ALBUM REVIEW: Conan – Existential Void Guardian

Here I review the new album from Doom Metal legends CONAN! Out for release tomorrow via Napalm Records! A band I listen to almost daily, I am certainly glad to have new material from them!

1. Prosper On The Path comes in with static noise and pounding drums, guitar and bass.  The devilishly heavy tone that is what we want to hear from a Conan album is set solid from the very off. The riffs are really groovy and dismal as per usual, I am thinking this release will be following on from the bands hallmark style very nicely, while not changing things up as much as they did with “Revengeace” but that’s fine, I love how they sound. The hardcore style vocals soon complete the sound and do so with ferocity and a unique aggression this band seem to have a wonderful grasp on. This song is perfectly suited to its opening role and really brings the album in with a punch, setting the bar high. The track is pretty upbeat compared to the bands first 2 albums, but sounds equally crushing. The drum fills and riffs on here really kick teeth in, great work!
2. Eye To Eye To Eye pours more petrol onto the fire with its beautifully grinding and sludge coated guitar and bass tones which are just so gut wrenchingly heavy. The pounding drums and vocals add so much spiteful force to the track, this is classic Conan material. The band have this really unique ability of creating something really doomy and huge sounding but still packing in tons of malice without tainting things, a perfect balance that they seem to be on top of. Overall the track is really catchy, groovy and mesmerising while being totally in your face.
3. Paincantation is more of an interlude with ambient and strange noises that really are just damn strange, with some more grind core guitars and drumming going on, this is a totally unique and unexpected twist in a Doom Metal album. A really tight track though, while not exactly fitting the album it somehow is made to work by the heavyweights.
4. Amidst The Infinite brings us back into order with slow-tempo, sludgy guitar and bass, carefully hammered out drums and a more melancholy feel. The pummelling force of the song is more due to the heavy amount of distortion used rather than speed, although it does still feel like an assault, this is exactly how I think Conan sound at their best. This track has a much darker feel to it than all of the others so far, I am loving this more demonic vibe Conan have found, really slotting nicely into what is shaping up to be one of their best albums. Absolutely hammering, full on, attack is how I can describe this song, it genuinely is so heavy you feel audibly violated. There are even some more dissonant touches that feel totally new and refreshing, I am glad to see they aren’t just recycling riffs from prior albums, certainly taking their creative direction somewhere new and exciting.
5. Volt Thrower packs the Conan punch with its hugely distorted guitars, complex drum beats and a really intense crunchy vibe. The howled vocals are mesmerising and fit into the dismal mix beautifully with each note hitting you and drawing you further into the Doom Metal chasm Conan so perfectly articulate with their unique soundscapes. The dragging tones and rhythms of the song are so damn great and really pay off the wait we have had for the bands new release. The ferocious chugging of the song is just so exciting regardless of the simplicity, absolutely wonderful stuff. This track is heavy as hell and absolutely gripping to listen to.
6. Vexxagon slams into existence with more drudging guitars, pummelling drums, thundering bass and just so much forceful aggression. The sheer contempt in the vibe of this music is enticing enough, coupled with wonderful production and songwriting and what we are left with is total riff fuelled mania. The hauntingly hateful approach of the band has not weakened over the years and songs like this really make that evident. Each note drops like a brick the the head, absolutely ridiculous how damn heavy and tight this band are. Listening to this song sent me into some kind of doom infused comatose hypnotic state, potentially due to the brain melting heaviness. The build works in an extravagantly primal manner to build to almost chanted vocals and it sounds glorious! Really nihilistic and miserable vibes found within the primitive anger of the track which is a nuance I certainly appreciate. The use of guitar effects really breaks things nicely too! Amazing work!
7. Eternal Silent Legend has to sadly bring an end to this journey into brutality, but let us see if it does this absolutely astounding album the honours it deserves. Opening with some killer drumming and fuzzy bass there is certainly something atmospheric going on, the suspense is completely genuine and organic. The song just falls into place gorgeously and in answer to my earlier rhetorical question of if that closer will do the album justice, I cannot say I am surprised that it totally slays the task at hind like the barbarian warrior they are aptly named. Great melodies, solid songwriting and just one more genius piece of music from one of my favourite Doom Metal bands. Great work guys!

CONAN are back, with a replenished surplus of groove laden riffs, stupendously great drumming, howled vocals and crunchy bass. This release shall definitely satisfy the fans of catatonically crushing Doom Metal and has 100% been worth waiting for. While not as dismal as the first 2 albums, this stuff is killer and yet another ludicrously sludgy release to the bands excellent discography. -8/10