International five-piece band Conquer Divide continue to split opinions with their application of the English language with graphic design in their titles, but that’s not slowing them down. Out now, their latest single and video, ‘NEWHEAVEN’.
“NEWHEAVEN’ was born out of the idea that you’ll never be satisfied with what you have if you don’t define your expectations,” the band offered. “We got together in Atlanta with Johnny Andrews for this one, and he’s a musical mad scientist. We played with religious metaphors, although the song is not about religion.
“You throw your whole life into something, and then you finally reach the pinnacle and get to pull the proverbial curtain back, but it’s not what you expected at all. So now you need a new high to chase. We did crowd-sourced gang vocals on this one, and it was fun to make that come together.”
As for the accompanying video, the band said, “This video was sort of a continuation from last music video where in the opening scene you see the Grim Reaper take his hood off to reveal he is now the priest overseeing the funeral. Kia figuratively ‘went to heaven’ and came back after realising heaven wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.”
You can check out the video here at RAMzine.
Previous to this, the band released ‘The INVISIBLE‘, about which they commented: “‘The INVISIBLE‘ has many lived-in, emotional layers that paint a picture that takes you right back to your youth, especially if you are part of an alt scene and made to feel like an outcast.
“It confronts the dynamic between your true self and your desire to be accepted by the cool kids. One day, you realise that you don’t need to seek validation from those in a sad state of affairs. They project their insecurities onto others because they lack emotional maturity and self-esteem.” You can check out the video for the single here at RAMzine.
Conquer Divide hail from the U.S., U.K., and Canada and will release their new album, Slow Burn, on 8th September via Mascot Records.
Back in May they issued the single and video ‘Welcome2paradise’ and guitarist Kristen Sturgis said, “This song is special to all of us for a lot of reasons. We really wanted to stretch our musical muscles and play around with time signatures. We recorded some of the production ourselves, including drilling sounds you’ll hear sprinkled throughout the song. Artistically, we really stepped out of our comfort zone, and we ended up with something really special.”
The song also takes a close look at a very important topical issue.
“It’s sad that humans don’t care about our environment,” Sturgis continued. “I was especially inspired by a situation close to my heart. I live on the Great Lakes, which contain 20% of the earth’s freshwater. There is a 70-year-old pipeline called Line 5 that is in very rough shape and runs through the water where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet. The current is especially turbulent there. The pipeline keeps getting hit by boat anchors.
“I am not here to preach anti-fossil fuels, as electric vehicles come with their own environmental tolls, and touring bands have to drive gas-guzzling vehicles to play for our fans. But if a spill happened in that spot, it’s in the worst possible place, due to the strong currents. A Great Lakes spill could affect major cities like Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Windsor, Toronto, and Rochester, NY. Tourism, fishing industries, and boating would all be affected. And with all of the droughts happening around the U.S., it’s going to be everyone’s problem soon. Right now, there’s just one small local organisation trying to draw attention to it, but If I can do anything with this song release, it would be to shine a spotlight on something I care so much about.”
The band, also featuring vocalist Kiarely Taylor, bassist/vocalist Janel Duarte, guitarist Isabel Johnson, and drummer Samantha Landa, has previously the videos for the songs ‘Paralyzed’ and ‘Atonement’ taken from the new record.
Slow Burn ushers in a new era for Conquer Divide, one defined by sonic refinement, intensely personal lyrical storytelling, and a seamless balance between hard-hitting modern metal and melody. We’re told there are confessional expressions of vulnerability, frustration, and, ultimately, hope, that address social unrest and environmental destruction, with biblical references and personal revelations of abuse.
They’ve also highlighted frustrations and struggles they’ve come across in the music industry on the album closer ‘gAtEkEePer’. “It’s a giant F U to all the industry gatekeepers who minimize women’s participation in rock and metal spaces,” they’ve declared. “Keep your damn gate. We’ll take the throne.”
Landing on the Billboard charts, the band’s 2015 self-titled debut racked up more than 30 million streams, driven by powerful tracks like the Kerrang! Awards Best Song nominee ‘At War’. After a hiatus, the band re-emerged on the scene with the heavy and anthemic ‘Chemicals’ in 2020, that Alternative Press called a “contender for best hard rock/metalcore crossover of the year.”
The following year, ‘Messy’ became the No. 1 Most Added on Billboard’s Hard Rock Indicator Chart. Inspired by Sturgis’ “harrowing experiences as a nurse amid the pandemic”, ‘Paralyzed’ was nominated by Metal Hammer for Best Metal Song of 2022, and ‘FCKBOI’, a collaboration with Electric Callboy, has been streamed over 13 million times on Spotify alone.
You can order new album, Slow Burn by clicking here, and check out the video to ‘Welcome2paradise’ right here at RAMzine.
