By Carina Lawrence

Conquer Divide returns with their highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Slow Burn’, and it was worth the eight-year wait following their self-titled debut album.

The opener ‘Atonement’ injects a quick heavy hit from the off with bassist/vocalist Janel Duarte asserting her aggressive vocals before clean vocalist Kiarely Taylor comes in with beautiful melodies and a nice hefty breakdown to close. The track has a perfect balance of fierceness and catchy melody and makes for a brilliant start and introduction for long-time fans and new ones.

‘N E W H E A V E N’ is irresistibly catchy, delicious and hard-hitting, made even more impactful with biblical references in the lyrics, delivered diversely and powerfully.

The massive and emotional ‘Paralyzed’ is inspired by guitarist Kristen Sturgis’ harrowing experiences as a nurse during the pandemic. It is striking with its catchy hooks, lyrics and heavy section.

‘welcome2paradise’ deals with environmental destruction in a high-impact way with a great combo of clean, tuneful sections delivered by Kiarely in contrast to Janel’s crushing brutal vocals and chunky heavy riffs.

‘system_failure’ is about social unrest and is very sonic and one of the most diverse and different. It is vast with bouncy distorted riffs and cleverly encompasses the sound of dysfunctioning with an especially sombre ending.

‘Playing w/ Fire’ is soaring, resonant, and is another highly personal one about abuse. ‘Over It.’ is a fun, fast, vibrant one with an almost punk rock essence.

‘Afterthought’ is a beast of a track, with Janel fully letting rip with her menacing vocal assault, with Kiarely sweeping in to offer up some respite between the fury in one of their heaviest offerings.

‘the INVISIBLE’ is another very vulnerable track and is atmospheric and ominous. It is memorable and robust and will surely be a fan favourite due to its relatable and anthemic qualities.

They’ve highlighted frustrations and struggles they’ve encountered in the music industry on the album closer “gAtEkEePer.” It’s a striking song to end on as they declare, “Keep the gate as we are coming for the throne.” It is defiant and full of passion, and it makes it clear they will thankfully and rightfully so be sticking around to continue captivating us with their vibrant, heavy sounds.

Each song on ‘Slow Burn’ is individually powerful and collectively very impactful, with a brilliant balance of melody and heaviness. The album’s highly personal and passionate nature sees them explore complex subjects, which adds to its depth and delivers high-energy, intense rock/metal anthems. Their return is very welcome, and they have a reinvigorated force and have crafted a fresh, modern metal sound, which is refreshing and needed in the genre.

“SLOW BURN” IS OUT SEPTEMBER 8 VIA MASCOT RECORDS.

Pre-order/pre-save the album here: https://lnk.to/ConquerDivide?mc_cid=42731767a6&mc_eid=b6f569db7d

For more on Conquer Divide:

https://conquerdivideofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ConquerDivide