Phos is a Greek word that means to emit light, and metaphorically it especially means divine light or the light of understanding.
Why, then, is the Prince George band Phos so dark in its presentation? Because who doesn't love some crafty irony. Life is dark, life has deep problems for people and for societies, so why not let music plow through that, said band member Christos Vardacostas. And most people, he added, feel an innate spark of optimism about life even though the grave issues of the planet are unavoidable. As a band, they revel in the thick, loud, aggressive waves of heavy metal, but in aid of their overall positive outlook. It's no different than the underlying philosophy of the blues.
"I like to term what we do 'doom and groove' because we are talking about dark topics like death and societal angst," Vardacostas said. "But the riffs and melodies are '70s-inspired so you'll feel some funkiness. There are moments that are groovy in nature."
Vardacostas pounds the drums and sings for Phos, and he is joined by guitar/vocalist Ajit Singh, guitarist Neil Tajcner and bassist Teresa DeReis. They have been tightening their band bond for the past two to three years, and have performed half a dozen shows in Prince George and the region as they built up to their first public take-home music release.
They now have that package ready, a six-song EP recorded at the CFUR Radio recording studio at UNBC, mixed and mastered by station manager Fraser Hayes.
All the songs are original material, despite the fact the band is an avocation for all four members, which would theoretically make cover tunes more convenient, but they like to use their metalligence.
"If I'm going to karaoke or something, sure, a cover is fun to sing, but when it's time for the band to jam, we want to make our own songs," Vardacostas said. "We have a lot more than this, but we focused on these ones to begin with. The band is something way on the side for us, we have jobs and families, but we still take it seriously. It's escapism. It lets us be dreamers and give us a creative outlet. We want to make the most of our time together, so that's why we write our own material. It puts us more in that moment, and if we're going to be flying off into a dreamland, then it's more probable an audience will come along to that world with us."
The band will unveil the first Phos disc, Matriarch, on April 10 at Art Space. Doors open at 9 p.m., showtime is 9:30.
Admission is $10 at the door, and two pieces of ID will be required. Support bands Wet Blanket Motor Inn and Rum Palms will also perform.
Community radio station CFIS will benefit from some of the show's proceeds.
