The Pod is the solo project of MAKE's Scott Endres. I'm a long-term fan of MAKE's sludge filled post-metal. One of the elements that drew me to them was the long textured ambient passages that contribute to their excellent sound.
With The Pod, Scott fully realises these 'moments' of MAKE, giving them room to breathe, sprawl out and evolve. It is this kind of sound present on Assassins in the Mirrored Hall I jokingly refer to as "Post-Morphine". Anyone who has had the need for morphine may have experienced the wave like euphoric feeling it can give (Oh for the record don't do drugs kids!). Its these 'waves' that best describes for me the textured ambient music Scott produces both here and incorporated into MAKE. It is not all drone, there are rhythms and structures that take shape. In fact fellow MAKE members Spencer Lee and Matt Stevenson provide some support with contributions across tracks on bass and drums.
Assassins in the Mirrored Hall begins with the short 'Times Desiccated Sanctuary' before expanding in sprawling ambient fashion with the near 15 minute 'The Analeptic Ritual'. Displaying The Pod at its best, shimmering ambience and drone like openings,give way to building rhythms and swirling guitar. It is one of the highlights on the album. 'A Stranger in a Hidden Room' features some psychedelic rhythms and distorted guitar with flourishes of electronic fills.
The Pod is an excellent side-project of MAKE, and can be enjoyed by their fans but will also appeal to a wide range of music fans. There is a variety of sounds and structures that make each track interesting. It rarely descends into drone just for the sake of it, tracks evolve and take shape. Another lengthy workout 'Citadel Of Mirages' begins with harsh distortion upfront, with more delicate melody emerging before entering some Sunn O))) like heavier territory. 'Abandoned Ark' features low-fi electronic noise and is infectious in its repetitive rhythm.
If you pre-order Assassins in the Mirrored Hall you receive an immediate download of the album and two bonus tracks not available after release. I highly recommend doing so, as one of said tracks 'Reinvent the Wheel' is another highlight. An almost Dj Shadow feel with its drumbeat and glitch noises it takes an evil turn towards the end.
Scott has produced another excellent album of varied sounds and further demonstrates his talent. Assassins in the Mirrored Hall is available to pre-order now. All pre-order funds contribute to the production of physical copies and if you’re quick additional free items are included, so it’s a really good project to support. Get your copy here.
