| Since the release of their debut EP Pohlsmoker in 2012, POHL has shifted inelegantly through various iterations, line-up changes and self-imposed intermissions. But one constant that has remained forever scorched onto the temporal lobes of those in-the-know is the glorious sound they leave in their wake. Based in Sheffield, POHL is and always has been a stunning and brutal noise rock duo, currently featuring former Hey Colossus axeman Will Pearce on guitar/vocals, and drummer, Dr Linda Westman of the late Toronto-based death metal two-piece, Old Hope. This July the band releases their debut album Mysteries; a sonic tome which draws as much from MF Doom as it does doom metal. It’s a swirling, cosmic onslaught of heavy motorik riffs and offhand musings about everything and nothing in equal measure. In intermittent beats, new single ‘The Whale’ summons the glorious thunder pop of Torche, the pithy lyricism of K.A.R.P. and the DIY derring-do ethos of Guided by Voices. As guitarist/vocalist Will Pearce explains: “I suppose you could say that Mysteries is an album about grief. How we live with grief, and how we overcome it. When you’re trapped in the belly of the beast, and all seems lost – how do you come back from that? All I can say is that sometimes you eat the whale, and sometimes the whale eats you.” Pearce, who had previously played with Hey Colossus on their 2019 album Four Bibles and 2020’s Dances/Curses is thrilled to be teaming up once more with former bandmate Joe Thompson and his Wrong Speed Records imprint. Recorded at the band’s own Cool World studio and mixed by serial collaborator and producer Wayne Adams, Mysteries is many things, often all at the same time. Packing astute biblical allusions to random Burroughsian cut ups, it is mystical, profane, sacred, and scatological. Profoundly stupid, perhaps? Or just stupidly profound… either way, it demands your attention. Mysteries by POHL will be getting an official release on 26th July 2024 on Wrong Speed Records and can be pre-ordered here. |
| Live Dates: Wrong Speed Fest Glastonbury – 20th July 2024 Sheffield Tramlines Fringe – 27th July 2024 Supporting Billy Mahonie at Hallamshire Hotel – 11th November 2024 |
