ESSENCE FESTIVAL 2025-DAY 2/PART TWO: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4TH - THE MARATHON BEGINS AND THE DARK GIFTS KEEP ARRIVING. WORD/PICS BY MARK J.
ESSENCE FESTIVAL 2025-DAY 2/PART TWO: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4TH - THE MARATHON BEGINS AND THE DARK GIFTS KEEP ARRIVING. WORD/PICS BY MARK J.
Saturday was when Essence Festival truly revealed its ambition. The marathon began early - Main Stage doors at 2:30 PM, Abyss Stage at 3:30 PM - and didn't stop until nearly midnight. Seventeen acts across both stages meant constant movement, constant sound, and a test of endurance for even the most dedicated underground heads. This was the day that demonstrated the festival's true diversity, pushing far beyond the metal boundaries to embrace noise, goth, industrial electronics, and everything in between.
CANARY BONES (Main Stage, 3:30-4:00 PM)
Melbourne's Canary Bones kicked things off with a searing blast of noise rock and post-punk that immediately established this wouldn't be your typical metal-only affair. The six-piece demonstrated brilliant musicianship, weaving between abrasive textures and surprisingly melodic passages with impressive precision.
What set them apart was their sophisticated use of keyboards - not as some tacked-on afterthought, but as an integral part of their sonic architecture, adding atmospheric depth and textural layers that elevated them beyond standard noise rock territory.
Their sound shifts unpredictably between noise experiments and post-hardcore aggression, combining fairly melodic musicality with aggressively shouted vocals in a way that could almost be called "melodic noise" - if that's not a complete contradiction in terms.
As an early afternoon opener, they were solid and professional, commanding attention in that challenging slot when crowds are still filtering in, and ears aren't yet adjusted to the assault. They set a high bar immediately.
https://www.instagram.com/canarybonesband/
EXTERNAL ORGAN (Abyss Stage, 4:00-4:30 PM)
Pete Hyde's External Organ delivered something far more substantial than the typical noise set. Hyde - known for his work in Whitehorse, Occult Blood and running the glorious Sweatlung label, and his tireless dedication to Australia's experimental underground - brought a level of craft and intentionality that separated his performance from mere sonic violence.
This is quality and resplendent noise, experimental in the truest sense, and vitally important for the genre's continued evolution. Pete's work operates in that space where harsh noise, drone, and dark ambient collide - textural free-fall that's as carefully constructed as it is punishing. I also love how this genre punishes and divides the casual metal fan. Personally, I find this to be ambient music for the psychotic, and I adored every second of this schizophrenic set.
The coarse performance was calculated and clever; each moment of apparent chaos was actually part of a larger, disturbing architecture. This wasn't random button-pushing or feedback worship - it was compositional thinking applied to the most extreme sonic materials.
External Organ's authoritative set demonstrated why Sir Pete remains such a crucial figure in Australian experimental music. His Sweatlung label has documented some of the country's most challenging sounds, and his live work continues that commitment to pushing boundaries without sacrificing substance. The remarkable performance had soul - a rare quality in noise music, where many hide behind walls of static rather than revealing anything vulnerable or genuine. Hyde's work does both simultaneously.
BRUXIST (Main Stage, 4:30-5:00 PM)
Dan Nahum's Bruxist brought crusty d-beat fury with remarkable precision. Watching the festival organiser himself behind the kit, absolutely destroying while simultaneously being the mastermind behind this entire weekend, added serious weight to an already crushing performance.
With Dav Byrne on bass and Terry Vainoras handling guitar and vocals, this was brilliant, tough, and aggressive - but never sloppy.
Bruxist melds filthy d-beat and hardcore punk with old school death metal in a furious concoction that sits somewhere between Nails, Trap Them, Disfear, and Fuming Mouth. What separates them from mere noisy chaos is their commitment to songcraft - clear hooks, distinct riffs, accessible verse-chorus structures all delivered with the intensity of veterans who know exactly what they're doing.
They assuredly present an unhinged and devilish mix of crust, D-beat, Swedish buzzsaw riffage and Norwegian blackened darkness, and every second of their set was flawless. Dan's drumming was particularly ferocious - precision blast beats that never wavered even as he poured every ounce of energy into the kit.
BACCHUS HARSH (Abyss Stage, 5:00-5:30 PM)
Christian Bishop brought something genuinely special to the Abyss Stage under his Bacchus Harsh alias. Bishop - better known internationally as Australian breakcore pioneer Xian - has expanded his already widescreen musical horizons into even more challenging territory. This is a multi-disciplinary artist working across photography, printmaking, sculpture, film and sound, and that breadth of creative practice bleeds into every aspect of Bacchus Harsh's sonic world.
The performance was an amazing touch of skill - occult-themed electronics and deconstructed club music that de-territorialises exotica, occult psychedelia and industrial techno with polyrhythms and distorted blast beats. Bishop's talent lies in confusing the dancefloor - creating music that's simultaneously bodily engaging and cerebrally challenging.
His approach to sound feels like watching a visual artist work with audio instead of paint - carefully constructed compositions that reveal new details with each listen, yet delivered with visceral immediacy.
What made the set particularly impressive was how Bishop balanced his background as a visual artist with his electronic music practice. The performance felt sculptural, three-dimensional, despite being purely sonic.
This was underground party music for people who want their parties to feel slightly dangerous, slightly wrong, completely thrilling. Bishop's skill level was evident in every moment - these weren't happy accidents or lucky loops, but intentional sonic architecture built by someone who understands both the cerebral and physical dimensions of electronic music.
(BUY HIS ALBUM Caveat Tumultum OR YOU SUCK!!!)
NONTINUUM (Main Stage, 5:30-6:00 PM)
Melbourne's Nontinuum brought atmospheric black metal beauty to the main stage, offering a stark contrast to the crusty brutality that preceded it. This one-person project began in 2010 as a bedroom-born exploration of depressive black metal and melancholic atmospheres. After years of silence following their 2012 full-length, "The Stars You Gathered, The Stars I Destroyed," the project has recently returned with a full trio lineup.
The performance balanced raw black metal aggression with genuinely affecting atmospheric passages. Nontinuum specialises in that blackgaze territory where blistering ferocity suddenly gives way to moments of striking beauty - walls of distorted guitars erupting into tremolo-picked melodies that feel genuinely transcendent. The project's early work explored themes of anti-humanity, depression, and suicide through minimalistic, guitar-driven compositions, and those dark undercurrents remained palpable in the live setting.
What made the set particularly compelling was how it demonstrated that bedroom black metal projects can translate powerfully to the stage when executed with conviction. The juxtaposition between blasting fury and melancholic ambience kept the audience engaged throughout the 30-minute set. Somewhat slightly subdued passages provided breathing room between the more intense sections, preventing the atmospheric approach from becoming monotonous. Definitely has that Post-Metal soundscape also. The guitars created genuinely bleak soundscapes - you could almost see the album covers come to life through the music.
After gaining international recognition over a decade ago before falling silent in 2013, Nontinuum's return to live performance at Essence felt significant. The core trio delivered their sorrowful opus with complete commitment, proving that atmospheric black metal remains as emotionally affecting as ever when channelled through genuine feeling rather than mere genre exercise. This was depressive black metal that earned its darkness honestly.
https://linktr.ee/nontinuumband
https://www.instagram.com/nontinuum.official/
ZCLUSTER (Abyss Stage, 6:00-6:30 PM)
As above, so below. Carnal Industrial Gothic Fetish of flesh-kissed machines. Invoking Desire/Chaos/Unmasked Into Void, exposing the flesh and the sacred profane. ZCLUSTER is the ongoing ritual of INfest8 and Sai Jaiden Lillith, and their intoxicating performance was industrial/gothic electro chaos exploring themes of individuality and sexual exploration with unflinching honesty. Exhilarating, high-energy and entrancing for every second of the set.
Sai Jaiden Lillith - Melbourne-based gender fluid pro-domme, escort, activist, educator, creator of visual erotica, artist and Shibari addict - brings a visceral, lived understanding of transgression, taboo, and the body's relationship to power. Known for gorgeous and creative rope work and performances, Sai has taught workshops at Sexpo, OzKinkFest, and trained numerous private students. That expertise in exploring the liminal spaces between pleasure, pain, control, and surrender infuses every aspect of ZCLUSTER's sonic world.
INfest8 - the musical genius behind the project - has been crafting dark electronic music since 1998, evolving from upbeat dancefloor industrial to increasingly experimental territories. Steve Collins, the mind behind INfest8, is also an academic lawyer specialising in copyright law and new media technologies.
Together, ZCLUSTER creates something genuinely confrontational - industrial electronics that feel genuinely dangerous, genuinely sexual, genuinely transgressive in a scene where "transgression" often means little more than loud guitars and Satanic imagery. The vocals were spellbinding, all set to a wild musical tour de force. Hard beats, solid riffs and tempo changes keep everyone on their toes.
This was about actual taboo, actual exploration of desire and chaos, delivered through pounding industrial rhythms and gothic atmospheres.
BURDEN MAN (Main Stage, 6:30-7:00 PM)
Sydney's Burden Man brought emotionally heavy dark metal that, while not necessarily for everyone, resonated deeply with their fanbase.
This powerful band weaves relatable tales of sorrow and contemplation of the inevitable with sombre tones, creating their unique style of deathly, dark metal. Their style and delivery demonstrated genuine conviction - this wasn't posturing or empty nihilism, but real emotion channelled through heavy music.
The lively and dedicated crowd both vibed and connected with this sublime approach, responded enthusiastically, proving that Burden Man successfully taps into something cathartic. This is a band that is not just competent and confident, but searingly menacing in their haunting performance.
In a festival filled with technical prowess and sonic extremity, Burden Man offered something different - emotional heaviness that complemented rather than competed with the sonic weight.
Not every band needs to be the most brutal or the most experimental; sometimes, genuine feeling delivered with conviction is enough.
(GROWTH (Abyss Stage, 7:30-8:00 PM) Set missed - social time with the underground community, but I highly recommend this band!!!, great releases and a killer live band)
MAMMON'S THRONE (Main Stage, 8:00-8:30 PM)
Melbourne's demigods, Mammon's Throne, brought energetic and solid extreme doom that fused funeral doom melodies with crushing sludge and death grooves, before taking flight in searing, blackened crescendos. THIS IS A BAND THAT NEVER GIVES A PERFORMANCE SHORT OF AMAZING.
The quintet's performance was accompanied by a chilling and diverse range of vocal styles and furious drumming that demonstrated exactly why they've established themselves as a force in the Australian heavy music arena.
What made their set particularly compelling was their comfort in their own skin - they weren't trying to be the most brutal or the most experimental; they were simply delivering their particular brand of doom with complete conviction. The diverse vocal approach ranged from cavernous growls to anguished screams, adding dramatic depth to an already massive sound. Each release builds on the previous, and they are a bright light in a let's be honest, an oversaturated Australian doom/sludge scene where so many acts are dull and pedestrian. Always entertaining, intelligent and a force to be reckoned with.
ŽIVA (Abyss Stage, 8:30-9:00 PM) -THE FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT
Stop. Everything. ŽIVA was the highlight of the entire festival. Full stop. This was one of the best acts witnessed in a decade - intelligent, creative, overflowing with flair and skill and sheer fucking passion.
Lucija Ivšić - former frontwoman of renowned and epic Croatian post-punk band Punčke - has created something genuinely unique with ŽIVA. This bilingual music project combines experimental electronica, darkwave, and traditional Croatian singing techniques in ways that feel both ancient and futuristic.
Based in Melbourne, her staggering and antagonistic live show is built in real-time using live looping, vocal processing, and multi-instrumentation, creating a unique blend of traditional and contemporary performance that's as technically impressive as it is emotionally devastating.
Lucija may look like a Croatian Björk, but her frenzied sound is entirely original and entrancing - a mesmerising blend of Eastern European folk traditions filtered through contemporary electronic production and genuine artistic vision. As an interdisciplinary artist whose practice explores the role of technology in the creation of sonic heritage, she's performed at SXSW, Currents New Media, DARK MOFO, Athens Digital Arts Festival, and countless other international stages. In 2023, her debut album gained worldwide recognition, and she won the "Best Electro&OFF" Artist of the Year award.
But none of that context quite prepares you for the live experience. Every belligerent track is so clever, with emotions soaring out of each loop - anger, joy, sorrow, defiance, all channelled through her voice and machines with such skill it genuinely blows minds.
Her most recent work, "Transhuman Ansambl," involves collaborations with non-human entities during live shows - pushing the boundaries of what performance can mean. This wasn't just a set; it was a transformative experience. By the end, the entire room felt transported - not to another place, but to another state of consciousness entirely. This is the kind of performance that reminds you why live music matters, why you show up to underground festivals in the first place. No recording will ever capture what happened in that room.
MY ADVICE: SEE HER LIVE AT ANY OPPORTUNITY, BUY HER MUSIC AND MERCH, AS SHE IS EASILY ONE OF THE BEST ACTS IN THE COUNTRY!!!
CHECK OUT HER PUNK BAND ALSO:
LIFE CULT (Main Stage, 9:00-9:40 PM)
Life Cult brought gloomy, gothic brilliance that felt like a transmission from the Sisters of Mercy's darkest timeline.
The visual presentation was immediately striking - the band looked grimy gothic, with their singer sporting a chainmail mask and a claw that created an imposing, almost medieval presence. But this wasn't style over substance - the music more than delivered on that atmospheric promise.
The band channels that classic Sisters of Mercy/Bauhaus/Christian Death style gothic rock sound - gloomy, atmospheric, genuinely melancholic without tipping into parody or nostalgia. This wasn't goth rock as a costume party; it was a band genuinely tapping into the romantic darkness that makes the genre compelling. Solid elements of Darkwave and Post-Punk underline every track, and it ensures there is never a dull moment. Of note was the entrancing bass and synth that sounded intensely forward live, providing both punch and warmth to the performance.
Alex, the chainmail-masked vocalist, commanded the stage with both visual menace and genuine vocal prowess, while the band crafted expansive, shadowy soundscapes that felt genuinely oppressive in the best possible way. In all the gloom, the band grooves along to each track like a band that is deeply invested in its sound.
What separated Life Cult from mere revivalism was their commitment - they weren't winking at the audience or playing it for laughs.
This was darkness and beauty delivered with total conviction, proving that goth rock remains as powerful and relevant as ever when executed with genuine feeling and skill. This was another obvious highlight of the whole festival; it was a tantalising band that just pretty much every attendee dug deeply.
GO SEE THIS BAND ASAP, CHAT TO THEM, THEY ARE DOWN TO EARTH HUMANS AND BUY EVERY RELEASE;
SHAY DOE & JACK NAPIER (Abyss Stage, 9:40-10:10 PM)
Following ŽIVA in the Abyss Stage room was an impossible task, but Shay Doe & Jack Napier came incredibly, almost impossibly close. This was brilliant live techno that felt like a time machine back to the illegal Melbourne rave days - acid techno at its purest, most visceral, most genuinely underground.
Shay Doe is not here to conform - she's here to disrupt. As one of Melbourne's most uncompromising industrial techno producers, Shay has spent years mastering the gritty, dark, and cruel sides of the genre through fully improvised hardware-only live sets. A regular fixture at venues like Sub Club Melbourne, New Guernica, My Aeon, and the notorious Rubix Warehouse & Tetris Studios, she's carved out a reputation as someone who refuses presets, refuses safety, refuses anything that smells like compromise. Her approach is pure ritual - sound as rebellion, movement as resistance, all built on machines and driven by instinct.
Jack Napier brings the chaos element - a hardware live artist whose unpredictable, jagged energy perfectly counterbalances Shay's brooding precision. His presence in Melbourne's underground acid scene has been growing steadily, with performances at events like Hardware Theory proving his ability to conjure genuine mayhem from his gear. When power got pulled during one of his Hardware Theory sets, he kept going - that's the kind of commitment we're talking about. No laptops, no safety nets, just pure hardware voltage and the willingness to ride whatever happens.
Together, they created something that felt genuinely alive and genuinely dangerous. Watching two artists working entirely in hardware - no computers, no DAWs, just synthesisers, drum machines, and effects pedals - is like watching tightrope walkers without nets.
Everything could collapse at any moment, yet their skills kept it aloft. Shay's JOMOX Alpha Base provided thundering low-end foundations while her Analog RYTM MK2 and Prophet 12 carved out the dark melodic spaces. The SOMA Lyra-8's alien drones added unsettling textures, while acid-drenched 303 lines snaked through everything with that classic squelch and resonance that defines the sound.
Jack's Access Virus TI2 cut through with biting, metallic tones - those digital oscillators providing sharp contrast to the analog warmth elsewhere. His Analog RYTM MK2 locked into fractured rhythms that pushed and pulled against Shay's patterns, creating polyrhythmic tension that kept dancers off-balance in the best way. The OB-6's twisted bass added fat analog weight, while his SQUARP Hapax sequencer became the conductor of controlled chaos, live-sequencing patterns that evolved in real-time.
What made this set genuinely special was witnessing two artists who've clearly paid their dues in Melbourne's underground acid and industrial scenes. Both have been through those illegal rave days - the warehouse parties that could get shut down at any moment, the all-night sessions powered by red cordial and collective euphoria, the sense that what you were doing existed outside sanctioned culture. Speaking to them afterwards confirmed they'd both been there, survived it, and carried that spirit forward rather than abandoning it for legitimacy.
Their set felt genuinely improvised in the best sense - not random, but responsive. When Shay built a particular atmosphere, Jack would either complement it or deliberately destabilise it. When Jack's acid lines got too chaotic, Shay would anchor things with solid rhythmic foundations. It was a conversation through voltage, two minds finding common ground in controlled demolition. Subtle melodic fragments would emerge and dissolve into distortion. Groove would establish itself, then collapse into glitch. And beneath everything ran a pulse that felt more like a spell than a beat - hypnotic, ritualistic, demanding bodily response.
The set could have easily gone another 4 hours without anyone complaining. That restless energy, that sense of barely-contained chaos threatening to burst through at any moment - it was addictive. This was riveting underground techno that remembered its rave roots, its outlaw origins, its fundamental opposition to safety and predictability. No presets. No rules. No compromise. Just two artists at the peak of their powers, channelling decades of underground experience into 30 minutes of ceremonial sonic defiance. Absolutely incredible. And some of the best live techno I have ever witnessed.
DIPLOID (Main Stage, 10:10-10:50 PM)
Diploid delivered one of the best guitar-based performances of the entire festival - angry, unhinged, and flawlessly executed demented brilliance. This Melbourne three-piece has earned its reputation as one of Australia's most terrorising DIY acts, and their Essence set proved exactly why that reputation is deserved.
This incendiary band operates in that savage territory where grindcore, hardcore, and experimental noise metal collide violently. Think The Body's oppressive atmosphere meeting Iron Lung's stripped-down fury, filtered through Merzbow's noise sensibilities. But what truly separates Diploid from mere sonic assault is their fierce commitment to being both political and confrontational while remaining genuine musical wizards and a devastating live force.
The performance was visceral and confronting, with intensity that felt genuinely dangerous. Every moment teetered on the edge of total collapse, yet nothing ever fell apart - this was controlled demolition masquerading as spontaneous combustion. Their mix of styles creates something genuinely innovative - short blasts of distilled rage reminiscent of powerviolence, but informed by murky noise and sludge undercurrents that add unexpected depth.
Diploid doesn't believe in performative politics or online virtue signalling. They demonstrate their values through action - booking diverse lineups, respecting people's identities, and recognising that heavy shows aren't the same experience for everyone. The band understands that for too long, the chaos of extreme music venues has been weaponised by predators hiding behind volume and crowds. Their commitment to changing that dynamic while still delivering punishing music makes them vital.
The crowd fed off their energy, creating a feedback loop of intensity that felt genuinely cathartic. This was fury channelled through exceptional musicianship into something transformative - rage given perfect form. Diploid is unique, intelligent and crushing.
BUY THEIR MUSIC/MERCH AND CHAT TO THEM IF YOU SEE THEM, LOVELY HUMANS!!!
Closing out the Abyss Stage, Melbourne's awe-inspiring Violet Aisling brought teeth dreams to life with a stellar and mesmerising performance that was incredible as ever - teeth dreams never comes up short. The project dwells in that shadowy intersection of harsh ambient, dark ambient, death industrial, and drone, exploring deeply emotional territories through deliberately abrasive textures.
Violet's approach to extreme sound is remarkably sophisticated. Rather than simply battering audiences with volume, the performance built oppressive atmospheres through careful layering and sound manipulation. This was noise as emotional architecture - each element placed with intention, creating spaces that felt genuinely haunting. The textures shifted between crushing industrial weight and eerie ambient drift, never settling into predictability.
As a closing act for Saturday's experimental stage, teeth dreams was absolutely perfect - challenging enough to satisfy the adventurous crowd, yet emotionally compelling enough to leave a lasting impression. The audience emerged drained but deeply satisfied, having experienced something genuinely transformative rather than just loud.
Canberra's Pod People had the honour of closing out Saturday night entirely, and they absolutely rose to the occasion. The capital's long-running stoner doom pioneers brought over three decades of experience to bear, delivering a set that was super entertaining and embodied everything a "people's band" should be - accessible without being watered down, heavy without being alienating, genuinely fun despite the crushing sonic weight.
Pod People emerged from Belconnen back in 1991, born from Canberra's then-thriving heavy underground, and they've never stopped delivering the goods. Their approach blends classic stoner worship with sludge heaviness, creating massive groove-laden riffs that lodge themselves in your skull while simultaneously crushing it. Live, this translated to pure doom satisfaction - every riff felt earned, every tempo shift made sense, every moment delivered exactly what doom metal should.
The band carries a serious pedigree also - they became the first Australian act signed to Lee Dorrian's legendary Rise Above Records, home to Cathedral, Electric Wizard, and countless other doom luminaries. That's not something that happens by accident. You don't get on that roster unless you genuinely understand what makes doom metal work.
What made Pod People such a perfect festival closer was their ability to balance crushing heaviness with genuine entertainment value. They engaged directly with the crowd, cracked jokes between songs, made everyone feel included in the experience. This wasn't doom as elitist posturing or inaccessible art - this was doom as celebration, as catharsis, as pure fucking fun. (so much fun, fatigue or something had hit me and my camera by the time they came on stage and resulted in hardly any decent photos-sorry you handsome devils)
Their Sabbath-inspired riffing hit with the weight of decades, delivered with the conviction of true believers who've never stopped loving this music. As the final notes rang out and the weekend's first marathon day concluded, Pod People sent everyone home satisfied, exhausted, and ready to do it all again tomorrow. After over thirty years, they've mastered the art of simply delivering what people came for - and that's exactly what the end of Saturday needed.
TEETH DREAMS (Abyss Stage, 10:50-11:20 PM)
Closing out the Abyss Stage, Melbourne's awe-inspiring Violet Aisling brought teeth dreams to life with a stellar and mesmerising performance that was incredible as ever - teeth dreams never comes up short. The project dwells in that shadowy intersection of harsh ambient, dark ambient, death industrial, and drone, exploring deeply emotional territories through deliberately abrasive textures.
Violet's approach to extreme sound is remarkably sophisticated. Rather than simply battering audiences with volume, the performance built oppressive atmospheres through careful layering and sound manipulation. This was noise as emotional architecture - each element placed with intention, creating spaces that felt genuinely haunting. The textures shifted between crushing industrial weight and eerie ambient drift, never settling into predictability.
What separated this from typical noise sets was the genuine emotional resonance underneath the sonic assault. You could feel real vulnerability, real darkness being channelled through these extreme sounds. It proved that harsh noise doesn't have to be emotionally empty - when executed with care and genuine feeling, it can be as affecting as any other form of music.
As a closing act for Saturday's experimental stage, teeth dreams was absolutely perfect - challenging enough to satisfy the adventurous crowd, yet emotionally compelling enough to leave a lasting impression. The audience emerged drained but deeply satisfied, having experienced something genuinely transformative rather than just loud.
https://www.instagram.com/teethdreamer
https://teeth-dreams.bandcamp.com/
POD PEOPLE (Main Stage, 11:20-CLOSE)
Canberra's Pod People had the honour of closing out Saturday night entirely, and they absolutely rose to the occasion. The capital's long-running stoner doom pioneers brought over three decades of experience to bear, delivering a set that was super entertaining and embodied everything a "people's band" should be - accessible without being watered down, heavy without being alienating, genuinely fun despite the crushing sonic weight.
Pod People emerged from Belconnen back in 1991, born from Canberra's then-thriving heavy underground, and they've never stopped delivering the goods. Their approach blends classic stoner worship with sludge heaviness, creating massive groove-laden riffs that lodge themselves in your skull while simultaneously crushing it. Live, this translated to pure doom satisfaction - every riff felt earned, every tempo shift made sense, every moment delivered exactly what doom metal should.
The band carries a serious pedigree also - they became the first Australian act signed to Lee Dorrian's legendary Rise Above Records, home to Cathedral, Electric Wizard, and countless other doom luminaries. That's not something that happens by accident. You don't get on that roster unless you genuinely understand what makes doom metal work.
What made Pod People such a perfect festival closer was their ability to balance crushing heaviness with genuine entertainment value. They engaged directly with the crowd, cracked jokes between songs, made everyone feel included in the experience. This wasn't doom as elitist posturing or inaccessible art - this was doom as celebration, as catharsis, as pure fucking fun. (so much fun, fatigue or something had hit me and my camera by the time they came on stage and resulted in hardly any decent photos-sorry you handsome devils)
Their Sabbath-inspired riffing hit with the weight of decades, delivered with the conviction of true believers who've never stopped loving this music. As the final notes rang out and the weekend's first marathon day concluded, Pod People sent everyone home satisfied, exhausted, and ready to do it all again tomorrow. After over thirty years, they've mastered the art of simply delivering what people came for - and that's exactly what the end of Saturday needed.
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PART THREE COMING NEXT. THE FINAL ONSLAUGHT AND A BIG SHOUTOUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED AND ARTISTS/ COLLECTIVES WITH THEIR WARES AND THE MERCH QUEENS.
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