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The return of Canberra riff mongers Pod People is now complete, with the release of their third full length album, Oblivion.
In the mid-90s when most of Australia’s metal bands were worshipping at the altars of thrash, death and groove, Pod People were reading from the books of Cathedral and Sleep. It’s been 16 years since their last album but time, a bit of a break and a slight line-up change hasn’t made any difference to these doom lords as they throw up walls of bottom-heavy riffs, filthy grooves and grimy vocals exactly as you’d expect. Opening the gate with some warm-up noodling then heads directly into God Help You’s crushing big rocking doom with call outs to the likes of Orange Goblin and Electric Wizard, after which they deliver a pair of immense, fuzzed out classic-style monsters that Wino or Cathedral would be proud to call their own.
With the title track, Pod People step it up another level. Glowering and enormous, Oblivion rolls out with glacial, sinister majesty, a labyrinthine sprawl across nine minutes of mood and menace with a mid-section that opens into an expanse of melody before plunging into perilous depths once more. Choke is even more baleful, slowly building from a distorted, darkly wandering bass line to mercilessly punishing doom Armageddon.
Pod People have always walked their own path, dispensing sermons of doom of every faith, and Oblivion keeps up that proud tradition.
