Barn Owl
The Conjurer
- Catalog
- RS045
- Format
- CD
- Edition
- Edition of 1000
- Released
- April 2010
The Conjurer is the latest offering by Bay Area duo Barn Owl. This new long player finds Evan Caminiti & Jon Porras finally (by way of an actual recording studio) documenting something that is a bit closer to their very heavy live sets, with expanded peaks of white light distortion and enormous valleys of bottom end. Each side opens with a brief funeral dirge to set the mood, a procession of bare-bones drum beats and bell-like guitar statements that bridge the gap to the wider open spaces of the almost side long 'Across The Desert Of Ash' and 'Ancient Of Days'. It may seem obvious, or even a little overwrought, but it has to be said that these guys really do evoke all kinds of cinematic drama with their music. Apocalyptic westerns, bleak melodramas, mother nature fever dreams, it all seems to come to mind amid the evening guitar passages, incantations, flute tones, and finally, the solo piano that emerges lost among the electric mayhem to close the album. Considering the amount of terrain, The Conjurer is far from being scattered or rushed sounding. The record as a whole moves at a crafted even rhythm, slowly merging from one scene of violence to the next of almost silent recovery, then back up the mountain again.nEdition of 500 LPs, half colored deep red, half black. Cover etching by Evan Caminiti.
Tracklist
- Into The Red Horizon 5:11
- Across The Deserts Of Ash 16:59
- Procession Of Golden Bones 3:51
- Ancient Of Days 14:42
Press
There should be an arrest warrant out for every one of our writers for neglecting to review Barn Owl’s latest. “The Conjurer†is definitely not an album to be overlooked. I mean, Barn Owl?!!! If you’ve been tapped into reality over the past year there’s no way you could have missed this incredible duo. Evan Caminiti and Jon Porras have been burning up the scene with their collaborative work, along with a handful of solo projects. This was a much anticipated release, and turned out to be anything but disappointing. This is truly a gift from the gods. To hold this release in your hands is like grasping the Holy Grail, a magic talisman, or some ancient scroll that contains the secrets of the universe encrypted on its papyrus.
To describe “The Conjurer†as epic would be an understatement. This is an odyssey of drone, setting its ambitious sails for immortality and to make a name for itself. Needless to say, Barn Owl will be in many of our own personal record collection’s hall-of-fame. While I think “From Our Mouths a Perpetual Light†is still my all-time favorite from their back catalog, this one is still a competitor. I think I find myself reaching for a Barn Owl release more often than any other artist. “The Conjurer†is just the latest masterpiece that has become invaluable to me.
Four tracks, two of which are longer journeys, heat up the night with paced guitar dramatics. The first track, “Into the Red Horizon,†is a cautious entrance into the LP, with a killer western-metal riff that creeps along. The last note of each plucked stanza is left suspended in mid-air, throbbing with electric energy. I could almost imagine this in a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. The second, “Across the Deserts of Ash,†traipses its way through the falling ash of smoke-enriched drones. The third, “Procession of Golden Bones†trails another shadow behind the somber guide of a glum guitar. On and on we make an entrance from “Into†to “Across†to “Procession†until Barn Owl personally escorts us before the throne of the “Ancient of Days,†the fourth and final track. This one is so good. It burns the incense coals white hot and catches the glint of golden treasures heaped up in the throne room via dim candlelight. This is a compelling, eloquent portrait of the divine. Here is utter majesty. So other. So foreign. So cloaked, veiled, shrouded in untouchable, unknowable mystery. Yet, here it is. Experience it.
Evan Caminiti proves himself again to be quite the visual artist as he scratches another glorious etching of a blotched up casket, the unavoidable icon of mortality. Plenty of wispy, lingering haze loiters about to befriend you and take you to your ultimate destiny of peace and nothingness. A tongue-tied mix of apprehension and calm. Crushing and magnificent black wax, pressed as a limited run of 500. And for those seeking convenience and versatility, a still impressive CD format is available as well. This is a must-buy for everyone this summer. 10/10 - Foxy Digitalis