POHL - Mysteries

Angry Metal Guy 50

Written By: Nameless_N00b_87

There was a time when spending my nights playing in tiny, shoulder-to-shoulder music venues with the rank of perspiration, booze, and fog felt like home. These days, however, they are places I frequent rather than dwell, an aftermath of the stark reality that is the present-day music industry. Because­­­­— if nothing else— being in a band is hard work. This is a truth UK noise rock duo POHL understand. Despite suffering from various starts and stops over their twelve-year existence, guitarist/vocalist Will Pearce (ex-Hey Colossus) and rhythmist Dr. Linda Westman¹ (ex-Old Hope) overcame adversity to release three EPs of gratifying experimental noise rock that pulled from a platter of influences like psychedelic, punk, stoner, and heavy metal. Four years have passed since their last offering and the Sheffield rockers have now returned with their debut LP Mysteries. Grab a tallboy and follow me as we rush to the front of the stage to discover what aural mysteries await once the lights drop.

Mysteries confirm that POHL have spent their four-year hiatus largely honing their sound. The unhinged, technical, sonic assault that was 2020’s Freakspeed has been reformed into a methodical layered cake of rumbling, dense, cosmic noise rock tailor-made to make yourself deaf. Their modern low-fi approach is simple and concise, with the thunderous sounds of Westman’s low-tuned drums powering a heavy groove of exceedingly distorted melody and sustain— a tip of the cap to the likes of Torche— with little variation in tempo, dynamics, and structure. Fortunately, Pearce’s vocals provide some much-needed experimental acidity to POHL’s fatty instrumental underbelly. They fluctuate between chants, harmonies, juvenile taunts, and callous yelling that reside somewhere between chaotic and schizophrenic. The weight and gravity of Pearce’s delivery demands your attention across the album’s nine tracks, as do the hefty lyrical themes of grief, faith, mental health, and substance use.

Mysteries by POHL

The good news first— Mysteries is full of quality moments that will cater to a broad range of tastes. POHL are at their best when they rely on their immersive blend of heavy groove and distorted melodies to create powerful yet simple slabs of pop-centric noise rock. First-half tracks like “THE WHALE,” “REVELATION,” “NARRATOR” and “GOD” are loaded with catchy hooks that are bolstered by Westman’s rhythms, Pearce’s harmonies and his relentless wails. Westman’s performance is particularly notable, demonstrating her ability to shift between heavy and powerful strokes to intricate and precise patterns, rightly complimenting the distorted sustain of Pearce’s open guitar chords and the thick fuzz of his riffs. Elsewhere, the percolating riff in “PERGAMON,” the acoustic interlude “UNTITLED II,” and Pearce’s hammer-ons and pull-offs in “GOD” prove that POHL are still capable of orienting towards the progressive than the noisy and unrelenting. These highlights are, in part, what made Freakspeed a success and the combination of head-bobbing groove with uncompromising atmosphere and emotive energy can create a satisfying listening experience.

But I came away from Mysteries disappointed. POHL’s systematic and repetitive compositions become well-worn by the album’s midpoint with prolonged opener “NARRATOR” immediately overstaying its welcome, or one-dimensional “CELLAR HEAD” lacking much variation in tempo or dynamics. Challenges in composition also rear their head throughout Mysteries short thirty-minute runtime, as the duo attempt to incorporate improvisational flair that abruptly redirects the current within some of the strongest contributions (“GOD,” “REVELATION,” and “THE WHALE”). Then there is the filler. Although “UNTITLTED 2” does an admirable job of providing a stimulating— and somewhat necessary— reprieve from POHL’s wall of sound, “THE DOOR” and “THE END” provide little value to the collective whole, causing the otherwise enjoyable “PERGAMON” to become guilty by association and skipped altogether.

POHL’s debut showcases their capability to craft heavy, atmospheric noise rock that blends catchy hooks with Pearce’s powerful vocals. It highlights some of the compelling elements of the duo’s sonic past while also indicating they are willing to take a few risks. Yet, despite their affinity for raw energy and power, repetition and monotony become challenging in the latter half and filler tracks offer little substance. With risk always looms the possibility of disappointment, and while shortcomings may detract from the album’s overall impact, Mysteries hints at POHL’s potential.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Wrong Speed Records
Websites: pohl.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/pohlrules
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024

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