| Pod People | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Canberra, Australia |
| Genres | Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, Experimental |
| Years active | 1991 - 2012, 2019 - Present |
| Labels | Rise Above Records, High Beam Music, Goatsound |
| Associated acts | Lucifungus, Boonhorse, Log, I Exist, Blood Duster, Alchemist, Tranquilistics, The Chicken Okkült |
| Website | Pod People Doom |
Pod People are a doom metal band from Canberra, Australia, founded in 1991. One of the longest standing doom bands from Australia, the band has recorded six releases, playing a blend of stoner and sludge traits, with lyrics on themes of cannabis in their earlier works, to topics thematically based around The Divine Comedy.
In a career spanning thirty years Pod People would release two albums among a host of other releases, all the while sharing the stage with a wide range of bands in Australia and New Zealand.
The band's name was based on the creatures in the 1982 film The Dark Crystal (And also shares the name with the planet-like aliens in the 1954 book Invasion of The Body Snatchers).[1]
History[]
Formation and Pod People (1991 - 1995)[]
Pod People began in Belconnen, Canberra, in 1991 from the then thriving local heavy music scene which moved from all ages shows to the Terrace Bar in Civic.[2] . It was originally a reaction against Canberra's heavy metal bands and then changed to heavier guitar-based music.[3]
The early line-up was quite fluid, but founding members Ivan (guitar) of Precursor and Brad Nicholson (Vocals) of S.I.D. were joined by Duncan (Bass), Paul (guitar) and Adrian Basso (drums). The band built upon momentum of some successful party shows in their home base of Havelock House and began playing regularly as well as recording their first demo, 'Just One' at 2XX Radio studios.
The band's sound was initially that of stoner rock, as influenced by early 1990s stoner bands such as Tumbleweed. Notably around this time they also performed covers of bands such as Mudhoney and Black Sabbath.
The band played numerous festivals and shows around the Canberra region and in Wollongong, which also had a thriving scene at the time, home to Tumbleweed, Dawn Patrol, Proton Energy Pills and many other bands playing a similar brand of fuzzed out heavy rock. They played at the annual Indyfest in 1993 at the Asylum in Civic,[4] and in 1995.[5] The band was supported The Tea Party at the New Year's Eve gig at the ANU Bar in 1993.
A CD EP was recorded in Sydney and released in 1995, an eponymous EP titled Pod People. The band would play several shows to support the demo.
Swingin' Beef and Soil (1995 - 2001)[]
The beginning of a long period of line up changes which finally solidified in 1996 with the current line up of Brad, Dave or DD (bass), Josh (also known JJ Lawhore from his 3-year stint in Blood Duster, guitar), Maggs (drums) and Mel (guitar).
Pod People solidified their line up in late 1995 with guitarist Mel Walker joining other new recruits Maggs (drums), Josh (guitar) and Dave (bass). They began writing and performing a heavier darker style than the previous line up. 1998's Swingin' Beef EP sowed the seeds of the doom/stoner rock sound that lead to the Soil EP in 2000. The Swingin Beef and Soil EPs saw the band develop a much heavier approach blending doom and death metal influences with the more stoner rock approach of the original group.
Doom Saloon (2001 - 2005)[]
Pod People would sign with High Beam Music in 2001. The band had worked on EPs with DW Norton and together they recorded Doom Saloon at Backbeach Studios in Victoria. The album was very well received and led to a number of high-profile international supports. The Backbeach studio was expensive for the self-funded band but Highbeam Records funded the band to produce the 10-track album over 9 days, including mixing. The result was the most realised combination of a style their bio at the time was touting as "stoom" or stoner doom, among others.
The band had played two supports on successive tours by English doom band Cathedral. Doom Saloon was sent to Cathedral front man Lee Dorrian’s doom label Rise Above Records in the UK, and then the album was secured for an international license and a 2004 release with the label.[6] Notably they would be the first Australian band on the label until Witchskull would sign with Rise Above in 2018. The album received extremely positive reviews worldwide,[7] and a film clip for the opening track "Filling The Void" was added to high rotation on Australian domestic music TV.[8]
The Australian release included artwork of a 4×3 CD fold-out cut into an upside-down cross showing an interpretation of a map of Inferno from The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. This was designed by Roy Torkington of Alchemist, who later joined Pod People in 2019. The artwork is significant as the band have loosely taken the Divine Comedy as a theme for a three-album series. In 2005 the band released a split 7” with Sydney band Daredevil with artwork by The Hard-Ons' Ray Ahn that hinted at the next chapter of the Divine Comedy, Purgatorio.
In 2005 the band, frustrated by the lack of doom acts coming out to Australia, promoted Electric Wizard's first Australian national tour in Boat of Doom, touring the east coast of Australia.
Mons Animae Mortuorum (2006 - 2012)[]
The band had a hiatus whilst recording, yet maintained live shows with bands like Celtic Frost, Clutch and a slew of Australian bands like Whitehorse, Looking Glass, Clagg, Dread, Sons of the Ionian Sea, Grey Daturas and Peeping Tom.[9]
The band then recorded over late 2007 and early 2008 largely self-financed after the High Beam Music label closed in 2004. Toyland Studios in Northcote Melbourne was the first session followed by three follow up sessions at Goatsound Studios.
The ten-track album was recorded with the theme of Purgatory, in keeping with the themes set out on the first album. The band had previously worked with Sydney artist Glenn Smith on the Electric Wizard tour, so Smith created a painting for the album cover based on Mount Purgatory. The album is entitled Mons Animae Mortuorum, Latin for "Mountain of the souls of the Dead" and was released in 2008.
Following the band's first ever shows in New Zealand with Looking Glass,[10] They featured at the inaugural Doomsday Festival with Looking Glass, Clagg, Agonhymn, Summonus and Space Bong among other bands. The band played at The Basement, Canberra, with Birushanah and Whitehorse in February 2010. They toured until 2011 and then went on hiatus, their last known show at that time supporting Cough.[11]
Reformation (2019 - Present)[]
Pod People would reform in 2019 at the Sunburn Festival in Melbourne on 22 May 2019.[12][13] Guitarist Mel Walker declined to join the band, choosing to focus on her new project The Pilots of Baalbek. Roy Torkington of Canberra band Alchemist was announced as Walker's replacement. Torkington created the artwork behind the Doom Saloon EP.
On 8 August 2020, Pod People gave the first live performance at the Canberra Theatre Centre since its shutdown for COVID-19. They were the first heavy metal band to play at the venue since Iron Maiden's 1985 concert in which fans ripped up all the seating.[14] The show was positively received and was supported by Wretch and Lucifungus.[15]
Discography[]
Studio Albums[]
- Doom Saloon (2002, High Beam Music; 2004, Rise Above Records)
- Mons Animae Mortuorum (2008, Goatsound)
Other Releases[]
- Pod People (EP) (1995, Self-Released)
- Swingin' Beef (EP) (1998, Digga)
- Soil (EP) (1999, Self-Released)
- Pod People / Daredevil (Split 7" with Daredevil) (2005, Self-Released)
- The Lost Years Demos (Compilation) (2015, Self-Released)
Members[]
Current Lineup[]
- Brad Nicholson - Vocals (1991 - 2012, 2019 - Present)
- Dave Drynan aka DD - Bass, Vocals (1996 - 2012, 2019 - Present)
- Damian Saunders aka Maggs - Drums, Vocals (1996 - 2012, 2019 - Present)
- Josh Nixon aka JJ LaWhore - Guitar (1996 - 2012, 2019 - Present)
- Roy Torkington - Guitar (2019 - Present)
Past Members[]
- Duncan - Bass (1991 - 1995)
- Adrian - Drums (1991 - 1995)
- Paul Carey - Guitar (1991 - 1995)
- Van - Guitar (1991 - 1995)
- Mel Walker - Guitar (1996 - 2012)
List of Known Tours[]
- Boat of Doom (With Electric Wizard) (2005)
- Spring 2007 Shows (With Looking Glass) (2007)[16]
- January 2008 Tour (2008)[17][18]
- Summer 2009 New Zealand Tour (With Looking Glass) (2009)[19]
- Doomsday Festival (2009)[20]
- Slaughterfest (2009)[21]
- Doomsday Festival (Select dates with Acid King, Clagg) (2010)[22]
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ BMA Magazine
- ↑ NLA
- ↑ [Moore, Chris (29 November 2001). "We come in peace". The Mix. Illawarra Mercury. p. 34.]
- ↑ NLA
- ↑ NLA
- ↑ Pod People Official via Wayback Machine
- ↑ Pod People Official via Wayback Machine
- ↑ Pod People Official via Wayback Machine
- ↑ Pod People via Wayback Machine
- ↑ Pod People Official via Wayback Machine
- ↑ Last.fm
- ↑ Sun Burn Instagram
- ↑ Sun Burn Instagram
- ↑ Canberra Times
- ↑ [Georgopoulos, Dion (11 August 2020). "Doom metal comes to town". Pictures. The Canberra Times. p. 44.]
- ↑ Last.fm
- ↑ Pod People Official via Wayback Machine
- ↑ Pod People Official via Wayback Machine
- ↑ Last.fm
- ↑ Last.fm
- ↑ Last.fm
- ↑ Last.fm