Embryonic Soul

Embryonic Soul was formed by lead guitarist Grant Walker and singer/guitarist Mel Bulian in early 1998 after the demise of their garage band, Sick Nursery. After several months of heavy song writing and searching for members, they enlisted the talents of bass player Phil Macri and finally a drummer named Adam Falland. In an interview with an underground metal magazine, founding members Grant & Mel commented that "the name embryonic soul, reflects our youth, naivety and the limited experience we have had in the local industry, and with music composition in total".[1]

The band cites influences from the following:

• Sepultura
• Tool
• Alice in Chains
• Fear Factory

The band entered Krell Studios with Adelaide producer Brett Sody[2] to record a five song demo EP, including songs Vertical Horizon, Venus Demoniac and Ill-Defined. They then went on an endless procession of live gigs around Adelaide's heavy metal venues and other live performance festivals including Carclew's "Off the Couch".

After submitting the track "Vertical Horizon"[3] for use on a publicity release for "Off the Couch", Triple J radio personality Richard Kingsmill, began playing the song regularly on his Australian Music Show. Within the next 3 months they then recorded another 2 songs at Early Reflections studios in Adelaide and released all songs as a 7 song, self-titled EP. Local Adelaide community radio station Three D radio began heavy rotation of the disc, as did Triple J's weekly metal show, Three Hours of Power.

Local metal program Powersurge[4] featured the band heavily and the band was voted as one of the best bands in Adelaide in 2001 in its annual 'powersurvey'. Drummer Adam, was also voted best metal drummer and Mel voted best female singer in metal.

In late 2001, bass player Phil Macri left the band, but his departure was rumoured to be associated with an ongoing drug problem and internal friction. After several months without a bass player the band enlisted Josh Lamont from Adelaide three piece band 'Atrium'.

Embryonic Soul played 54 shows over 50 weeks between July 2001 and June 2002 and was one of the hardest working bands in Adelaide.

The band went through some internal issues and were rumoured to have split with drummer Adam Falland who had returned to home city of Mount Gambier, however, the band continued to rehearse together in the south east, by driving the 5-hour trip every weekend to continue together. During this time heavy song writing sessions took place which resulted in entering the recording studio with producer Daryl Cole. It was rumoured that the band had recorded enough songs for a full-length album, under the working title of 'My Opposite, Equal'

Preliminary shooting for a film clip for the first single from the album was apparently shot near Birdwood in the Adelaide hills, however the album was never released and it was assumed the band had broken up, although never officially stated.

Singer Mel Bulian went on to join ...of the human condition and industrial metal band, Art in Exile, whilst Josh Lamont and Adam Falland went on to have some success with A Red Dawn. Founding member Grant Walker played lead guitar on Hate:Male's 2003 independent release "malevolence", on tracks: 'Arrival', 'Psyfield Disease Unit' and 'ultraviolence'. Local music magazine dB wrote that Embryonic Soul was a band that was "much missed"[5] on the local scene.