British sludge/post-metal darlings Conjurer are one of those bands I’ve been acutely aware of for quite a while, but who have never really managed to ensnare me. With Unself, that changes. An album themed around (not) finding space in modern society as a (neuro)divergent and non-binary person, Unself backs up the weight of these themes with the weight of their compositions.
Opening on a deceptively pastoral, Americana influenced note, the title track invokes Huntsmen with an extra serving of malice, but as the feedback ramps up and an abrasive post-metal roar rips and tears through the veneer of tranquility, Conjurer make their commanding presence known. Hulking riffs and seething speed-ups are balanced out with mournful melodies and cathartic clean vocals. While post- and sludge metal are the most obvious genre signposts, there is a viscous quality to the riffs that reminds me of Weeping Sores at times, and the album’s juxtaposition of down-tuned riffs and roars with a vulnerable honesty in the more melodic tracks like “All Apart” and “Let us Live” writhe in the shadows of a midnight crossroads, somewhere between Kin-era Whitechapel and Dimscûa.
Pitch-black tones dominate on “There is No Warmth” and “The Searing Glow”, where Conjurer wield jagged obsidian riffs, menacing and adorned with the occasional panic chord to grim effect. Powerful mood pieces as they are, I find Conjurer most effective when they let rays of bleary melodicism pierce the inky void, or truly embrace the madness as seen on the harrowing climax of “Hang Them In Your Head”. Late-album highlight “Foreclosure” lands somewhere between Hath and Amenra, wielding a slow tempo and masterful dynamics like an axe that eclipses all light, before closer “This World Is Not My Home” brings the record to a plaintive and beautiful ending. The adaptation of a gospel song as the album closer drives (un-)home the album’s sense of not-belonging while offering some melodic reprieve after another foray into the dissonant depths.
Unself’s pacing and structure are particularly strong, as its bookends and the poignant interlude “A Plea” show a raw and introspective vulnerability that relieves some of the unrelenting post-metal pressure, bolstered by powerful dynamics, emotional resonance, a strong production job and a cohesive theme. Surprisingly, it’s in the heavier sections that I find my attention sometimes slips off the sharp edges. While still huge, I find some sections of “All Apart”, “There Is No Warmth” and “The Searing Glow” can get a bit chuggy and lack auditive anchors, and some of the riffs attain a thuggish quality that, while initially satisfying, fail to hold my attention. While generally very well paced, the sequencing of these three tracks can render the album harder to latch on to before its mid to late album payload arrives.
With Unself Conjurer have unearthed a dark, razor sharp yet brittle crystallisation of their identity as musicians and humans. A jagged, warping mirror to hold up to society and reflect themselves and their audience, lurking outside the bleak and lifeless light of conformity. The heavier tracks might open up to me more on future spins, but this is not an album to spin back to back as it’s dark ravines require some recuperation between spins, and I have a sneaking suspicion I will keep returning to this one over the years, even if it’s only when the mood hits. Join them in this dark reflection if you dare.