Album Review: Stone Healer – Conquistador (Self Released)

Asheville, North Carolina-based duo Stone Healer are excited to announce their incredible debut album, Conquistador. Set for release on Friday, April 30th 2021. Conquistador is the follow up to the groups’ highly praised 2015 EP, He Who Rides Immolated Horses.

Stone Healer comments:

Conquistador is a cathartic retelling of my own spiritual extortion, in which the themes of allowance, forgiveness, letting go, and mistaken divinity play central roles. The Conquistador, as depicted by artist Leo Ulfelder, is a representation of egotistical arrogance, the illusion of invincibility, and self-appointed divinity in the same way that conquistadors during the Age Of Discovery believed themselves to be ordained by God throughout their terrorization of newfound worlds.

With progressive power behind them, this brother duo (Dave – guitar, bass, vocals and Matt Kaminsky – drums) are confidently able to slide between melodious rock rhythm and blistering blackened death metal. Yes, it really is as strange as that sounds but, credit to Stone Healer, they’ll make a believer out everyone once they hear this. Hell, they’ll make a believer out of everyone once they hear the sprawling epic that is One Whisper. An opener that has Stone Healer portraying their unusual rhythms, crashing bursts of intensity and melancholy melodies with pride.

As they should because they’re bloody phenomenal at it. Although it’s certainly going to polarise. Far too heavy at times for those who like progressive rock and too progressive at times for those who like the bone-crunchy side. Finding those who like both is not so straight-forward but those people, those weirdos, they’re going to love it.

More focused on speed and heavy instrumentation, Whence Shall I is a wild one that blazes by in a blur of eccentric heaviness. It’s a joyfully intense listen which makes the intimacy of Surrender an initial comedown… at first.

A track that’s over 11 minutes in length, it should come as no surprise that Stone Healer are taking us on a journey here. A journey filled with bright melody, frantic energy, fitting groove and more. It is a track that ends and you’ll find yourself immediately hitting play on again. This is what you call an experience.

Continuing with the high intensity progressive metal, Torrent of Flame and Until My Will is Gone keep things heavy. While also continuing to challenge the senses with honesty, passion and heartedly melodic touches.

Not over staying its welcome, thankfully. Twenty-Two is a very short piece of warm guitar medley to help catch your breath before Stone Healer go hell for leather with the technical masterpiece that is Into the Spoke of Night. A flurry of instrumentation comes careening out of the sky, burning with fiery energy and likely to make a huge crater when it lands.

This is how you do complex heaviness. Stone Healer’s mass of progressive ideas blended to near perfection with their heavy imaginations.

Stone Healer – Conquistador Full Track Listing:

1. One Whisper
2. Whence Shall I
3. Surrender
4. Torrent of Flame
5. Until My Will Is Gone
6. Twenty-Two
7. Into the Spoke of Night

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