British metal outfit Conjurer have continued to defy expectations since the release of their debut album, Mire, in 2018. Essentially an experimental metal band, Conjurer has drawn on elements of sludge, death, doom and post metal, never once allowing themselves to be defined by any one sound or genre.
While award nominations and accolades accumulated with each piece of new music, Conjurer retained their one simple mission: to make heavy music and have fun while doing so. Preferring to use their spotlight to showcase technicality and musicality rather than concentrating on politics or opinions, Conjurer have always lived in the moment and embraced everything that came their way.
Their upcoming third album Unself (October 24, Nuclear Blast Records) sees Conjurer once more expanding their sonic palate, but this time the whole album is grounded by a common theme or thread that sees the band producing their most personal album to date. Unself is a more intense, more personal voyage of discovery unfurling for vocalist/guitarist Dani Nightingale, who was diagnosed with autism at age 31. With that prognosis, Conjurer's long-held view of self and perception of their place in the world began to unravel. Unself documents much of the piecing back together around the diagnosis, alongside the realisation that they were non-binary.
With the release date looming large, HEAVY took the time to chat with guitarist/vocalist Brady Deeprose to dive deeper. We start by asking if the band are feeling confident about the reaction for the new album.
"I think it's funny because with all of our previous releases, we've not really cared about the reception," he smiled. "It has been a very specific point that we make this music for the four of us. We put it out there, and if people like it, that is wonderful. And if they don't, then that's also fine. We can't control that. However, on this album, I feel like we've put so much more of ourselves into it than ever before. It feels so much more personal and so much more emotionally vulnerable, that while, yes, if people don't like it, that's not something I can control, but I do really hope that people connect with it in the way that I have. I love this album, it really means a lot to me, and I hope that it kind of scratches that itch for at least some of the people that listen to it."
In the full interview, Brady talks more about Unself, highlighting its departure from previous works and a focus on emotional vulnerability and personal investment. He described the recording process as collaborative and low-pressure, contrasting it with the challenges faced during their last album, Pathos. Brady explained how the band aims for a more organic sound on Unself, with tracks that defy traditional genre boundaries, reflecting their artistic evolution.
We spoke about the opening tune, Unself, and why it was chosen as first cab off the rank, as well as the closing track, The World Is Not My Home, which is an adaptation of a century-old gospel song, and the thought process behind both. Last year's Australian tour was brought up, along with whispers about a return visit next year and more.
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