Conan – Violence Dimension

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · May 22, 2025

Conan are a doom/ sludge metal band from Liverpool, England. They originally formed as a two-piece back in 2006. The band solidified as a three-piece and went through several lineup changes throughout the years. The list of albums includes: 2012’s Monnos, 2014’s Blood Eagle, 2016’s Revengeance, 2018’s Existential Void Guardia, 2022’s Evidence Of Immortality, and their latest, 2025’s Violence Dimension. Conan has also released three EPs: 2007’s Battle in the Swamp (demo), 2010’s Horseback Battle Hammer, and 2024’s DIY Series, Issue 1 10″. They also have two Split EPs and three live albums. Founding member Jon Davis plays guitar and vocals, and is currently joined by David Ryley on bass, and Johnny King on drums. Violence Dimension is their latest and seventh full length album. It is their debut for Heavy Psych Sounds Records and was released on April 25th 2025. It contains eight tracks around fifty nine minutes long.

“Foeman’s Flesh” begins the recording with a heavy slab of down-tuned rhythms of “caveman battle doom”. The sludgy guitar riffing starts things off as the thunderous drums and bass join in. The song is a mammoth avalanche of heavy audio destruction. Chugging fuzz riffs of sonic obliteration! The nine plus minute song lays waste to everything in its path and the vocals of Jon Davis are as diabolical as ever. “Desolation Hexx” is next and bulldozes along with menacing riffing of devastation. Conan are a heavy and sludge-fested band of monstrous proportions. Led by the plodding rhythms and torturous shouty vocals of Davis, the sound is terrorizing and awesome.

The third song entitled “Total Bicep” is another crushing track. It has a more mid tempo almost hardcore pace than the prior two but destroys just the same. This is angry music for the masses. Conan grind out some brutal sounds that make a big impact and place in the current state of society. The band has a heavy psych and noise component to their music also lurking beneath the mountains of menacing distortion. The title track “Violence Dimension” begins with a softer and haunting tone of guitar that is met with a slow and intense drum beat. It extracts a heavier sludge sound as it moves along and releases back into demolishing and atmospheric riffing. The heavy track executes a score of psychedelic dirges and even breaks into a low growling bass break towards the end. The vocals appear at the finish with a deeper and almost death metal growl.

“Frozen Edges Of The Wound” pounces next with a malevolent sound of vicious dissonance. The more uptempo track is a colossal barrage of hedonistic warfare. Gang vocals take place at the end and leaves the listener feeling battered and beaten. The short forty five second “Warpsword” explodes next. It finishes off what “Frozen Edges” started and shouts “every time you fall!” to close out the quick track. The ten minute mastodon of “Ocean Of Boiling Skin” is next. The hammering onslaught of chug riffing and dense rhythms permeate the air waves and punishes the ear drums. Conan are on a path of savagery and ferocity with this one. The continuous pounding and prodding riffs will lead you on a journey of madness and ruthlessness.

The eighth and final cut is called “Vortexxion”. It’s a discordant clutter of noise and feedback accentuating ringing out of distorted chords throughout its twelve minute duration. The sound will completely make you insane if you’re not already, at this point. Conan will rip your face off with Violence Dimension. It’s the type of record that I need to be ready for. When my emotions are raw and my mood is dark then this is the soundtrack for my mental readjustment.