Photo by Ben Clement

Don’t Drink the Water
Tapping an Ocean of Talent, Poison the Well Raises the Bar

By Dominick Scala

Somewhere on the edge of no tomorrow, lying on a bed of gravel, baking in the sun, woken from the daze of conformity by a slithering serpent inserting his fangs into your weakened flesh. The venom courses slow and steady, making its way to your veins. You scream in horror, reaching out to your lover as they abide and wrap their lips around your punctured skin and suck the death out of you. Your emotions swell with fear, pain, anxiety and heartache as you glance into their eyes. Dizzy and convulsing, singing in beautiful agony as angels and devils rush to your side and harmonize with sun flares and comets. And they soar into the sky drenched in tears sweat, with poison dripping from precious blood-stained lips.

OK so that might be a little melodramatic. But it pretty much sums up the sound of Florida-born Poison the Well’s new album “The Tropic Rot.”

The boys are currently stomping across the nation, relentlessly playing back to back shows in support of their fifth studio record. Formed in 1997, PTW caught the eye of TrustKill Records with their first independent release, “Distance Only Makes the Heart Grow Fonder.” In 1994, their massive sonic thunder laden with emotion and turmoil, culminated in what is widely respected as one of the greatest hardcore records of the past decade, and the bands first full-length album, “The Opposite of December.”

Through incessant touring and getting on the bill with bands such as the Deftones, Thursday and Glassjaw, their sound rippled across the continent and sold over 300,000 records in the States alone. This put them on the radar of major labels, and the band eventually signed with Atlantic Records.

In 2003 PTW released their critically acclaimed first (and only) major label record, “You Come Before You,” recorded in sweden. Three years later the band parted ways with Atlantic and partnered up with independent label Ferret Records. Their next release, “Versions,” was also recorded in Sweden.

But for “The Tropic Rot,” the band returned to Florida and produced arguably some of the most powerful music of their career.

“I find this record to be much angrier than ‘Versions,’” guitarist Ryan Primack told The Lead, taking care not to reveal too much of the motivation behind frontman Jeffrey Moreira’s typically hard-to-decipher lyrics. “It definitely reeks of stagnation; this idea of feeling disillusioned in a place that people consider paradise. You tell people you’re from Florida, and they think your life is a wonderland where Mickey Mouse brings you milkshakes every day. The reality is that you live in an area that’s built on tourism, where the summers are really harsh and the falls and winters are just bloated with strange faces.”

Their swampy hometown aside, the ever-evolving Poisen the Well continues to push the boundaries of musical identity, combining hardcore and savory sweet melodies, filling a void with angst and beauty.  

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