Poison The Well – Peace In Place
SharpTone Records
8,5/10,0
Brief:
In the space of barely a breath, Poison The Well pacify fits of jarring brutality with moments of fragile beauty.
Their unmistakable melodic hardcore gently dilutes the effects of trauma, betrayal, depression, and loss with hard-won wisdom and diligently earned self-acceptance. For as much force as they commit to the riffs and the breakdowns, there’s an equal amount of naked emotion encoded in their relatable hooks. At this point, they are unassumingly, yet undeniably embedded in the DNA of modern metal and hardcore. Poison The Well’s 1999 debut, The Opposite of December… A Season of Separation has claimed spots on Brooklyn Vegan’s “15 ‘90s Metalcore Albums That Still Resonate Today,” KERRANG!’s “21 Best U.S. Metalcore Albums of All Time,” Loudwire’s “25 Best Metalcore Albums of All Time,” and Revolver’s “10 Most Influential Metalcore Albums of All Time.” Stereogum put it best, “The Opposite of December… A Season of Separation influenced a whole generation of metalcore bands.” Meanwhile, 2003’s You Come Before You remains regarded among Metal Hammer’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of the 21st Century” and Rock Sound’s “250 Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime.” Despite going on hiatus following 2009’s The Tropic Rot, the group’s influence has only expanded over the years (as evidenced by over 100 million streams across their catalog). After touring in 2015 and 2021, they’ve commemorated milestone birthdays of both You Come Before You and The Opposite of December with in-demand headline jaunts.
Once again, the members—Jeff Moreira [vocals], Ryan Primack [guitar], and Chris Hornbrook [drums]—felt an intense need to create as a unit. Rallying together, the guys channeled the spirit of their most celebrated material through a prism of new experience on their fifth full-length offering, Peace In Place [SHARPTONE].
Back in 2022, Poison The Well decided to cut a full band rendition of “Horns and Tails” for inclusion on their box set. Re-energized by the process, the musicians effectively picked up where they had left off a decade earlier. Eventually, they tapped GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Will Putney [Body Count, Knocked Loose] to helm what would become Peace In Place at his studio throughout 2025.
The band tested the waters with “Trembling Level.” Standing out as their first release in 15 years, it arrived to widespread acclaim from Brooklyn Vegan, Consequence of Sound, Revolver, and Stereogum who applauded how, “‘Trembling Level’ embraces everything from their aggressive metalcore side to their melodic post-hardcore side to their more experimental side.” It proved to be for harbinger of Peace In Place, increasing anticipation.
Now, the single “Thoroughbreds” draws everyone into the album’s embrace. A tense palm-muted riff unravels over a galloping drum groove buttressed by swells of distortion. Jeff alternates between intense and introspective as he laments, “Your voice kills mine.” Teeming with aggression, chugging guitar fuels the final breakdown.
Ominous bass rumbles beneath “Everything Hurts.” The haunting vocals melt into sparse drums during the verses. Clean guitar echoes through reverb, and Jeff exhales, “Though I shouldered all your pain, you weren’t the only one. We’re the same. I had my moments too. Would you believe it’s true?”
Then, there’s “Weeping Tones.” The track’s pummeling six-string groove engages a full-scale sensory onslaught. The sonic assault and battery gives way a tenderly mournful bridge punctuated by an elegiac mantra, “It’s a light around the rose, but it’s gone, so gone.”
The trip concludes with “Plague Them The Most.” Tethered to controlled instrumental chaos, the frontman promises to “never again grind my teeth in the name of kindness, never again to bite my tongue in the name of mercy.”
Peace In Place embodies Poison The Well to the core, and it signals a bright future.
[Edited Press Release]
Tracklist:
- Wax Mask
- Primal Bloom
- Thoroughbreds
- Everything Hurts
- Weeping Tones
- A Wake of Vultures
- Bad Bodies
- Drifting Without End
- Melted
- Plague Them The Most
Main Focus Tracks:
- Thoroughbreds
- Everything Hurts
- Weeping Tones
Other Recommended Tracks:
- A Wake of Vultures
- Bad Bodies
- Drifting Without End
Line-Up:
Jeffrey Moriera — Vocals
Ryan Primack — Guitar
Vadim Taver — Guitar
Christopher Hornbrook — Drums
Noah Harmon — Bass
Comments:
Peace In Place is a masterful work that will appeal not only to fans of metalcore and hardcore but also to those looking for a rewarding musical experience. Poison The Well offers a powerful and aggressive album, often tempered by melodies.
Contacts:
Video:
Selected Discography:
Distance Only Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (EP) – 1998
The Opposite of December… A Season of Separation – 1999
Tear From the Red – 2002
You Come Before You – 2003
Versions – 2007
I/III / II/III / III/III (EP) – 2008
The Tropic Rot – 2009
Peace In Place – 2026
Photo credit: Sarai Kelley