If you have negative, pre existing notions about how Metal bands think or act, allow local outfit Conquer & Divide to change your mind. Emphasizing a positive outlook for the Memphis scene, Conquer values supporting the acts that play with them no matter what the genre.
The band has currently released two tracks
from their upcoming EP over Facebook. "The Let Live EP" is scheduled
for a February release and is being recorded with the assistance of local
musician Cody Landers who plays in two different local bands; Prophasis and
Vera .
“Music is our culture in Memphis,” said
vocalist John Patrick, “We want to encourage more people to come out to shows
and make them feel comfortable.”
Patrick stressed that the band’s goal is
not to drive people away, or insinuate that they should fight at shows; but
rather to encourage the use of them as an outlet. If there’s one thing that’s
obvious it’s that Conquer & Divide are no strangers to Memphis’ local
concerts and the social scenes surrounding them.
In 2010 Patrick confronted guitarist Ian
Ingrhram, who happened to be broadcasting popular hardcore band, The Devil
Wears Prada, through the halls of their high school; and shortly the two were
hanging out and playing music together. Patrick then declared their new aspiration
after Ingrhram played through one infamously cheeky-titled “Prada” tune on his
6-string.
“He saw that I could play ‘Dogs Can Grow
Beards All Over’ and he said that’s it, we’re in a band,” said Ingrham. The two
formed “Buried West” in 2011 but after experimenting with the scene decided
toward applying a different approach. Struggling to find a consistent bass
player, Ingrham enlisted his sister’s bearded boyfriend Aaron Brown to fill the
full-time role. The songs released on Conquer & Divide's upcoming four-track EP were recorded by
drummer Jacob Feld but time commitments led to local skinsman David Raffanti
filling the group’s drum stool as of early Oct. 2013. Conquer & Divide’s
members cited different sources for their music’s inspiration.
“August Burns Red straight up,” said
Raffanti with a grin, but other acts like Sworn In, Have Heart, Defeater, and
Bring Me the Horizon were mentioned and met with nods from the collective
group. However, despite the influence of world-traveling musicians it seems
that some are still perplexed by Conquer & Divide’s style.
“When I go to music stores trying to buy
stuff and they ask ‘What kinda music do you play?” said bassist Brown, “All I
can say is we play drop G.”
Tuning to “drop G” for a lower frequency
effect is certainly a commitment, but members of the band would like Memphians
to be aware of the common misconceptions that go right along with playing local
metal music.
“A lot of people think that metal,
lyric-wise, is like ‘Oh I’m gonna cut your head off, stomp it into the ground,
dig your grave,” said Ingrhram, “but a lot of metal is not like that.” John
Patrick explained a few social catalysts that led him to write lyrics to such
songs as “Strife” and “Malice”.
“People have told me that playing music in
Memphis is an unrealistic goal,” said Patrick, “I don’t really get it. I like
the scene, I like the atmosphere.” Patrick currently writes 100% of the lyrics
that he screams onstage but his band mates understand the stories behind them.
Guitarist Ingrhram was strikingly aware of details surrounding Patrick's writing for track “Lost Cause”.
“You sink your teeth into my neck, you
bleed me dry there’s nothing left- that point in his life was not good.” said
Ingrham sharing, with Patrick, stories of the singer’s ex-girlfriends. Drummer
Raffanti put it a little more lightly.
“You’re the Taylor Swift of Metal.” said
Raffanti, comfortably lying back on the rehearsal room futon.
My
evening with Conquer & Divide was very relaxed, rewarding, and just fun.
Familiar elements of band-humor and great guy-talk were shared in the slinder
suburban attic they call their rehearsal space in Bartlett. They've got a good
dynamic; Patrick the relatable artist whose been through some s#i%, Ingrhram
his partner in crime, a suavely sick deathcore riff-wizard, Brown the loveable
band comedian/beard, and Raffanti, the eccentric new blood. with a cool last
name. He's a wild card for now...Even more informative on a biographical level
for the band was their tech assistant and friend who shared stories of the
group "freestyle rapping" to deal with personal disagreements and
openly praising Patrick for his lyrical and story telling creativity.
If you
haven't seen Conquer & Divide perform than your missing out on a
head-bobbing delightfully brutal experience. Ingrham's solid low tone cuts
through the crowd with "Alligator riffs" surely reminiscent of Bring
Me the Horizon. Brown stomps across the stage like a bass-wielding Viking and
Patrick yell-screams electrify the room with angst and personal woe while
floating back down to Earth to tell us a little bit about the upcoming tune.
The band is a clean, talented, and precise addition to the Memphis metal scene.
After catching their set at The New Daisy last summer I approached bassist
Brown and told him how much I enjoyed their sound. He responded by telling me
to bring it in, hugging and telling me...
"Your
one of the good ones!"
In my
interview I asked the group who the "bad ones" must be and after an
uproar of chuckles Patrick responded by saying anyone who bashes smaller bands.
"I
try to be a person that's there for bands just starting out," he said,
"When I was in Buried West I didn't like how some people treated me."
Personally I feel that if you don't dig Conquer, you must not like
Metal. They play some pretty seasoned Metal for their age. And even if, the
band is a great gateway to the heavier mindset. Just ask their techman Joeseph Al-nemer who,
according to him, did not listen to heavy music or have gauges a year prior to
meeting the bunch.
If your
one who doesn't think the idea of Metal appeals to you (don't worry you don't
have to get gauges) because of social reasons or you don't think your friends
would think it would be cool to, there's almost no hope. But if your a music
conoisseur and your interested in discovering new stuff at local shows Patrick
has some final advice:
"It's a really good way for people to get out of their musical
shells."
That it
is. Why not be one of the good ones? As I walked down Beale Street after that
hug with Aaron Brown I yelled back..
"No
no, you guys are one of the good ones!"
You
should join us sometime. Support local hardcore, support local music!
and prepare your ears for "The Let Live
EP" soon!
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