an explosion of seismic proportions that reminds me that this is Conjurer I’m listening to after all. However, they take this approach further and adapt it on “All Apart” allowing their post-metal sound to shine through and demonstrate that they aren’t just trying to eradicate your senses with each note but have adopted a more nuanced approach to their playing.
Much of this record documents the autism diagnosis that Nightingale received and how he, and they as a band, have put their lives back together, alongside the non-binary realisation. It has given them a renewed purpose, and collectively, they have risen to that challenge with this set of songs. “There is no Warmth” sees them at their bludgeoning best, with snippets of their softer side shining through, and it further intensifies on “The Searing Glow” with drummer Noah See giving his kit a damn good thrashing during the dark and gloomy material. And yet, they still have time to showcase their newfound maturity with bassist Conor Marshall leading the way on another powerhouse of a track.
The highlight for me is with “A Plea” as it’s an outpouring of emotions, as the listener gains an insight into the vulnerability and acceptance of who and where they are right now. Again, it wasn’t something I expected, but it’s a timely reminder that you don’t just have to produce music that is like a sledgehammer pounding on your skull all the time. “Let us Live” is an emotionally driven song, clawing at your affections before “Hang them in your Head” reminds you of how good this band really are.
With guitarists Nightingale and Brady Deeprose, they have an effective unit working in harmony, as the cathartic lyrics exploring issues such as anger, confusion and self-worth, having formed an album of exploration and evolution for the quartet. “Foreclosure” and “This World is Not My Home” complete the album, with the latter combing tenderness and heaviness to create something meaningful. The band have stripped back so much to allow clarity, and the result is a dynamic sound that will pierce people’s hearts, minds and souls, and this album will rightfully be lauded for the work of art it is.
