CONJURETH - The Parasitic Chambers (Review)

Written by: Blackie Skulless

Following a short career consisting of two demos and a full-length that have all gotten solid praise from me, Conjureth are back with a second full-length. While not changing too much, there’s enough here to get whiffs of exploration that feel just a little scared to move that direction. The Parasitic Chambers certainly maintains everything that made the band’s coarse, yet simple and furious nature stick the first time. As such a style can run dry quickly, it’s good that there are some signs of other ideas.

For starters, the focus on advanced rhythms and lead guitars is propped up a bit. Album one may have had a little bit of this, but it was hardly the focus. On The Parasitic Chambers, drastic swings from more traditional playing to intense, panic-stricken breaks take precedence. What’s really maintained is the louder atmosphere, which admittedly makes some of this harder to realize unless you’re playing on an incredible sound system. The outro of “Dimensional Ascendency” is the first spot that this nuance becomes quite clear, particularly with the small solo.

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What would help significantly is toning down the overbearing layers of heavy instruments stacked so high atop.  This worked wonders with the more direct blows, but with a stronger focus on advanced leads taking the forefront, a slowing of the speeds and crushing weight would be helpful. The vocals even feel a bit drowned out as compared to before. Everything that comes through is pleasing to the ear, but it becomes hard to get all of it. Hell, “The Ancient Presence” actually nails some of this when it cools off and lets a more well-paced solo break through, but a lot of it still feels super fast just for speed’s sake. “Deathly Sway Of Torsos Calm” on the other hand deals in the faster parts better; more direct patterns with tight and concise direction. 
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Please note, absolutely none of this is deal breaking, nor does any of it make Conjureth’s second record bad. They perfected the OSDM sound several times now, and with a draw into more advanced territory, I sense a fear of letting go of the breakneck speeds and harsh gradients when that may be a bit helpful. Short, swift songs (save for the last track) could probably be broken down into fewer longer tracks. If this serves as a transitional record, I’d love to see how the band manages evening things up on the next go.

Conjureth ​- The Parasitic Chambers was released Jan. 23rd, 2023. Find it here!

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Conjureth can be found:​
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