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Conclave Post “War Stalks the Land” Video

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The quote at the beginning of the new video by Massachusetts death-doomers Conclave is credited to Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and it’s hard to read it with anything other than irony given the fact that the United States has spent the last 17 years embroiled in its longest ongoing conflict which, and it’s sad that this is still a debate, was confused, misdirected and reactionary from the start. Lee, of course, was speaking about the American Civil War between the northern and southern parts of the country, and the story goes that Conclave — the current lineup of bassist/vocalist Jerry Orne, guitarists Jeremy Kibort and Chris Giguere and drummer Dan Blomquist — were passing through Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on their way to play last year’s Maryland Doom Fest and the song came out of that experience born of then-guitarist Terry Savastano‘s fascination with the years-long conflict. They recorded the track with Savastano still in the band — he’s presently killing it in Come to Grief — and shared the video on the occasion of this year’s edition of that same festival this past weekend. The track also appears on Death Kiss Vol. 2, a compilation from Death Kiss Radio on respected Boston-based freeform station WEMF.

Its relevance goes well beyond Doom Fest though, and the ripples of that Civil War which ended 153 years ago are still being felt in the cultural struggle in the US today. The regional markers aren’t as clear as they once were — that is, it’s not just the north being the north and the south being the south — but in many ways, America has never stopped fighting that battle for and against progress. Imagined futures and imagined pasts collide daily as ideas of becoming “great again” and moving toward a “brighter tomorrow” both perpetrate equally vague notions of a largely make-believe ideal. Media stokes that, but isn’t a driving force no matter what anyone says otherwise — sorry, but the American press doesn’t have the budget for conspiracies — and with their minds taffy-pulled to distraction by petty scandals and non-issues, people don’t see the other hand reaching into the fabric of their democracy and ripping it to shreds with gold-painted fingernails while a nasally voice reiterates that this is what “winning” feels like. It’s a shitty time to be an American, and there’s a long way to go before we hit bottom.

I don’t know Conclave‘s politics, and they’re secondary at best to the song itself, which doesn’t so much celebrate war as convey the horror of it through its sludgy extremity and downtrodden riffing. The band have a couple choice live dates coming up over the next few months, including playing Churchburn‘s record release show at Dusk in Providence (nice.) and joining forces with Come to Grief Sept. 15 at the worth-the-drive Ralph’s Rock Diner in Worcester, MA.

Those dates and more info follow the clip, which you can see on the player below.

Please enjoy:

Conclave, “War Stalks the Land” official video

1 year ago we visited Gettysburg on our way to The maryland DOOM Fest where finality came to us for our song War Stalks The Land. It is only fitting that we share this visual aid with you today as The Maryland Doom Fest 2018 is crushing in grand fashion.

“It is well that war is so terrible, lest we should grow too fond of it.”

Recorded at Amps vs. Ohms by Glenn Smith and mastered at New Alliance East by Nick Z for the Death Kiss Volume 2 compilation.

JUL 14 Dusk Providence, RI Armageddon Shop Presents: Churchburn Record Release Show
AUG 31 Great Scott Allston MA w/ Dopethrone, Crud, Leather Lung
SEP 8 Altones Jewett City CT w/ Toke and Crossing Rubicon
SEP 15 Ralph’s Rock Diner Worcester MA w/ Come to Grief, Chained, Bogha

Conclave on Thee Facebooks

Conclave on Instagram

Conclave on Bandcamp

Deathkiss Vol. 2 on Bandcamp

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