Noise rock comes in many forms, some of them heavier than others. When UK duo POHL play noise rock, it’s doomed and it’s heavy as hell. Releasing first EP Pohlsmoker in 2012, POHL released two follow-up EPs before setting to work on Mysteries, their first full-length album. It’s the work of a seasoned duo who know exactly what they want from their sound and how to get it, as you’ll hear on new song “God.”
POHL’s varied influences come straight through on the tune: the almost catchy sludge of Torche, the combative riffs and stomp of bands like Karp and heavy Electric Wizard-style doom. The end result is an all-consuming wall of sound, meant to be listened to at maximum volume.
“‘Are you there, God? It’s me, I’m drowning.’ These words came to me in a dream,” recalls guitarist/vocalist Will Pearce when speaking about “God.” “In times of desperation, it can feel like we’re drowning, pleading with our maker, hearing no reply. But in a twisted way, this song is also about hope. The body may endure several hours of clinical death in cold temperatures, only to rise again like Lazarus. Hence the medical expression: ‘You’re not dead until you’re warm and dead.’”
Warm yourself up with the stream below. You can get the new album via POHL’s Bandcamp.
