antiMusic.com: Poison the Well

Poison the Well - Versions Review
by Matthew Hastie

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After what seems an eternity of chaos for the boys in Poison the Well, the band finally returned victorious with a new album under their belts entitled "Versions". Poison the Well has always been known for their high energy, utter brutality, and completely frantic sound. With "Versions", PTW craft an album full of as much chaos as melody and forge some new sounds as well. This is a band that has carried itself on word of mouth and writing some of the best hardcore songs around today, you definitely won't see these guys on MTV either.

Most PTW fans will feel quite at home with this record, though there is a little departure from what the band has done with their past albums. Songs like "Letter Thing" and "The Notches That Create Your Headboard" are straight up classic PTW; thrashing guitars, pounding drums, and frantic vocals. Yet PTW branch out into some grinding Blues with the songs "Slow Good Morning" and "Nagaina". Both songs take a huge jump from the typical full speed ahead sound the band takes.

While their past albums have usually stayed consistent with a barrage of noise and chaos, PTW's expansion into slower yet just as heavy music fits them just fine. New and old fans alike can look forward to a surprising new batch of tunes from these hardcore veterans. If this is your first listen to PTW and it isn't quite your thing, check out their past releases "You Come Before You" or "The Opposite of December" and those should get you primed for "Versions".

CD Info and Links

Poison the Well - Versions
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