Live Review: Conan, Yonomamo, Looking Glass, Los Hombres Del Diablo, Dead River Runs Dry

There are many reasons why Conan have stormed out of the underground to the forefront of the modern doom scene.

For one the trio writes actual songs – memorable and catchy – without sacrificing the bowel-shaking heaviness of some of their more boring contemporaries. Another reason is their undeniably cool aesthetic – part Conan the Barbarian, part mystic caveman – their vinyl and merch rightly hot properties. But most important is Conan’s ability to shatter skulls with performances that are far from the staid offerings many in the doom brigade are content to offer.

Conan may have been playing one chord every five minutes but the energy they unleashed was akin to a Municipal Waste show. Although the setlist covered their short career to date, it was the material from this year’s superlative Blood Eagle that had heads banging and fists pumping (albeit very slowly). The hoodied trio wove spell after spell of hypnotic noise in what can only be described as a tour de force of doom excellence. Along with Pallbearer, Conan are the Kings of Doom. Long may they reign in all their depressive majesty.

Earlier in the night we were treated to a series of doom devotions from Yonomamo, Looking Glass, Los Hombres Del Diablo and Dead River Runs Dry. There wasn’t a bad set among them although the high-octane riffage of Canberra’s Looking Glass (new material such as Reprisal was particularly impressive) and Yanomamo’s despicably bleak brew of sludge, doom and even classic rock, enjoyed the best response. This celebration of all that is heavy made it clear that our local doom scene is in a very healthy state.