Páthos
Conjurer
From their Press Kit, "the future of British metal lies in safe hands with CONJURER, who continue their journey as the country's most exciting young metal band with their incredible new album "Páthos." A triumphant return from CONJURER following their world-renowned 2018 debut, "Páthos" is a band flexing their creative muscles, deepening their approach and thought, and expanding their sound. The album contains eight tracks.
"It Dwells" is the first. The opening sounds are bombastic...and somewhere within the world of Extreme Metal. But there are also melodies here...ripe for the taking. The mixture between the two keeps the listener on their toes. Melancholy tones bleed deeply in this song. "Rot" begins with tense guitar notes and some thick bass and drums lurking in the background. Rich, dissonant tones combine with some heavy, Progressive elements here in a stew that is seasoned just right. It culminates in a chunky slab of concrete at the end. "As You Will Remember" opens with some clean vocals, but the harsh vocals that follow are gut-wrenching in this lumbering and very sad song. Clean female vocals follow, laden with somber tones. Despair turns to anger towards the end.
"Basilisk" is another strong combination of clean tones with horrid, vulgar harsh tones. When the cleans are playing you have a sense of relief, and warmth, but when the harsh tones cut through, they cut deep and wide. "Those Years, Condemned" is another heavy, dissonant song with Progressive elements in the meter shifting. The band moves through these passages so smoothly, you barely notice the intricacies of the music. The clean tones are actually quite melodic, but they are somewhat hidden in the skin of hatred and rage. "Suffer Alone" is a two-minute blast of raucous fury and indignation. The guitars build layers of various sounds, with expert crafting.
"In Your Wake" is a bit more mellow in the sense that if you peel back the heavy layers, there is a softer core underneath. Though the layers are thick, keep digging, and you will get your prize. They come bubbling to the surface around the half-way mark...with gentle warmth, but are replaced soon by violence that you can't even imagine. "Cracks in the Pyre" closes the album. The deep moments of aggression and tempered so nicely with charming melodies. The song is so hopeless it almost makes your eyes well up with tears. This was my first introduction to this band from the UK, I am embarrassed to say. But "Pathos" is indeed a very expansive and carefully crafted affair. They band uses several techniques in the approach to songwriting, and by the end, you aren't sure if you should break everything in sight in a maddened rage, or retreat to your room and bawl for days. Great music will move the listener to great things.
9 / 10
Almost Perfect
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Páthos" Track-listing:
1. It Dwells
2. Rot
3. All You Will Remember
4. Basilisk
5. Those Years, Condemned
6. Suffer Alone
7. In Your Wake
8. Cracks in The Pyre
Conjurer Lineup:
Dan Nightingale - Guitars, Vocals
Brady Deeprose - Guitars, Vocals
Conor Marshall - Bass
Noah See - Drums
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