British doom trio Conan have been a consistent and crushing presence in the doom/sludge scene for the past fifteen years. Their unapologetic brand of ‘caveman battle doom’—all thick, detuned riffs, punchy drums, and distinctive vocals—has made them a distinctive and influential force within the heavy music world. Their latest offering, Violence Dimension (Heavy Psych Sounds, 2025), continues that legacy with a sound that evolves ever so slightly without straying far from the core sonic identity that’s been the hallmark of their output since the beginning.
The album opens with the nine-minute epic ‘Foeman’s Flesh’, kicking off with a familiar slow and crushing riff before Jon Davis’s unmistakable vocals roar into life. The track meanders at a steady pace, broken up by the occasional shift in tempo and even a solo—of sorts. It’s a massive, deliberate opener, setting the tone for what’s to come.
Next up, ‘Dissolution Hexx’ wastes no time with a muscular intro. New bassist David Ryley (formerly of Fudge Tunnel) makes his presence known, filling out the (very) low end with a satisfyingly grim weight. The track has a vaguely menacing feel to it and is driven by an unrelenting riff. As with the opener, it occasionally pulls back to guitar-only sections before building back up, ratcheting up the tension and enhancing the violent, brooding atmosphere. Keeping the momentum up, ‘Total Bicep’ launches at a brisker pace, cloaked in a thick morass of layered fuzz. It’s Conan in full stride—direct, fuzzy, and pummelling—demonstrating their ability to quicken the pace without losing their crushing impact.
Violence Dimension feels like an evolution rather than a revolution in Conan’s sound. It remains uncomplicated and primal on the surface—heavy, riffy, and fuzz-laden—but with just enough complexity lurking beneath. The shifts in pace, quieter passages, and layers of guitar and vocals add nuance to the onslaught. The overall tempo feels a touch higher than some earlier works, and Jon experiments more with solos and effects, adding subtle variety to the brutal core.
The title track throws a real curveball. It opens with a sparse, simple riff that feels detached from the fury of the previous songs. It’s disconcerting, almost like being caught in the eye of a storm—calm, but with the weight of violence hanging in the air. The track builds slowly and patiently, hinting at an eruption that doesn’t arrive immediately. Instead, it retreats to a low, brooding bassline before finally kicking into gear with a satisfying wave of guttural vocals and low-end thump. ‘Frozen Edges of the World’ brings the ferocity back with a more frenetic pace and a swaggering riff, showing the band’s more aggressive sound in full force. In stark contrast, ‘Warpsworld’ is a 45-second blast of noise—a quick, chaotic jolt that breaks up the album’s larger structures with a short, sharp blast.
To close things out, two substantial epic tracks. ‘Ocean of Boiling Skin’ stays aggressive but eases the tempo slightly. Midway through, it pares back to a dark, ethereal stretch of noise and bass that’ll give any sub a proper workout, before patiently building the pace back up into a sludgy crescendo. Final track ‘Vortexxion’ stretches out to nearly twelve minutes. It opens slowly and patiently, waves of feedback ebbing and flowing in a way that feels almost ambient—though still unsettling. It’s a more restrained, uncharacteristic ending, a little more Big|Brave than the usual Conan.
Violence Dimension shows Conan doing what they do best: delivering tectonic riffs and unrelenting heaviness. But there’s a little more texture this time, a few more dynamics, and a sense that the band are subtly broadening their palette. This is no grand reinvention, and nor does it need to be—it’s a solid and satisfying continuation from a band who know exactly what they’re about. Long may the caveman battle doom reign.
