Rising extreme metal outfit Conjurer announced the signing of a new record deal with the renowned label Nuclear Blast yesterday, and confirmed their upcoming sophomore album is well on its way for 2021. Hailing from the heart of the Midlands in Rugby, Warwickshire, and self-described simply as “UK riff music” the young band offers a thunderous blend of prog, doom, death and sludge metal that is already making big waves across the local scene. Without pinpointing them to a specific genre, Conjurer’s debut Mire (2018) has rightfully been described as a masterful amalgamation of everything we love about the likes of Mastodon, Gojira and Opeth.
The band issued the following statement on their social media channels yesterday: “We are extremely excited to partner with Nuclear Blast worldwide for the forthcoming release of our second album. Having spent the last year or so getting to know Monte Conner, we count ourselves lucky to be working with not only a true legend in the world of heavy music, but one who continues to champion exciting, forward-thinking art.”
Following the overwhelmingly positive reception of their debut 4-track EP I (2016) and its follow-up Mire, Conjurer had a busy 2019 releasing the brilliant collaborative project Curse These Metal Hands with Pijn and a cover split with Palm Reader. In September 2020 their previous independent label Holy Roar Records was hit by mass allegations against its owner, with certain staff members and leading acts like Rolo Tomasi, Svalbard and Apologies, I Have None all leaving amidst the public scandal. As a result, Conjurer were amongst the bands that respectfully cut all ties with the company with no further comment, and focused on their future.
Yesterday’s band statement confirmed the extreme outfit have been working with industry titan Monte Connor in preparation for their hugely anticipated second album. Previously from Roadrunner Records, Connor joined Nuclear Blast in 2012 and boosts an impressive portfolio, with the likes of Slipknot, Trivium and King Diamond worth mentioning standing out from the the endless list of hugely influential metal acts. His recent partnership with Conjurer pushed the promising young act into joining the international division of Nuclear Blast, adding:
“We’ve now also been introduced to Barley and the rest of the international team at NB and it’s evident that they understand our mentality and want nothing more than to support and nourish our creativity. In what has been an awful year on so many levels, we are grateful to have found the right home for our music. We look forward to working together with NB to bring you our sophomore album in 2021, and much more in the years to follow.”
We are extremely excited to partner with @nuclearblast worldwide for the forthcoming release of our second album. Full statement on FB/Insta. pic.twitter.com/s0rQgUIzMI — Conjurer (@ConjurerUK) February 3, 2021
With the exciting announcement of the new record deal with Nuclear Blast out of the way, Conjurer can direct all their energy into preparing the release of their second album. Official title, artwork and tracklist are yet to be confirmed but stay tuned for further updates and upcoming promotional singles. As Nuclear Blast have already added to their updated artists roster page, “the future of British metal lies in safe hands with Conjurer, who continue their journey as the country’s most exciting young metal band with their signing“.
So far, the Rugby quartet have three festival appearances booked for Summer 2021. On 30 July Conjurer will perform on Radar Festival alongside Dirty Loops, Sleep Token and Palm Reader, followed by 14 August for the second day of the huge Bloodstock Open Air, supporting Mercyful Fate, Dimmu Borgir, Paradise Lost, Bury Tomorrow, and more. Conjurer are also set to feature on the 2021 edition of the more prog and experimental-focused ArcTanGent Festival, bringing their Curse These Metal Hands collaboration with Pijn on Friday 20 August.
