Reg's Favorite Albums From 2016

As always, this has become a huge undertaking. 2016 delivered some pretty amazing records from the Stoner/Doom/Heavy Rock genre. I have finally narrowed it down to basically the albums that I listened to the most.

Now, in no particular order, here are my favorite releases from the past year.

King Buffalo-Orion

With their debut full-length, "Orion", King Buffalo has cemented themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Through brilliant song-writing, stellar musicianship and an intense live experience, the band will be delighting audiences for years to come. Seeing this band open for another favorite of mine, All Them Witches, was a highlight of 2016. Although still unsigned, Stickman Records has recently released the band's stunning debut on CD and Vinyl.



bandcamp|stickman records|facebook

Kvelertak-Nattesferd

Last April, my wife and I took a trip to DC to meet up with Toby and his wife for a day filled with beer, food and music at the DC Brau Brewing Co. The one band that I didn't really care to see that day was Kvelertak. Funny how things work out. They turned out to be my favorite band that day and after seeing them I went onto Spotify and listened to all of their music. After listening to their latest album, "Nattesferd" it didn't leave my playlist for weeks. Death and Roll baby!



website|facebook

Brant Bjork-Tao of the Devil

Brant is one of my favorite artists of all time and I couldn't wait for this album to drop. Honest, easy-going, and full of riffs, songs like "Stakt" , "The Gree Heen" and "Luvin'" are instant classics in my eyes. You're the man!



website|facebook

Buzzard-Sonic Renaissance

Featuring members of The Mighty Nimbus and Pentagram, these Minnesota heavy rockers levy a huge backhand of doom hungry riffs and melody. Songs such as "Get Gone","Kingdom" and "Feathers" will get your ass groovin' and your body movin' with a ton of sway and swagger.



bandcamp|facebook

The Judge-The Judge

One of the best hard rock albums I have heard in a long time. Heavily influenced by the seventies, primarily Cream and Black Sabbath, this band soars high with killer vocals, a bluesy feel and smokin' riffs. Favorite tracks include "The Witcher" and the very doomy "Planet Doom".



bandcamp|facebook

Black Rainbows-Stellar Prophecy

Upon first hearing this band back in 2007, I knew that they would stick around for years to come. The band plays a very organic and catchy brand of Stoner Rock with touches of heavy psych making them one of the premier bands of this genre. Tunes such as "Electrify" and "Keep the Secret" are money. Grazie Black Rainbows!



bandcamp|facebook

Wretch-Wretch

After the untimely loss of fellow The Gates of Slumber band member Jason McCash, Karl Simon dug deep into his soul and brought forth one of, if not the most heartfelt records I have ever heard. Doom is not just about slow tempos and huge riffs, in Karl Simon's case, it was put forth in the form of enormous riffing and intense emotional playing honoring an amazing personal and musical friendship. Goddamn melodic doom at its finest!



bandcamp|facebook

Strippers in Love-I Am What I'm Becoming

Strippers in Love is an oddly unique name for a band, but is appropriately fitting. The band's sound is both tranquil yet crushing, combining warm guitar tones, amazing vocals, stellar songsmanship and mind-blowing heaviness. This album quickly became an instant favorite. "Nightblooming" is absolutely insane!



bandcamp|facebook

Geezer-Geezer

Mr. Pat Harrington and crew are at it again, bringing more of the same bluesy rock infested groove to the table that has made them widely adored by so many. This time around Ripple Music has decided to release this bad ass gem to the masses. Pat's fuzzed-up guitar playing and thick bearded vocals make for an album filled with fun tracks such as "One Leg Up" and the uber-distorted "Stoney Pony".



bandcamp|facebook

Son of a Witch-Thrones in the Sky

Sabbath-sounding doom is always a good thing and these fellas from Brazil make it their own by adding a touch of psych to get very spaced out, cosmic and extremely heavy. Hazy riffing, and a stout intensity add to the excitement. Deservedly, the band will get a proper vinyl release early 2017 on Kozmik Artifactz.



bandcamp|facebook

Well, there you have it.  As we enter into our 10th year of existence, Heavy Planet will make sure we infiltrate your mind with all the best heavy music it can handle. Throughout the year, we will provide a retrospective of some of the highlights and the successes of many of the bands we have covered, as well as some other cool things to celebrate our 10th year.

We at Heavy Planet thank you for your loyalty and patronage over the years. Also, thanks to all of the labels, bands and PR companies that allow us to provide all of this music to you.

I would like to offer a huge Thank You to my awesome staff for keeping this thing going. Without you guys Heavy Planet would be long gone. Also, thanks to all of the amazing bands that have sent over their band submissions to us this past year. Trust me, your band does not go unnoticed. Unfortunately, we do not have the time to review every submission. And finally, the biggest thank you in the world goes out to my main man Stump for posting music endlessly on our Heavy Planet Facebook page. You are definitely one of a kind my brother.

Cheers! Here's to an awesome 2017!

Nuclear Dog's 2016 Favorites

I know I'm late. Schedules are hectic and excuses are thick. Not to mention choices are numerous. There is always such a plethora of great new music released worldwide each year.  That's a great thing, wouldn't you agree?

My favorites are, and have always been, albums with key characteristics, namely lots of guitar, most of it of the fuzzy variety, decent to great vocals, melody in song structure, and either memorable songs or a memorable sound, or both. I am not musically technical, unfortunately, so what I mean by melody in song structure simply means old fashioned song arrangements with rhyme scheme stanzas, choruses, solos, bridges, etc. at a 'fun' tempo, whatever that may mean.  Vocals to me are of utmost importance. A great vocalist can make or break what is otherwise a great album. When it comes to rating an album I often find that if there are a number of songs I put in my top playlist then, obviously, the album gets 'starred' as well. But sometimes there may not be a standout song so much as all the songs resonate greatly for an overall quality of awesomeness. The best example of that might be Nuclear Dog's favorite album of 2014, ¡Pendejo!'s "Atacames", or The Phuss' "On the Prowl", both of which are replete with great sounding songs, each as awesome as the last. And, of course, topping the list of prerequisites, the reason we all listen to these genres, the reason thousands of musicians worldwide generate this music despite the paucity of fortune or fame, is the guitar - BIG juicy, powerful guitars, generally tuned toward the low end with only the occasional foray into high falutin' solos - this is what drives us, artist and listener alike.

As usual, there were too many great releases this past year to have a conclusive 'best of' list. Any list may be missing an incredible album that simply escaped the notice of the lister. It's happened to me each year, usually at the hands of our HeavyPlanet guru, Reg, who always uncovers an album that would easily slot into my own list, if only I had known of it, if only I had been paying attention. But that's the fun of having so many lists, there is always something new and great to discover.

At HeavyPlanet.net and www.facebook.com/HeavyPlanet we strive to introduce the world to great music, most of it newly released, much of it from bands who've yet to 'make it', and all of it simply musically, heavily, fuzzily awesome. My list will have a paucity of 'known' bands or albums, keeping to the HeavyPlanet tradition and intent, but this is primarily a coincidence. Out of the thousands of worldwide releases in 2016 these simply are my favorites, no other agenda present, starting with #20 and working up to numero ichi.

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20. Stone Cream - "Rust"

Pure stoner goodness out of Greece. Not much is known yet of this band. They released this album via bandcamp in December and then another full LP in January of 2017. I suspect we'll learn more of who they are in the coming year, but in the meantime we have this magnificent music.

Release date - December 7, 2016

Favorite track - "Haunted Train"

Hometown: Somewhere in Greece

bandcamp

19. Stone House on Fire - "Neverending Cycle"

Sophisticated, clean, psychedelic, and deep. This is the third album from this Brazilian four piece.

Release date - June 14, 2016

Favorite track - "Anger"

Volta Redondo, Brazil

bandcamp || facebook || instagram || youtube

18. Wreck Plus - "Dark Constructor"

Tight and imaginative retro-fuzz from this gifted quartet that rocks hard and fast with relish and rigor.

Release date - December 11, 2016

Favorite track - "Starcrossed Lovers"

Hometown: Paris, France

bandcamp ||  facebook || youtube

17. Black Doldrums - "Exit City Lights"

Moody, mysterious, and deliciously dark psychedelia from this warrior isles duo.

Release date - August 12, 2016 & December 29, 2016

Favorite track - "It's a Dandy Massacre"

Hometown: London, England

bandcamp || facebook || twitter || tumblr || bandcamp



16. Wasted Theory - "Defenders of the Riff"

Lots to love here. Big, bold, and brash sound. Hot, swampy vocals. Crude, honest, rock n' roll lyrics. A full ten song LP of great butt-kick fuzz from this gnarly quartet.

Release date - October 30, 2016

Favorite track - "Belly Fulla Whiskey"

Hometown: Somewhere in Maryland and Delaware

bandcamp || facebook

15. The Freeks - "Shattered"

This band can be classified as somewhat of a supergroup, with founding members of Fu Manchu, Nebula, Backbiter, and others, but really the supergroup status lends itself more to the music that to anyone's CV. This is an album swollen with high energy music that runs roughshod through punk, funk, stoner, grunge, psychedelic, and seventies sounds. It's edgy, jagged, melodic, and quite brilliantly a riotous, romping lot of fun.

Release date - November 11, 2016

Favorite track - "Ivana"

Hometown: Rome, Italy

bandcamp || facebook || website 

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It probably goes without saying that any of the top 15 albums in my list could just as easily have been in the top spot. They're all exceptional and have made 2016 another incredible year for the fuzz.



14. Geezer - "Geezer"

Geezer have a mammoth sound, including perfectly tinged vocals, driving drumwork, massive bass, and monstrous guitar. They continue to deliver some of the most intoxifying music of the stoner/blues/metal genre. This album is replete with deep, tightly woven psychotropic threads of brilliance. Now part of the Ripple Music label, Geezer continue to grow, expand, and deliver. Bravo.

Release date - November 18, 2016

Favorite track - "Sun Gods"

Hometown: Kingston, New York

bandcamp || facebook || label



13. Cybernetic Witch Cult - "Spaceous Cretaceous"

This album is fun, enjoyable, unique, and chock full of knock yer block off rock woven around stories of fantasy and science fiction. While the theme is imaginative and quixotic, fun and exhilarating, rendering tales of deep space, mythical beasts and beings, mesmerizing magic, as well as the frontiers and power of science, the underlying structure of musical magnificence is what carries the day with deft musicianship and elegant melodies steeped in soaring blues rock, a pitch perfect vocalist with both edge and range, and supremely spellbinding guitar mastery.

Release date - May 28, 2016

Favorite track - "Enchantress"

Hometown: Cornwell, England

bandcamp || facebook || website



12. Deep Aeon - "The Devil's Vision"

Well, fuck! This one is both a celebration and a fare thee well, of sorts. After releasing some of the juiciest stoner rock over the course of three short years (too little of it for my covetous desires) Deep Aeon have called it kaput. Before disbanding they had begun production on a new album, and this EP is what they were able to record before the fateful fuzzy fission.

I realize this is only two songs and probably shouldn't be considered, but..........but, these two songs are simply magnificent. Well structured melodies of memorable scope and quality are bound on all sides by deep musical skill and deft delivery. The music is brooding and intense, the vocals penetrating, the melodies wonderful and memorable, and the guitars offer intricate tapestries of fatal, cold-blooded amplifications of doomsday steel.

The good news is that three of the four Deep Aeon members will remain together, forming soon a new band under the cognomen of Heavy Beam, having already recruited a new vocalist. This is exciting news. We extend to this coalescing stoner fuzzcraft, consisting of the aforementioned new singer as well as members Nickolaj Marfels, Alexander Weber, and Axel Meyer, all the hope and good will we can muster, which is a purely self-serving bestowment....BECAUSE WE WANT MORE!!

Release date - July 4, 2016

Favorite tracks - "The Vision", "Devils"

Hometown: Düsseldorf, Germany

bandcamp || facebook



11. Youngblood Supercult - "High Plains"

The evocative atmosphere wrought by this flatlander quartet is one of a piercing, keening young love lost, of heightened senses in bitter cold darkness, one of despair and desperation in bleak and lonely places. That's the incredible haunting sense of mystery and nostalgia fashioned by the twin engines of Youngblood's psycho-blues guitar sound and nimbly ardent vocalist.

Release date - February 19, 2016

Favorite track - "Monolith"

Hometown: Topeka, Kansas

bandcamp || facebook || website

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10. Desert Colossus - "Desert Colossus"

Fun and athletic is the atmosphere for most of this LP of initial release and signal quality from this exciting new quartet. There is fuzz galore and a sound that is smack dab in the middle of stoner/desert/fuzz rock. They do not so much as sound like Kyuss, but sound like a perfect fit for whatever exact genre Kyuss slots into. Melodic, upbeat, and deeply intriguing melodies are matched by twin guitar energy, powerful rock vocals, deftly driving drums, and a bass that'll cause you to bob and weave in ecstatic splendor.

Release date - January 3, 2016

Favorite track - "Fat Chicks"

Hometown: Zaandam, Netherlands

bandcamp || facebook



9. Slumber Dust - "Slumber Dust"

Another initial release from gifted artists striking out with deftly crafted songs of deep reverberations and mighty fuzztone fabrics of sound. Intriguing melodies intertwine seamlessly with psychedelic stretches of mind expansion and tribal intrusion.

Release date - October 22, 2016

Favorite track - "Pyramids"

Hometown: Saint Catharines, Ontario, Canada

bandcamp || facebook || soundcloud



8. Samba Cemetary - "The Bushgate"

This music is at once powerful and intelligent, driving hard ahead with white hot fierceness just as it slips smoothly into the icy coldness of psychedelic underfuzz. The riffs pummel and penetrate, drawing little blood in their sharpness while inflicting maximum metal carnage. Song structure is nimble and enduring, drawing in the listener over and again to consume the heady, quixotic experience. The vocals are unique and intriguing, adding to the overall thrill of new discovery and familiar heat as each song is savored and embraced.

Release date - September 19, 2016

Favorite track - "Last Samba"

Hometown: Berlin, Germany

bandcamp || facebook || youtube || website



7. Mesmer - "Mesmer"

The guitars are a dazzling, haunting, massive sound of macabre metal carried along by dark, delicious melodies and a vocalist of eerily beautiful tone and timbre, evoking haunted houses of horror and towers of terror through keenly wrought edges of nervous awareness.

Release date - June 3, 2016

Favorite track - "Weight of Confusion"

Hometown: Oakland, California

bandcamp || facebook



6. Stone Witch - "Order of the Goat"

This album is like an incessant, relentless heavy armored track brigade grinding and crunching its way through black forest gravel roads sodden and sopping with the dark blood of a thousand zombie amplifiers wailing and howling through the dank, dark night into the eternal stygian abyss. Dual guitars are unremitting in all-out onslaught of riff and solo, while the vocals deliver exquisite, alluring, haunting lyrics of depth and melancholy. Earth-rattling bass and superhuman staccato stickwork pulverize to bliss and submission.

The desert climes of Arizona are home to this magnificent quartet and their initial foray into the bastions of stoner rock, desert rock, and occult rock.

Release date - July 13, 2016

Favorite track - "Blood Feast"

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

bandcamp || facebook


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I'm tempted to list the final five as 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e. Any of these five could've made my #1 position. But that's a cop out, so in the immortal words of William Shakespeare, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;"



5. Fall of an Empire - "Croweater: An Echo in the Bone"

Fall of an Empire released one hell of an album in 2014 in "Songs of Steel and Sorrow". Following up with something that good and that successful must be a neat trick (sarcasm), because as often as not a sophomore event struggles to match the heart and magic of the inaugural product, so when "Croweater" was released it was like an overwhelming rush of sweet snowy air. The talent and ability of this savvy quintet of stoner rock fabulists carried the day in overwhelming style. They again achieved a mighty and preeminently worthy collection of massively thrilling tales ensconced deeply in thick magic woolen riffs and heart piercing musical tales of medieval woe and enchanted adventure. The scope is huge, the delivery massive, and the experience thrilling.

Release date - August 17, 2016

Favorite track - "Uprising"

Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina

bandcamp ||  facebook



4. Mississippi Bones - "2600 AD: and Other Astonishing Tales"

Prolific, esoteric, and deep fried in southern stoner fuzz, Mississippi Bones are as gifted as a band can be. They create a LOT of music. They create a lot of GREAT music. Their songs are musically and lyrically profound, pulling you in myriad directions of intrigue, alluring in quality of riff and reverb, mesmerizing in tale, primal in melody and rhythm, there is more to chew on than ever meets the external acoustic meatus at first echo.

Release date - September 2, 2016

Favorite track - "Outhouse Poet (or Shitty Lyricist)"

Hometown: Ada, Ohio

bandcamp ||  facebook || twitter



3. Buzzzard - "Cold Blood"

Finding "Cold Blood" is a coup in my reckoning. The characteristics and qualities I always listen for when first experiencing an album, whether from a known group or someone new, are all present on this album. Twin guitars of heat and smoke, along with a bruising bass and piercing drums blister the auditory system in unrelenting brilliance. Three vocalists harmonize in glory and grandeur, led magnificently by a quintessential lead voice of fuzz rock purity. The primal chord of melody is fully exploited through each track by this melancholy stoner blues machine, combining to deeply hypnotize from the initial fuzz pedal power up to the last skin rap and cymbal tap.

Release date - November 23, 2016

Favorite track - "Nowhere to Go"

Hometown: Carbondale, Illinois

bandcamp ||  facebook



2. Ruff Majik - "The Fox"

The fuzz is huge on this magnificent album out of South Africa. A splendid blending of mammoth riff distortion driven by captivating and beguiling song structures as well as a new age vocalist of ability and intrigue. This threesome are nimble in execution yet powerful in deliverance. The music is uniquely their own, with little in the way of homage other than maybe the tonal range they choose to chisel from the stoner rock escarpment and vague references to a half dozen foundations of metal.

Release date - September 1, 2016

Favorite track - "Canned Fruit Bats"

Hometown: Pretoria, South Africa

bandcamp ||  facebook



1. Black Water - "Edison's Elephant"

I want to start by pointing out I know that technically this album was released in 2015, but it was a December release date and I didn't come across it until late January of 2016. This album is just too good to not share with as much of the world as is willing to peruse my list and perhaps sample the music therein. If you're as much a fan of bluesy stoner desert magic as I am then you'll surely appreciate the magnitude of what these Virginians have wrought. They are incredibly gifted song-writers, with half of this album getting the 5 star treatment on my personal favorites playlist. The melodies are immortally memorable, the tenor pure blues melancholia, the guitars as fine and ferocious as can be found in the dark, mossy metal underground, an inspired drummer and brutal bassist, an adept, keen vocalist and an ability to galvanize the disparate pieces into something truly special and enduring.

Release date - December 10, 2015

Favorite track - "Blueser"

Hometown: Rocky Mount, Virginia

bandcamp ||  facebook || twitter


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As with many bands that ply the stoner/doom/psychedelic/retro/blues waters the artists featured here are inspired by their love of the music and abilities that allow them to lay tone to tape. Brilliance isn't always discovered by record labels, late night TV hosts, or reality television. It doesn't mean that innate genius isn't to be found and enjoyed, at least not anymore. While Black Water, Ruff Majik, and Buzzzard, and the other bands on lists present and past, might not enjoy a tour with Disturbed, or whatever pretender gets the luxury of backing these days, I hope that at the very least they find their way into the hearts of the lovers of the best rock and metal on the planet. 

Top Ten Records of 2016: Pete's choices.

Let's dispatch with the pleasantries shall we, the "2016 has been a crap year" boohooing, and let's just do this thing! The one thing that can be said about 2016 is, as ever, that the music has been fucking awesome!

10. MAKE - Pilgrimage Of Loathing

Pilgrimage Of Loathing is a very challenging record, one that covers the fucked up human race and political/scumbag shittyness to a tee. MAKE come at you with as much bile and anger as they can muster, while still carrying the post-rock abstractness to take you to their higher-plain of serenity. It's a challenging listen, but a vital one.

9. Domadora - The Violent Mystical Sukuma

The best Earthless record not to be done by Earthless, and that's a compliment, as the French psychedelic/stoner/rockers play with their sounds rather than just imitate. Some tracks are short balls to the wall riffathons, others 16 minute instrumental epics. An excellent record.

8. Steinsopp - Steinsopp

The "Stoner's Stoner Record" of 2016! With indecipherable vocals sung through a megaphone from a different galaxy, chugging stoner riffs, and songs sending you tripping into the next track, Steinsopp have pulled of something mightily impressive here.

7. Spaceslug - Lemanis

Muffled heavy stoner doom is as claustraphobic as it is freeing, and it is done perfectly here. Spaceslug are so good at biding their time at being heavy, that you don't realise you're being crushed by their riffs until they're already on top of you, pressuring down onto your wind pipe.

6. Swan Valley Heights - Swan Valley Heights

One of the best stoner-rock records of the year. Since way back in January, this record has hit multiple repeats, and it still crushes to this day. I've found it works really well down the gym too!

5. Son Of A Witch - Thrones In The Sky

Thrones In The Sky was released right back in the early stages of the year, and it's finally seeing a release on vinyl at the beginning of 2017, and it's just what these Brazilians deserve as the record is all kinds of heavy-hazy-doomy-psychedelic perfection.

4. Messa - Belfry

Gorgeous paganistic style doom from these Italians with ambient drone undertones. Belfry is utterly spellbinding, in no part down to the haunting vocals of Sara, which flitters between heavy seventies style hard rock to nothing but delicate vocals gliding along the wind. Beautifully crushing!

3.Domkraft - The End Of Electricity

A late comer in the year's releases, but one that's made such an impact that it demand your attention. Loud, heavy riffs, psychedelic touches, pummelling beats, and did I mention those riffs? Awesome tunes from these Swedes and yet more proof that Magnetic Eye records can barely put a foot wrong!

2. Whores. - Gold

After the release of two excellent EPs, anticipation was very high for their debut record, and the Noise merchants did not disappoint, with a record that is as loud as they could possibly go, with riffs heavier and more relentless than before. Gold proved that Whores. are the real deal.

1. Cough - Still They Pray

Hypnotically heavy and perfectly psyched-out, this record has been ever present on my turntable ever since I found it in my local record store. Cough are a band who are continuously improving and growing with each release, and the doom stampede here is a pleasure to accompany every dark gruesome night.

Until next year, wherever you are on the planet, have a HEAVY one! Pete.

New Band To Burn One To: Onoskelis

The demo from Stockholm, Sweden's, newest purveyors of psychedelic stoner doom heaviness, Onoskelis, is a mightly impressive listen. The three tracks on show offer a range from energetic stoner driven riffs, to heart pounding doom, all covered over with a cloak of psychedelic haziness that carry similarities with their fellow countrymen Monolord, in all the right areas.

We predict big things for these three dudes in the near future, and when you listen to a track like 'Atlantean Blade' for the umpteenth time, you will wholeheartedly agree! Go listen, download, and bang your head away to now!

Bandcamp|Facebook

New Band To Burn One To: Slugpie

French three piece Slugpie have just released a Demo of four of the nastiest sludge punishments that we’ve heard all year, and we mean sludge in its heaviest, choking sense. Like a lot of today’s sludge bands, Slugpie has roots embedded into Blues and the grooving tones underpin the fuzzy claustrophobic riffs, especially on a track like ‘Mojo Drown’. The vocals come out like Dopethrone with a sore throat, and they’re as scary as they are addictive.

Slugpie are everything we like about Sludge in 2016: thrashingly fast and doomily slow, suffocating and relentless riffing, and heavy and nasty as hell! I need a shower. 

Bandcamp|Facebook

Album Review: 'Revengeance' by Conan

There are few bands who have the power and craft to redefine your preconceptions of what it is to be HEAVY. There's only one band who've caused Matt Pike (Sleep) to need to take a shit after watching them. That band is Conan. 

Returning with their latest skull-crushing long player 'Revengeance' (out now on Napalm Records), Conan - a deadly trio of bass, guitar, drums - again demonstrate their ability to write riff after relentless riff that pounds you into submission. 

Hailing from Liverpool UK, Conan are Jon Davis (guitar / vocals), Rich Lewis (drums) and Chris Fielding (bass / vocals). Jon and Chris also run Skyhammer Studios where the band produce records for the likes of Electric Wizard, Winterfylleth and Witchsorrow, as well as Conan of course.  

For the unfamiliar, Conan's sound is doom-inspired gargantuan down-tuned (to drop F) riffs, interspersed with warrior battle-cry vocals, with plenty of feedback thrown in. It's a potent cocktail and one the band have perfected over three records. It's dense. It's intense. 

As their name suggests, Conan seek inspiration from Norse mythology, folklore and fantasy, battle-axes and spears. Track titles like ‘Throne of Fire’, ‘Wrath Gauntlet’ and ‘Earthenguard’ are a case in point. Yet this is never tongue-in-cheek. These guys mean it and deliver monolithic riffs one after another like a repeating tsunami-like wave. The album’s closer ’Earthenguard' - clocking in just shy of 12 minutes - captivates the mood of the whole record. Dark. Brooding. Epic. 

Thumbs up also need to go to the production. It's not easy to condense the sheer weight of noise coming from these amps, and maintain their impact. But Davis and Fielding have done a great job here. Revengeance has to be listened to on quality headphones or hi-fi speakers to fully appreciate the sheer weight of this record. 

Since their demo EP in 2007, the band have released two EPs, a masterful split with Chicago's Bongripper, two live albums (including their 2012 Roadburn set) and three LPs, and have shared stages with the likes of Neurosis, Sleep, Kylesa and Saint Vitus to name a few. Conan are about to embark on a US tour with Serial Hawk, and have lined up a string of festival performances in Europe, including Desertfest and Xtreme Fest.

Quietly going about their business, Conan have built a name for themselves in the UK’s doom underground scene. And with Revengeance they peer into the horizon deciding whom and what to conquer next. 

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