Rugby, UK · sludge metal · post-metal

Conjurer

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British sludge with post-metal patience — grim, dynamic, and one of the UK underground's genuine success stories, crushing without ever turning monotonous.

Conjurer formed in Rugby, Warwickshire, in 2014, founded by Brady Deeprose and Dani Nightingale and joined by Andy Price and Jan Krause, the latter previously a keyboardist in the death-doom band Esoteric. Rugby's central location within the UK made it easier to reach venues across the country, and frequent live shows built the group's early following.

The band works with two vocalists trading harsh registers, and their songs tend to move between slow, thick riffing and faster, more abrasive passages, with quieter stretches used to reset before the weight returns. Early material drew on influences such as Gojira and The Black Dahlia Murder.

Conjurer's debut EP, I, appeared on Holy Roar Records in 2016, followed by the first album, Mire, in 2018; bassist Andy Price left shortly after recording it and was replaced by Conor Marshall. The band signed to Nuclear Blast in 2019 and released a session for Audiotree Live, a collaborative record with Pijn called Curse These Metal Hands, and a split with Palm Reader covering songs by Slipknot and Mastodon.

Drummer Jan Krause left the band in 2021 citing mental health reasons, though he still contributed drums, keys and samples to the 2022 album Páthos before Noah See took over behind the kit. Páthos drew strong reviews, with Kerrang! magazine calling Conjurer one of the finest metal bands working at the time.

Live, Conjurer leans on volume and dynamics rather than speed alone, letting arrangements stretch out. The band has toured supporting Conan, Carcass and Unto Others, and later joined the Music Venue Trust's United by Music tour alongside Unpeople after Kerrang! put them forward for the slot.

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sludge metalpost-metal