Conjurer - Páthos (Nuclear Blast)
The Greek word páthos means "suffering," "experience," or "emotion". Three troupes that are often synonymous with metal music, many bands using their music to bring about certain feeling or connect to the audience in a certain way.
Páthos is an idea that is certainly present in the DNA of the heirs to the British metal crown Conjurer. So much so that they have called their second album Páthos perhaps shouting rather than hinting that they are and that want to make you feel something when you listen to it. An active participant in the process rather than just being a passive listener. This second record is long awaited (in modern times 5 years is a big gap), and though a cliché, like the accompanying PR material says, it is very much anticipated after their debut
Mire arrived to massive kudos in 2018. Since then only a few spilt EP's have emerged from the Conjurer camp, the best being their collab with Plini in the post-metal joy of Curse These Metal Hands.
Happily they have been writing and recording new music in this time frame and not just resorting to becoming online purveyors of memes and banter (their social media is a peculiar brand of chaos). Not only have they been working on new music, the band have been refining their sound and style in the live arena, maturing as a group ready to take the next evolutionary step in their journey towards becoming metal royalty. Páthos, like Mire, brings RIFFS (capitalisation very much required) but this time around there's a more rounded approach to things, the crushing heaviness often juxtaposed with moments of calm reflection, certainly showing that during this five year period the band have tried to challenge themselves creatively while retaining the moves that brought them to the dance. The musical diversions they have been a part of since their debut all play into Páthos broad soundscapes, a touch of post metal here (In Your Wake), an aggressive hardcore rage there (Suffer Alone), all joined by their well mixed concoction of the extreme side of metal, as death, doom, black and sludge all get worked over like a mob snitch.
At 50 minutes Páthos is pitched to linger but not overstay it's welcome, the massive peaks and troughs keeping you hooked on what you're listening too as this already very experienced band guide you on a journey of the philosophical and the emotional, the songwriting expansive and expressive, given a forcefulness by Will Putney's mix/master. Páthos moves mountains to get it's point across from the crushing first track It Dwells, you know that Conjurer are back doing what they are so good at, cascades of distorted grooving riffs matched with those that mix of extreme vocal styles, guttural roars twinned with black metal squarks. The pace dips for Rot, the slow burning, dissonant beginning bringing djent-like riffage, the whole song brimming with anger and frustration, massive Gojira influences dragging it to closure before All You Will Remember touches on a thick seam of doom.
With the first half of the album closing with the grinding
Basilisk that ups both the black metal and prog styles. We go into the second half of the record with the punishingly heavy
Those Years, Condemned a track that opens up some new realms for Conjurer, shifting them towards the edges of the metal realms more than ever before.
Páthos closes out with the apocalyptic doomscape of
Cracks In The Pyre, putting an end to this long awaited comeback from Conjurer.
Páthos is definitely a record that you need to "experience", a crowning achievement for the kings in waiting. 10/10
Catalysis - Innova (Self Released)
Tearing out of Scotland with some of the most polished, vicious, metal of the year are Dundee based groove metal band Catalysis. This is their fourth EP, they have also released a full length album so, clearly and with a lot of drive to create new music. This EP is being released before their appearance at Bloodstock Festival this year so to create a buzz around them. Expect them to be a name on those in the knows lips as Innova sees them evolving their sound from the previous releases. Catalysis here have ramped up the heaviness to 11 unleashing 5 tracks of bludgeoning groove infused with a tonne of aggression, but also some melodic flashes that bring a more refined sound, the vocals especially are more expressive than ever reminding me of the recently and sadly departed Trevor Strnad of Black Dahlia Murder on Echo Chamber.
They deal with the subjects of death, loss and mental health issues. The solos too are more potent and present than before a little like what Lamb Of God did with Wrath/Resolution, the LOG comparison rearing it's head on Death Grip, a full bore ripper that has so much of the Richmond band owing to it. Once again the engineering of Mendel Bij De Leij Innova means it booms out of your speakers all guns blazing. With that rock solid bottom end, that grooving metal riffage and vocals that gurgle like a tar pit, Innova is Catalysis again proving that they are a force to be reckoned with on the British metal scene. 8/10
Haunt - Windows Of Your Heart (Iron Grip/Church Recordings)
The sickenly prolific Trevor William Church has again entered the studio to record another Haunt album. Windows Of Your Heart is the seventh release from Church's trad metal affair, a band conceived for the songs that didn't fit in with Beastmaker his doom outfit. On this seventh album Church again locked himself away and refined the record until it was right, however unlike on previous affairs, here doffing the hat of influence to Ozzy with his vocals on Father Time, Dream On It coming from the Prince Of Darkness as well..
Again the record is all Church but finding himself in need of a band he has recruited Andy Lei (guitar), Andy Saldate (drums) and Chris Fletcher (bass) so Haunt could be a touring unit again. With all Haunt records the classic metal sound here is fast and furious combining NWOBHM with thrash to give us some blistering speed metal. Running Hard is deep in that early NWOBHM sound as is Barricade. As I said earlier Father Time comes from the Ozzy style while the title track is rich in American heavy metal though it represents the more personal themes on this record, the birth of Church's son especially.
Windows Of Your Heart is another excellent selection of classic heavy metal from the mind of Trevor William Church, seven albums in and no signs of stopping, Haunt continue to be one of the top trad metal bands around. 8/10
Mirror Queen - Inviolate (Tee Pee Records)
Tee Pee Records do retro well, especially when it comes to bands that bring a heavy does if proto-metal to proceedings. New Yorkers Mirror Queen certainly fall into this category of bands who were wielding dual guitar harmonies with psychedelic touches before the new wave of metal bands got rid of the psych in the 80's. Inviolate is their fourth album on Tee Pee Records and again they're influenced by BÖC, Hawkwind, Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy. Having been plying their trade for 10 years, as Mirror Queen but for over 20 in the previous incarnation of the band.
The members of Mirror Queen are all well versed in kicking out psych rock rhythms both live and on record. Using 2020 to write this new record the album is more collaborative than ever before according to Kenny Kreisor (vocals/guitar). Kreisor and co founder Jeremy O'Brien (drums), are joined by James Corallo on bass/backing vocals and Morgan McDaniel on second guitar, the latter only coming into the band in 2018 to add to the sonic landscape of Mirror Queen's intergalactic ambitions. Inviolate gives you what you want right from the off a chuggy riff and those echoed vocals on Inside An Icy Light, Sea Of Tranquility is brought to you by some fluid dual guitar harmonies.
The psych is upped here along with the swirling doom of The Devil Seeks Control while Witching Hour has some bubbling organs and tip of the witches hat to the Canterbury Scene. There's a lot in common with European acts such as Kadavar strewn through Inviolate as the proto-metal meets psych rock sound is enough to appeal to lovers of both genres. Switch on to the fuzzy vibes of the Mirror Queen if you're up for the trip. 7/10
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