Back in August of 2022, Thoughtcrimes released their full length debut, Altered Pasts. That album quickly became a favorite of mine and it’s still been in rotation. Now, a new song has been unleashed upon us and it’s a banger! Speaking about “Natural Imprudence,” Billy Rymer said “The initial inspiration came about with a conversation Russ and I had about HM-2 distortion. He then brought his Evil Ned pedal to my place and we made a demo. This is probably the fastest we have written and released a track. We are all excited to share something that is still fresh even to us.” That being said, it’s pretty awesome to get a surprise new track from Thoughtcrimes. Now all that is needed is a proper Los Angeles show date!
I love when bands combine genres and the end result is something that kicks ass. Not a lot of bands are able to pull it off especially when mixing progressive music with extreme metal but, Italy’s Destrage have become masters at it. The band formed in 2002 and have been making a name for themselves in the underground since their 2007 debut album Urban Being. The follow up The King Is Fat n Old further cemented Destrage as a force within the metal community. Their 2014 album Are You Kidding Me No was my first introduction to the band and from that point I’ve been hooked. This album saw the band really define their sound and take the heavy up a few notches while at the same time adding a bit of melody to separate themselves from the pack. The most recent album A Means To No End builds on what their previous album started. Destrage are bold and pummeling without losing their focus on the music. Do yourself a favor and delve into this great band.
There comes a time for every band to take the next step with their music. When that time comes, the final product is often times misunderstood and takes a while for the fans to come around. Then there are the new fans that come aboard and really take a liking to the change. In the early 2000’s following the success of their album Tear From The Red, Poison The Well found themselves signing to Atlantic Records and from that point started putting together what would become their third album You Come Before You. They enlisted Swedish producers Pelle Henricsson and Eskil Lövström who worked on Refused’s monumental album The Shape Of Punk To Come. Recording for the album started at the legendary Sound City Studio and then moved to Sweden. The end result of these sessions brought out the absolute best in the band. You Come Before You is the album that breaks the mold of post hardcore and allows the bands other influences to shine through. The use of melody throughout really helped to sharpen the bands edge without taking away from their hardcore roots. Opening song “Ghostchant” shows just that. Other stellar songs include “For A Bandaged Iris,” “A) The View From Here Is…B) A Brick Wall,” “Zombies Are Good For Your Health,” “Apathy Is A Cold Body,” “Sounds Like The End Of The World,” and closer “Crystal Lake.” The entire album is sensational if you are into this genre of music. It has even been talked about as one of the most influential albums of the “metalcore” genre. The band really stepped up on this album. Singer Jeff Moreira really developed an identity on this album by taking chances vocally and lyrically. The riffs, tones and all around playing from guitarists Derek Miller and Ryan Primack are crisp and heavy, allowing all the notes to come through. The rhythm section of Chris Hornbrook on drums and Geoff Bergman on bass, are one of the most in the pocket in this genre. After the record was complete, the band started a year and a half tour cycle that took them to around the world. Towards the end though, many of the band members were worn out and unsure if they wanted to continue with Poison the Well. Sadly, guitarist Derek Miller did part ways at this time.
Poison The Well would go on to release 2 more albums that further expanded upon what they started on this album. After the release of their final album The Tropic Rot, the band took a long hiatus, only recently returning to the stage in 2015 for a reunion show. Here’s to hoping they continue on. Poison The Well are one of the more underrated bands in heavy music and helped to make it acceptable to allow melody into the genre.
