CONAN - Existential Void Guardian (Album Review)

Release date: September 14th 2018. Label: Napalm Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Existential Void Guardian – Tracklisting

1.Prosper On The Path

2.Eye To Eye To Eye

3.Paincantation

4.Amidst The Infinite

5.Volt Thrower

6.Vexxagon

7.Eternal Silent Legend

Members

Jon Davis - guitar / vocals

Chris Fielding - bass / vocals
Johnny King - Drums

Review

Greetings All,

England’s mighty Conan have emerged from hibernation with their monstrous 5th record, Existential Void Guardian. It is a welcome return, as the band’s distinct sounding fuzzed out brand of doom metal is on display with an awesome speaker rattling heaviness that other bands can attempt, but can never quite accomplish. Conan is a band that has their own tone and power.  Existential Void Guardian is a superb record and the band’s most cohesive yet. The seven face melting tracks are Conan at their best. To the songs;

Prosper on the Path opens with an ominous tone that brings a thunderous driving guitar and bass riff and plays out with a killer tempo change with a rolling drumbeat. Eye to Eye to Eye is one of the best heavy songs of the year. It is a driving song with a monstrous breakdown that gives way to the grind influenced, d-beat punk sound of the sub 60 second track Paincantation.

Amidst The Infinite changes gears completely as it opens with a heavy riff that carries on throughout this killer track that has a decidedly slower and ominous feel that is driven home by the pounding drums and hammer heavy cymbal crashes. The band picks up the tempo again with Volt Thrower with a faster speed and driving metal sound. Which leads into the dynamic Vexxagon, with the screamed opening of “Is this the End of Days?” this effects heavy beast rattles the listeners skull with anger and dread. The album closes with rumbling bass, drums and feedback opening of Eternal Silent Legend, that pummels the listener for the last, glorious time. The bands unique tones show through with a synth like sound and waves of feedback.

In a year that just continues to produce amazing record after amazing record, Conan have once again set themselves apart as true masters of their craft. Their sheer heaviness and relentless, fuzz fuelled riffage is second to none and once again, the barbarians known as Conan have taken their place as the kings of doom metal. We should all bow to the masters. Hail Conan!

- Todd S

Instagram @alltheghoststhathauntyou

Words by Todd Stealey

Thanks to Napalm Records for the promo. Existential Void Guardian will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Napalm Records from September 14th 2018.

Links:

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