Poison The Well left their mark on Metalcore in the post-Victory Records era of the genre, as it spread to mainstream exposure thanks to Myspace. With their reunion album, Peace In Place (SharpTone Records), it’s not like 17 years have passed, but more like they are stepping alongside the Metalcore bands of today, complete with 2026 production stylings. They continue to blend clean singing with Hardcore, which is now much more commonplace than it was when they first started in 1999, and even then, bands like Boysetsfire and Overcast were already alive and kicking. Here, it is clear they have certainly perfected this dynamic. 

Photo credit: Sarai Kelley

The legit organic nature of their Hardcore roots colors the opening track. “Primal Bloom” continues further down the more Hardcore side of what they did. When they drop into the sung portion of the song, it does not occur at the typical anthemic moment of the chorus, which is not the formula for the genre. This is refreshing. They bring a great deal of melodic nuance amid the aggressive nature of their attack, which can be heard in the guitars leading into 

“Thoroughbreds.” The sung vocals are less pronounced as they continue down a more Punk path. The thump of the bass line and the vocal melody put “Everything Hurts” at the head of the pack when it comes to the best songs so far. 

By the time it gets to “Weeping Tones,” you can begin to hear how the sung vocals are produced in a way that bridges them to modern Metalcore, which was not as present in their earlier work. There is also more of a Biohazard feel to the cool chugged riffs driving ”Vultures.” “Bad Bodies” continues to flirt with the band’s Hardcore roots, with the more melodic moments bringing what Code Orange used to do. They share a love for syncopated breakdown riffs, going where there is no breakdown. “Drifting Without End” has a more Deftones-like feel. This also finds them being pushed into a more 2026 sound with the shift in production being less plugged into your amp, organic.

They end things with a more metallic turn, stomping and chugging into the songs, which tends to be the sort of thing that works well live and is what a larger portion of their fan base will be looking for on this record. So they deliver the moments the kids will want to karate chop to. This is sonically packaged in a way today’s audience will find relevant, as the production on this album certainly introduces them to the kids of today who might not know their music history in an effective manner.

Buy the album here:
https://amzn.to/4dtspuF

8 / 10
WIL CIFER
Follow his work here: