Sheffield psychedelic noise-rock trio POHL have built a reputation for their unpredictable, genre-bending approach to heavy music. Featuring guitarist and vocalist Will Pearce (ex-Hey Colossus), drummer Linda Westman (ex-Old Hope) and bassist Lyra Johnson (Lo Egin), the band blend colossal riffs, warped psychedelia and experimental song structures into a sound that is both abrasive and strangely infectious.
Following their 2024 debut album Mysteries, Pohl return with ‘Flayed Lord Prayer’, their contribution to a new split release with Bristol’s Ogives Big Band on Ripcord Records. Clocking in at 17 minutes, the track stretches the band’s sound into even stranger territory, weaving together crushing riffs, odd time signatures, soaring vocals and tortured screams. Recorded and produced by Pearce, it’s an expansive, disorientating journey that builds on the foundations of Mysteries while pushing their psychedelic noise-rock to new extremes.
To mark the release of split release, we’ve asked POHL to share three of the key musical influences behind their music as part of our Under the Influence feature.
Venom – Black Metal
Will: To my mind, this is the gnarliest track on Venom’s seminal Black Metal album. The drama and theatricality were a definite influence on ‘Flayed Lord Prayer’, our contribution to our recent split with Ogives Big Band. I love the spooky fretless bass, and the riff just simply rips. As a side note, it seems to have been lifted almost wholesale by shoegazers Ride for their song ‘Drive Blind’, which is another banger! The influence of ‘Buried Alive’ on Ride The Lightning-era Metallica is also impossible to overlook. The actual song ‘Ride The Lightning’ is one of my all-time faves and another big influence.
Fairport Convention – Liege & Lief
Will: This has got to be one of the greatest songs ever. The hypnotic, repetitive riff and the sheer length of the piece really transport you into the world of the narrative – until a sudden change in tempo and feel jolts you into another realm. Fairport Convention were real masters, incredible players all round, and Sandy Denny’s voice is just something else. This song might be their magnum opus. The ballad on which ‘Matty Groves’ is based dates to at least the 1600s. I love how it still resonates all these centuries later.
Sanford Clark – It’s Nothing to Me
Will: Most of the songs on our first album Mysteries are very introspective and personal to me. On ‘Flayed Lord Prayer’ I wanted to do something a bit different, to embody a character and really tell a story. This song is a great example of that kind of songwriting. I love Clark’s almost deadpan delivery and how it takes the form of a dialogue between two characters – there’s something so immersive about that. Like the other songs listed here, ‘It’s Nothin’ To Me’ packs high drama and universal themes, including the most universal theme of all – death – while being catchy as hell!
