Conjureth – The Parasitic Chambers
Release Date: 23rd January 2023
Label: Memento Mori
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Black Metal, Technical Death Metal, Thrash Metal.
FFO: Grave, Entombed, VoidCeremony, Encoffination, Artificial Brain.
Review By: Joe McKenna
Formed in 2018, San Diego, CA death metal four-piece Conjureth emerged from the depths of the US extreme metal underground making waves of brutality across the West Coast scene. After forging two demos back in 2020, Foul Formations and The Levitation Manifest (via Memento Mori) the band went on to release their first full length album Majestic Dissolve the following year, in which they were successful in producing that rawness, resembling the harsh and technical capabilities of an old school death metal sound. Unsurprisingly, the members of Conjureth have proved they are no strangers to this style, being involved in a number of similar projects such as Tumulation, Messial, Ghoulgotha, and Encoffination to name a few. Conjureth are now making a statement that they’re here to stay for the long term with their sophomore album, The Parasitic Chambers, bringing that classic death metal vibe with a whole new character and direction that takes a step up from its predecessor in a viscously callous fashion.
The record starts out with a series of notable strengths, particularly in the instrumentation, containing a series of dissonant riffs that interchange quite nicely and display some interesting stylistic divisions between speedy thrash metal lines to some more technical playing. The atmospheres are given an extra breath of harshness through these dissonant lines and the percussive elements also add another dimension to the sound, whereas other death metal bands might rely heavily on producing blast beat sections to increase the overall stamina of the tracks, here there are more complex rhythmic directions with numerous tempo changes and space for other instruments such as bass to take a central role. The vocal alignment to these tracks cannot be faulted either, as they exacerbate the overall intense feel of the album through an aggressive delivery and experimentation in dynamics.
The record opens with an excerpt from a 70s British cult horror film The Blood on Satan’s Claw before going into the first song Smothering Psalms, this sleazy, raw, old-school style of production is realised from the album’s start point in which it seems obvious that the band aim to express their appreciation for this renowned form of death metal production. Other early tracks such as Devastating Cataclysmic Unearthing and Cremated Dominium again reveal their technical side from within the chasms of fabricated rawness, unleashing violently diligent guitar work and quick rhythmic changes. Some tracks then begin to take up a more blackened feel to them as the record goes on with this type of harshly produced atmospheres, such is the case with A Blood Romance that offers a number of different stylistic pathways from abrasive technical death elements to eerie blackened resonances.
Perhaps a handful of these songs such as Devastating Cataclysmic Unearthing and From Ceremonies Past do seem to be utilised as album fillers in which there isn’t much outside of the brutal and technical death metal vibe that the band are going for, nevertheless, these tracks do hit hard and display some great melodic sections they just don’t meet up to the same standards as their neighbouring counterparts. Take for instance, In Mortal Thresholds applying some antagonising gutturals alongside these quick tempo changes in an energetic climax that offers amazing moments of rhythmic vigour and melodic variety. Perhaps in terms of experimentation and range, the album’s final track The Unworshipped II is far doomier and more sinister than the rest. The song opens with an antagonising bassline soon followed by dreary, distorted guitars, the pounding of the toms, and the harrowing low shrieks of the vocals that mimic the sounds of a march into the forever torturing abyss, this final track acts as a final surprise direction as the album goes into death doom territory.
All in all, this is a very solid death metal release and looks to strive for openness when considering its compositional process. Sure, there are many stretched out technical sections and rhythmic complexity being worked to death here, but that’s what should be expected of a well-written death metal release. The old-school vibes are used to reputable effect and don’t become too overworked, instead the artists use this to encompass an intense and unstable whilst leaving the musical aspects open to exploration into other extreme metal territories. What can be said then about The Parasitic Chambers is that it seems Conjureth are willing to take this project to the next level and establish themselves among a new crop of emerging underground death metal acts nationwide.
(4 / 5)
