Introducing Conan

The coming of Conan

A shining light flickering in a genre consumed with Doom

By ARCHIE COLLYER

No genre of music cultivates the sense of hopelessness and guttural lack of joy than Doom Metal. A musical medium born in the harsh and industrial streets of Birmingham in 1968 by a then small band called Black Sabbath, who channelled their surroundings into abyssal odes of lost souls, and extrinsic journeys into the emptiness of life. This template was taken by many bands in the late 70s and early 80s once Black Sabbath had transitioned into a faster paced and more electric style of Metal, with bands such as Candlemass and Witchfinder General doubling down on the grim tones and melodical styles that made Doom Metal unique. Although it has evolved with its environment, Doom Metal at its core is a genre of despair, not influenced by the feral and sometimes grotesque nature of other Metal sub-genres but sourced from the hole in a person’s heart, the forlorn of one’s situation is the furnace in which Doom Metal fuels itself. This takes us to Conan, a band formed in Liverpool by lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Davis in 2006, which has since rewritten what we should expect from Doom Metal artists; replacing the clear melodies of melancholy with deep sludgy riffs and primal vocals, which has caused their music to be referred as ‘caveman battle doom’. This take on traditional Doom Metal has been distinctly apparent since their debut album Monnos, which features incredibly muddy and ferocious tracks such as ‘’Hawk as a Weapon’’ and ‘’Grim Tormentor’’, songs that defy a lot of the tropes of Doom Metal; which raises a rather interesting question, what exactly makes them Doom Metal? And not another subgenre such as Drone Metal? The answer to this question lies with intent, in an interview with Distorted Sound Magazine, Jon Davis had this to say about his approach to working on Conan’s music: ‘’I started thinking of the concept of existential thought and the idea that the feeling of complete worthlessness, the sense of absolute loss and desponding, could actually be a place that we visit.’’ Since the core determining factor as to whether an album is classified as Doom Metal or not is down to its context, and melodic representation of human despair, it is quite easy to understand that from Conan’s perspective, human despair does not come with a specific sound or medium and channelling that energy into something muddier and drone-like, allows them to create a clearer visage of false hope and melancholy. Another great reason behind Conan’s distinct sound is just about doing something different, as Jon Davis told Doomed & Stoned ‘’It’s a little bit like sawing wood, If you push too hard, the blade gets stuck.’’ Such a fate has beset many genres of music, the most recent and notable example being Grunge, which was once garage, low-budget musical expression with deep meaning tied to the plight and helplessness of Seattle’s youth, shortly turned into an industry factory where no two bands were unique. Needless to say, with Conan’s attitude to Doom Metal, that fate may have been postponed.

(caption: Left: current band members Jon Davis, Chris Fielding & Johnny King Right: Drummer Johnny King performing live in 2018 Bottom: Vocalist Jon Davis performing in 2016)