Following up their highly acclaimed 2017 debut album ‘Valley Of Shadows’, this 5 piece from the North coast of Northern Ireland are set to release ‘Curse Of The Fallen’ in November 2019, but don’t think these boys are new to the scene. Formed in 2005 by guitarist Phil Horner and vocalist Tommy Daly, they have been joined in the love of all things metal, by guitarist Karl Gibson, bassist Steve Legear, and drummer Niall McGrotty.
The album opens with a dramatic organ led track ‘The Premonition” leading us into ‘Burn The Witch’ a thunderous track full of guitar riffs and solos to keep the keenest metal fan happy, which in turn gives way to ‘Voodoo Wrath’, which continues the frenetic pace.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQWXHXyY7WE&w=560&h=315]
Niall McGrotty really earns his corn on this opening salvo as the beat doesn’t let up for a second with Horner, Gibson and Legear working their socks off to give us a sound with influences from Iron Maiden, early Saxon & Helloween. ‘Midnight skies’ continues the onslaught but with a more melodic approach from the twin lead guitars and which allows Tommy Daly’s voice to sit front and centre.
On first listening to the album, the force and pace of the music hits you like a train but after a couple of run throughs, I was taking more notice of Daly’s fine vocals, which are perfect for the backdrop of the thumping drums, bass and searing guitar riffs. The music demands a performance of someone who gets in your face and screams those lyrics until you buckle under the pressure and Daly certainly delivers.
‘Daughter Of The Everglades’ and ‘Night Of The Knives’, with its heavy Maiden influence, are my favourite tracks on the album as the guitars grind through the tracks with searing solos giving way to more twin guitar assaults with the whole band sounding superb before we move into ‘No Escape’ which starts with a big drum scattering the place like a machine gun alongside the guitars and neither let up for the next 4 minutes.
Children Of The Night’ enjoys a few changes in pace along the way with its strong Metallica ‘Moth Into Flame’ inspired guitar sound before we arrive at ‘Original Sin’ which is the last track on the album and leaves us pretty much as we started – at 100 miles an hour and checking your ears to see if they are bleeding.
This album is one big thumping attack on your senses and the more I listened, the more it grew on me. The rhythm section work their socks off throughout and the lead guitars go off on solos which are a treat, but while the music is comparable to Maiden in places, these boys put their own stamp on it. This album is surely a stepping stone to greater things for the lads from Northern Ireland and I think we will be hearing more from them in the future.
‘Curse Of The Fallen’ is released on 15 November 2019, through Pure Steel Records
Conjuring Fate are: Tommy Daly (Vocals), Phil Horner (Guitars), Karl Gibson (Guitars), Steve Legear (Bass Guitar) and Niall McGrotty (Drums).
Tracklisting:
- The Premonition
- Burn The Witch
- Voodoo Wrath
- Midnight Skies
- Journeys End
- Daughter of The Everglades
- Night of The Knives
- No Escape
- Children of The Night
- Original Sin
Mixed and mastered by Josh Robinson
Reviewed by : Howard Whitelaw (October 2019)
