CONAN
UK-based caveman battle doom pioneers well-known for their heavily distorted and downtuned sound.
https://www.instagram.com/hailconan/
https://www.facebook.com/hailconan/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/11tiA94VlUZOUTVCdQYw3a?autoplay=true
MARES OF THRACE
Canadian two-piece Mares of Thrace deal in a brand of heaviness that draws as much from noise rock and hardcore as it does from the doom metal they’re commonly grouped with. Their three critically-acclaimed full-length releases have been punctuated with international tours, where their live show has gained a reputation for what Absolute Underground Magazine described as “[sounding] like there are at least five peopleonstage”.
Founded in 2009 by Trez (vocals, guitar) and Stef (drums), Mares released their debut The Moulting in 2010, where it topped national campus radio charts and was hailed by PopMatters as “superb”; they signed to Canada’s venerable Sonic Unyon Records shortly thereafter. 2012’s The Pilgrimage was produced by Sanford Parker (Voivod, Yob, Pelican) and praised by Pitchfork, Decibel, and Terrorizer, as well as receiving a nod from Canada’s prestigious Polaris Prize. After several North American tours, a hiatus followed; they re-emerged in 2022 with Trez remaining at the helm, and long-standing Mares collaborator Casey on drums, bass, and electronics. 2022’s The Exile was deemed by many reviewers as their finest work to date; Decibel praised its “nuance, vulnerability, and maturity”, and AngryMetalGuy called it “the sound of a band in its prime, not one just slinking back in from the cold”. North American and European tours with heavyweights such as KEN mode, Vile Creature, Lo-Pan, Couch Slut, and the Austerity Program followed.
https://www.instagram.com/mares_of_thrace/
https://www.facebook.com/maresofthraceca
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0qeQtOu0Sd9qCkqFl4OEd8
WOODHAWK
Made of equal parts 1970s Birmingham and a myriad of 21st century heavy who’s who, Calgary trio Woodhawk are purveyors of riff centric rock and roll. Capable and original, the band is able to craft anthemic fist pumping songs while forgoing tired stoner rock clichés.
https://instagram.com/woodhawkriffs/
https://www.facebook.com/woodhawkriffs/
https://woodhawk.bandcamp.com/music