POISON THE WELL “You Come Before You”
In an almost eerie, parallel manner, POISON THE WELL’s jump to Atlantic thus far mirrors that of BAD RELIGION’s move almost ten years prior. Just as BR can be considered one of the forefathers of the melodic hardcore sound, POISION THE WELL are up there with bringing metalcore to the almost-masses. Both bands were plucked while at the top of their game in the independent scenes, and for further comparision purposes, have dropped stunning major label debuts. Even with “Stranger Than Fiction” being hardly worthy of “No Control,” in the BR camp, that disc was a testament to the band’s original sound and expanding creativity. The exact same can be said for POISON THE WELL’s “You Come Before You.” It took these guys a trip to Swedem to break free from the stifling metalcore mold, but the end result is hair-raising, and unrelenting fury. If there was any doubt in anyone’s mind that these guys would retain their edge, the bristling opener, “Ghostchant,” should turn skeptics on their heads and then steal their lunch money. POISON THE WELL means business on this release, and it’s obvious that the brutally cold Scandavian air gave the band something to rail against. The biggest shift in this band’s sound from their previous full-lengths, “Tear From the Red,” and “Opposite of December” is the band has all but dropped the typical, double-bass/thrash part in their sound. Rather, the band’s sound is much more guitar driven now, even tossing in a few solos to keep things always on-the-go. As this disc was recorded by the guys who did REFUSED’s epic “The Shape of Things To Come,” that influence has rubbed off dutifully on the band, as there’s huge increase in dynamics from song to song. Whereas “Tear From The Red,” showed diversity by an increase in downtuning and slowing of tempo, “You Come Before You,” clearly does more to differentiate each song. Whether’s its blood curdling screams, or chunky, DEFTONES like guitars, no two moments on this disc seem to sound alike. And for those who think POISON THE WELL have strayed too far from their “roots,” there are still plenty of ‘clear the dance floor’ breakdowns, with the most thunderous coming on “Zombies Are Good For Your Health,” and the outstanding closer, “Crystal Lake.” I gave “Opposite of December” a few solid listens before writing this review, and it’s mind-boggling to me how immature that release sounds in comparison to “You Come Before You.” Throughout all nine songs of the former disc, the same songwriting pattern is repeated over and over again. And although many bands currently regard that rigid forumla as a blueprint for their own works, it now, to me, sounds horribly dated in light of what POISON THE WELL now has in their fingertips. Like a machete wisking its way through a dense forest, gaining speed with every slice, this band shreds through the metalcore stereotype and steers an avalanche of progression down towards their peers. Evolve or evaporate.
Atlantic/Velvet Hammer
