Conan
Evidence of Immortality


4.0
excellent

Review

by ScotchBonnet CONTRIBUTOR (31 Reviews)
August 19th, 2022 | 25 replies


Release Date: 2022 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Orogenic processes fast-forwarded while the stricken lay dying

The fifth full-length offering from Liverpudlian doom metal machine Conan shows no sign of deviating from spirit-crushing, despair-filled doom metal of the most ferocious degree. Clocking in at over 50 minutes, Conan’s latest is their longest album to date and is somewhat a return to their older style, centring the structure around lengthier cuts as opposed to the shorter, punchier tracks featured on 2018’s impressive Existential Void Guardian. However, there are still pockets of aggressive sludge here – such as the punk-tinged “Ritual of Anonymity” which contains some of the album's faster-paced sections. The aggression in the middle is bookended by two epochs of slow-moving, catastrophic doom which despite their length, do not outstay their welcome and are the strongest portions of music on offer here.

There are two things that Conan’s music always brings to mind: barbaric battles and geological processes. Opening track “A Cleaved Head No Longer Plots” is so destructively heavy and dense that it manages to replicate how I imagine the collision of continents would sound if occurring in 10 minutes rather than over a period of millions of years. The usual pulverising doom riffs are nuanced with some nice touches of post-metal adding stylistic diversity. Conjured in the mind are images of thick, slow-moving lava snaking its way down the side of a volcano as pyroclastic bombs descend from the ash-obscured sky above, reducing everything in their path to cinders.

In addition to the strong structure, the album impresses from a production perspective. The viscosity of the guitar and bass tone is unfathomable while still allowing the drums to shine through with crystal clarity. It’s obvious that Conan has lost none of its forbidding atmospheric quality and on Evidence of Immortality, some additional features develop this further. Organs are utilised to great effect in the funeral doom closer “Grief Sequence”, providing another layer of ominous atmosphere as the brooding, monolithic guitar chords gradually edge the listener towards their impending death following the aftermath of a medieval bloodbath. The sinister atmosphere intensifies as the song (and album) crawls to an end, assisted by the inclusion of warping flange techniques on the organs, delivering a fever dream-like sound as if the stricken listener is slipping into a delusional state as their life approaches its inevitable terminus.

Conan has delivered yet another high-quality lump of barbarically heavy doom metal and have once again re-cemented themselves as a prime act of the genre by adding another pillar to their legacy – one with the utmost consistency in quality, and undoubtedly, longevity.


Attribution:

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http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/review/evidence-of-immortality/798709



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user ratings (87)
3.7
great
other reviews of this album
Gary STAFF (4)
Huge, stomping, fuzz-fueled doom riff mountains....



Comments:Add a Comment 
Lichtbringer
August 19th 2022


1236 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

enjoyed this review. some of the analogies used are pretty perfect for my brain! great job.

BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 19th 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

@Lichtbringer - thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it. The inner geologist in me always comes out when listening to Conan.

jemaiseyeti
August 19th 2022


303 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Well written review, looking forward to hearing the whole thing

BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 19th 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

@jemaiseyeti - thanks. If doom is your thing, it shouldn't disappoint.

InfernalDeity
Contributing Reviewer
August 19th 2022


629 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

This should be featured.

BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 19th 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

@InfernalDeity - your kind words are greatly appreciated. Would love that to happen but there is the stiffest of competition here.

insomniac15
Staff Reviewer
August 20th 2022


6264 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Great review! I managed to listen twice to the album and it's excellent. The production sounds crisp too

Azog
August 20th 2022


1070 Comments


Fuck yeah, this is awesome!

Seems like stoner doom is taking the lead, with gems like these making up for the metal infarct we call 2022.

Also, check out the new Firebreather and Telekinetic Yeti albums. Great stuff!

combustion07
August 20th 2022


12822 Comments


Great review man! I'm excited to check this out. New Conan is always good stuff

BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 20th 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Thanks everyone



@Azog - I appreciate your recommendations. I'll get onto them soon.



@comb - hope you enjoy. Let us know your thoughts!

BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 20th 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Potentially upping this to 4.5...

MetalMarcJK
August 21st 2022


1257 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Great review, BJJr! “There are two things that Conan’s music always brings to mind: barbaric battles and geological processes.” Dude, you nailed it!



I don’t usually rate an album after a little more than 24 hours of listening to it, but since I’ve been listening to the two pre-released tracks for months, I feel that I can rate it accurately and not just rate it because i’m excited about the new album.



I’m not surprised that they moved back a little bit toward longer, doomier songs. These dudes have the production and mixing/mastering DOWN because all their stuff has similar, high-quality sonics: Conan manages to have a girthy, loud sound while maintaining a level of clarity that many other similar bands don’t have.





BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 21st 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Thanks MetalMarc. Yeah, it did seen a bit soon to be committing to a rating. Also the first time I've managed to review something on its release date but I listened to it in work 4 times and like you say, the two pre-released tracks helped a lot!

insomniac15
Staff Reviewer
August 22nd 2022


6264 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Here is an interview I did with Jon for who's interested to read -> https://www.sputnikmusic.com/blog/2022/08/22/interview-conan/



I linked your review Bitter at the end of the interview.

BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 22nd 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Very interesting read and thanks for linking the review to the interview page - that's very much appreciated Raul!

BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 22nd 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

now 4.5'd...

MetalMarcJK
August 23rd 2022


1257 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Love the interview, Raul! Great job!



These guys just get better and better. Keeping this at 4 for now.

MetalMarcJK
August 25th 2022


1257 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

“A Cleaved Head...” and “Grief Sequence” are amazing bookends to this album.



As per usual, Conan’s song titles are a part of the whole experience. Of all the albums, this one’s song names are not as “intense” as the other albums; however, “A Cleaved Head No Longer Plots” is a Hall Of Famer.

BitterJalapenoJr
Contributing Reviewer
August 25th 2022


1187 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Agree wholeheartedly regarding the song titles. Another band I feel who's song titles are part of the whole experience is Crowbar - they have some seriously miserable and heavy sounding titles.

Sunnyvale
Staff Reviewer
August 25th 2022


6229 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Really nice review!



I've been aware of Conan for a long time but don't think I've ever listened to them until now. Quite impressed with this album after a few spins.



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