Conan | Violence Dimension | Heavy Psych Sounds

 

 Conan, founded in 2006 by Jon Davis, has grown into one of the most resolute and unwavering presences in the global heavy underground. Originating from the UK, the band coined the term “Caveman Battle Doom” early in their path, and it has remained an apt shorthand for their massive, lurching tone and primitive vocal approach. Across nearly two decades, Conan has not drifted far from this initial compass, even as they transitioned between lineups and adjusted their surroundings. The weight of their sound, the density of their riffs, and their allegiance to amplification remain their core identifiers.

After a decade of releases across various labels and stages around the world, Conan joined Heavy Psych Sounds in 2024. By that point, they had already become leaders in their class—venerated in doom, stoner, sludge, and the heavy psychedelic spheres. Their sixth studio album, “Evidence Of Immortality”, leaned further into mood and atmosphere while still being crushingly heavy, hinting at broader sonic interests. With David Ryley on bass (ex-Fudge Tunnel) and Johnny King on drums, the trio is currently operating with sharpened clarity in what they want to achieve.

“Violence Dimension,” the band’s seventh full-length, follows logically from what came before, but it arrives with a conceptual focus that lends it a particular shadow. Described by the band as an exploration of life’s tension between fearing existence and fearing its end, “Violence Dimension” finds Conan digging into psychological terrain as much as sonic destruction. The title evokes a place where threat is ever-present, not just physical but existential—a modern headspace where war, disconnection, and collapse are routine stimuli.

The album is built on massive riffing, consistent tempo restraint, and a sense of grinding physicality. The production is cavernous but focused, letting every hit from King’s kit land with purpose and ensuring that Davis’ guitar tone functions like a wall—impenetrable and wide. Ryley’s bass locks in tightly, pulsing beneath with a tone that's as much felt as heard. Vocals remain primal: barked, shouted, occasionally stretched, but always within that boundary Conan long ago laid down.

The album moves from punishing down-tempo grooves to almost trance-like repetition. Tracks like “Foeman’s Flesh,” “Desolation Hexx,” and “Warpsword” operate in a hypnotic rhythm, while the title track, “Violence Dimension,” builds tension through sheer restraint. There are no dramatic left turns, no breaks into quietude or softness, and no ambient reliefs. Even when synth elements rise—especially near the closing “Vortexxion”—they’re integrated with the same hostility as the guitars, giving the record breadth without giving up on intensity.

“Violence Dimension” does not change the foundation that Conan built their name on, nor does it attempt to. It intensifies it. The album is not about stylistic curveballs or narrative arcs. It’s about force, weight, and the heavy resonance of one idea pressed deeply until it becomes monolithic. Every piece serves that aim, and in doing so, “Violence Dimension” becomes not just another entry in Conan’s catalog but a continuation of their living architecture—one defined not by what moves but by what refuses to.

Score: 8.4