The Conjuration – The Human Condition (2012)

So, this is one of the sickest metal s*it I heard lately, and definitively one of the best releases of the genre in 2012! Anyway, for sure one of my favorites! It’s damn shame this band it’s not world-wide famous yet!! This is much-much better then 99.9% of the s*it that the media and the record labels pushing and selling lately under any (sometimes fake) metal moniker!
Corey Cochran – compositions, guitar, vocals, programming; and Josh Moss – bass and keyboards are the pillars of this project formed in 2010, in Danville, Virgina. Delivering a psycho kind of twisted death metal with psychedelic and progressive taste and avant-garde edge, The Conjuration released their second full length album on 21 December 2012. Both albums were released last year and both are available for FREE DOWNLOAD at the band’s Bandcamp page.
Drawing inspirations from different bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Therion, Strapping Young Lad, Rush, Opeth, Cynic, King Crimson, Between the Buried and Me, Alchemist, Pink Floyd, Slayer, The Cure, Sigh, Atheist and ELP, they delivered a twisted in and out journey to the outer limits of metal.
They says: “Music is an art. Art is an outlet of emotions and philosophies that can fill the senses and change lives…and that’s exactly what we want to do. We make music because we love music. We make music because we want to help people. We want to make a better world for all the earth’s lifeforms. We just want to be heard, and have our music help someone out there… ”

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The story of “The Human Condition” – far as I understand it – it’s build upon the hidden shadows and secrets of the human soul, it’s about our naked filthiness, our restless demons, about abuses and perversion. No redemption – I guess. Quite macabre anyway.
But the music is murderous!! Basically this is a progressive death metal with roots back to Cynic, with the tenacity of The Dillinger Escape Plan to switching between styles and genres and the contorted heaviness and sickness of Strapping Young Lad. But sometimes they cut down to smooth jazzy passages, have several atmospherics doom and black metal moments, know how to keep the tension throughout, build all in smoothly and keep the listener attention focused offering all the way surprising solutions, breakdowns and turns.

After the 40 seconds introduction of an untitled track, “Gozu” blows in with raging energy. Clean, but brutal vocals and blood freezing howls and screams are leading the “innocent” listener right through the gates of Hell. The music it’s not less sicker, it’s a tumultuous mixture of metal, jazz and progressive rock, sleeping from one into another smooth and smartly. Pretty schizophrenic, but 100% human in deed!
“I Saw The Devil” it’s less experimental, more extreme and intense, still have a nice progressive breakdown with a flowering solo. The closing riff it’s murderous and the grinding simply killer!
“Begotten” feels like Emerson, Lake and Palmer would get into death metal accompanied by the Devil himself. Some very vivid synths and jazz fueled basses and guitars give a quite unique taste to this trip. The piano breakdown at the end it’s pretty gentle while the main riff it’s a flesh-ripper and these makes the picture complete. Reminded me also of Between the Buried and Me.
“Sylvian (For The Evolution Of Human Spirituality)” it’s a noisy, tumultuous and schizophrenic exploration of the border between (progressive [death]) metal and everything else. Disturbing actually, but fascinating. “Constellations” slides directly in with contorted vocals and a menacingly quiet and minimal musical build-up. It’s a sleepless rest.
“Afar” brings back the death metal butchery with some contorted riffs and death howls, but keeps the progressive feel and groove pulsing throughout. The main riff it’s extremely heavy and well constructed while the solo have a Pantera flavor. Devastating – literally.
“Inside” featuring both clean vocals, death howls, jazzy breakdowns and furious grindings. We’re just as good as bad we are, isn’t it? But well, we like to hide our dark side away, we use to keep it locked up… inside.
“731: Psychologic Atrocity Divinum” it’s another complex technical death metal build up with some sparkling synth inserts and jazz flavored bass lines, but focusing on intense butchering throughout. Epic!
“The Human Condition” it’s another brutality based slaughter, the guitars reminded me of Slayer, quite schizophrenic, but cutting through and the quiet, spacy breakdown only makes the whole track even sicker. Hard not to love it!
The closing “Perversion’s Waltz” it’s a psychedelic flavored, industrial sounding trip of grooves and noises wearing a BDSM perfume, whipped throughout – gently.
Wow! Really impressive!

Corey Cochran delivers bloody vocals also to The Unbecoming.

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