Inside Amplifest: Conan

Doom metal has been perfecting its genes for over forty years, and Conan are one of the most consistent bands to arise from that evolutionary lineage. Stripping down of any gimmicks or flourishes, Conan’s music is all about bare power. The battering riffs, pummeling drums and the dual shouting of battle cries make the Liverpool trio even more barbaric than their name might suggest. Conan have already achieved a cult status that seems destined to keep growing, and with their new album Blood Eagle already shaping up to become a genre classic, Portugal will finally be able to witness Conan’s teeth-rattling loud performance at Amplifest. While we wait for October 5th, Jon shared a few words with us.

What do you expect of the Amplifest audience?
We expect nothing less than the banging of a thousand heads and throwing of two thousand horns. Lovers of the riff unite!

We like surprises, but what can we expect from your show?
You can expect riffs, and songs about heavy shit.

What band do you really want to see at Amplifest?
Yob.

If you had to pick a band or a musician of this Amplifest edition to play with who would it be?
Yob.

What records have you been listening to lately?
We’re on tour in Australia currently so have been listening to a lot of Nirvana (Incesticide / In Utero), Alice in Chains (Dirt), Radiohead (Ok Computer), Black Sabbath (various), Sacred Reich, Suicidal Tendencies, Sunn, High on Fire and Slomatics.

Enough about music, Amplifest is also about other arts. What books have you been reading and what movies have you been watching lately that you want to recommend?
I’ve read Lost Boy, Lost Girl by Peter Straub (grim supernatural crime thriller), also Brother Odd by Dean Koontz (cool supernatural thriller). I’m currently reading Breathless by Dean Koontz too, which is shaping up nicely. As for movies, I can recommend Snow Piercer (awesome martial arts movie set on board a huge train / utopian world) in the future. Locke (cool movie set inside a BMW SUV, where a guys life basically unravels before your eyes, also Edge of Tomorrow (Tom cruise fighting aliens…..). I’ve watched some other stuff on our flights to Spain but they have slipped my mind!!!