tHE POLES

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Performer Magazine (SE Edition) May 2006

As Above, So Below is a haunting and emotional CD, with mild touches of emo and post-hardcore, made almost unnecessary by the band's mastery of atmosphere. "Design the Fight" begins the brief CD with a build-up of pummeling doom with softly angst-ridden vocals that eventually give way to a snarling and growling chorus, melting into a stuttering guitar line that... more

Babysue

The Poles- As Above, So Below
Sounding something like a modern underground version of Thin White Rope, the fellows in the Asheville, North Carolina's The Poles have a truly unique sound. The band's music is driven by the exceptionally remarkable vocal talents of Todd Lemiesz. The man has a raspy intense voice that you have to hear to believe. Add to this the fact that the band has some killer tunes...and you have a great little EP that is simulaneously melodic and intense. The only bummer...is that there are only five tracks here (!). But fear not...a full-length is due Fall 2006. (Rating: 5+)

PopMatters

The Poles- As Above, So Below
This EP begins and one can't help think of Girls Against Boys, Blonde Redhead, and a shot of whiskey. The dynamics on opener "Design the Fight" are predictable in their quirky way, but thatdoesn't stop the song from being a great one. The next track, "Echoes for a Voice" follows a similar road, but slows the song down, creating a powerful indie-ballad of sorts (well, the kind the Archers of Loarf would compose). From there it gets a tad confusing. "Amaze" is descent, but breaks into a Metallica thing, minuse the power that makes Metallica listenable. Likewise, the next track wanders into the metal arena. This isn't so terrible (metal is cool again, right?) but it does make for an uneven release. The closer is a lovely, plaintive rock song. Perhaps as The Poles work on their forthcoming full-lenght, they'll find one cohesive voice to channel their songs through. -Jill LaBrack

Lollipop

The Poles - As Above, So Below
An odd mix of light indie rock and dirty, noisy indie rock (well, the song's called "Metal", it shouldn't be sparce and thoughtful, now should it?). I'm too high-strung to sit through the quiet songs, but opener "Design the Fight" and "Metal" are intriging. Just a five song EP for now. Get a track on the mp3 CD from this sucker and follow up with the full-lenght, see if it has the legs iit looks like it has.

Dagger

The Poles- As Above, So Below
Moody rock that does a lot better when the songs are a bit sped up (like the opener "Design the Fight") then when they slow down. Faster guys, faster.

KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL

Cole: Poles' sound can't be tagged; each song stands on its own
By JER COLE
October 14, 2005

In modest cities, some bands take years to snag the attention of a decent label, while others acquire it with their very formation. Many question what is more valuable -- connections or elbow grease -- but for Asheville, N.C., rock quartet The Poles it is a little of both....more

The Mountain Express (Asheville, NC)

The Poles, Arrive EP (Myriapod Recordings)

Kind of music: Punk, prog, indie, classic rock
You'll like it if: You love bands that elude labels
Defining song: "We Can Breathe in Water" (the opening track shows the band's adeptness at genre jumping)

The great thing about the Asheville music scene is its diversity. (Really.) In due fashion, local rockers the Poles cover the musical map like wide-eyed troubadours. However, the almost year-old band has yet to find itself – "We have no idea what the hell we are all about," they say in their own press release. Reaching further for edginess, they add: " ... Make up your own damn mind."

OK, then: Each song features enough changes to sustain interest (i.e., sludge-rock wails melting into space-rock introspections), but the snippets of each genre don't have enough staying power to warrant infectious listening ... yet. Hopefully, this band will continue to elude labels and create their own sound. The potential is there..