Polybius - Who Watches the Watchmen


Don’t get me wrong: I loved the latest Tool album as much as the next crazed devotee. I loved the expansive song structures and their masterful control of dynamics, using their sizable riffs to bowl you over at the right moment rather than continuously punch you in the face. What I did miss sorely, however, was the immediacy that their most unforgettable moments had: the ability to condense intricate, technical and progressive songwriting into the smallest possible space, creating masterpieces like Schism, Jambi and Stinkfist that were simultaneously challenging and accessible. As good as it was, Fear Innoculum was lacking in that. 

Many of my friends and fellow metal aficionados share the same frustration, as I’m sure that one or two of our readers do too. To you, my friends, I say Fear In’not’ulum (see what I did there…?), for out of the depths of the music underground on the Costa del Mersey, a new beast has been not-so-quietly gorging itself on the wisdom of Mr. Keenan and co., before regurgitating a brand new concoction of chugging riffs and ethereal leads, tantalisingly blended with bluesy licks and their own political bile. Their name? Polybius. 

I’ve been lucky enough to share a stage with these boys, and they’re one of the most underrated underground metal acts in the North West. Until recently, though, their recorded output has not quite been able to match the energy and atmosphere of their live shows. With their latest single, a re-record and re-release of their track Who Watches the Watchmen, that has changed in a big way. Ominous, blues-tinged clean guitars are powered along by driving rhythms before erupting into a roaring chorus that leans hard upon the powerful vocals of the fantastically-named Dylan Manners-Lolley. Elsewhere in the track, rich variations in tone and crisp production create a moment of calm, before the storm of gang shouts and whirlwind drums at the song’s climax leave you stunned. The influence of Tool permeates through the track, but when it’s as breathlessly vital as this, who really cares? 

What’s more, the lyrics are about excessive surveillance and government control, which resonates strongly while I am forced to be garrisoned inside my house by royal decree. A dynamic and challenging track to let out some of that quarantine frustration to? Yes please. Polybius are definitely in the ascendency, and I for one can’t wait to see where they take us next. 

For Fans Of: Tool, A Perfect Circle, Soundgarden

DEAL: Absolutely! Do it. Don’t make me come over there...

BP

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