Amoeba Music

Amoeba Berkeley hosts two metal bands for an in-store performance and signing on Sunday, September 14th at 2pm! This double bill stars England's Conan and Canada's Mares of Thrace. Purchase any Conan and/or Mares of Thrace album at Amoeba Berkeley that day to attend the signing after the live sets. This show is free and all-ages.

CONAN
Conan’s doom is singular. Carved of granite. Yes, of course there’ve been changes since guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis founded the group in 2006, but the intention at the time toward superlative heavy – tonal extremity wrought with impressionist lyrics stripping ideas to the core where sometimes the whole line is just one word; they’ve always called it “Caveman Battle Doom” – remains at the root of everything they’ve done since. And across five studio records in the decade from 2012-2022, Conan have set the standard by which much of “heavy” anything is judged. And in comparison, most is found wanting.

Violence Dimension is their 7th full-length release. Conan say about their album, "We have come quite a distance in time and space since we released Horseback in 2010. One thing that binds us all is violence, be that within a video game, or in a movie or on the daily news. Violence affects our daily life, perhaps more than love or kindness ever will. We are all bound by death, whether we like it or not. This release explores the hinterland between being scared to live and being scared to die, and punches holes in the idea that we must live our life by one set of rules. We all live in the violence dimension, and there is no escape.”

MARES OF THRACE
Canadian mixed-race / mixed-gender duo 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. The band came roaring back to life in 2022 after a considerable hiatus; while 2012’s The Pilgrimage (released on Canada’s Sonic Unyon Records) catapulted them onto the world stage, garnering a premier on Pitchfork and praise in Decibel, Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, and countless other outlets, their current era is fast eclipsing it. Their relentless schedule in support of 2022’s The Exile saw them tour the USA, Canada, and Europe (including a full tour with UK doom legends Conan, and stints with Bell Witch, Dopethrone, and KEN mode) and headline a showcase at new “North American Roadburn” festival Prepare the Ground.

The band’s new incarnation sees vocalist and guitarist Trez (hailed as “absolutely riveting, an unrivalled monster of a frontperson” by Exclaim! Magazine; a professional illustrator, she also creates the album, merch, and poster art) joined by Casey on drums, a multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer whose bona fides include being tapped to replace Gene Hoglan in Zimmer’s Hole.

2025 looks to be their most ambitious year yet, as they prepare to release their fourth full-length album, The Loss, on illustrious joint Toronto-Reykjavik label Artoffact Records (home of Kaelan Mikla and Gggolddd).