Bridging the gap between genres is a task often attempted and subsequently a task often failed. For most its the blending of rock and rap, but for this Florida based unit its melding together strains of emo, hardcore and metalcore. The end result is a blistering album that shatters the preconceptions of crossing over in the hardcore scene, helping to break down the self imposed walls and venture out into bold new territory. Truly, Poison The Well bolt into each direction they choose at full speed and its this extreme attitude and unwavering conviction that make this album such a deadly dose of heavy music mastery.

Band vocalist Jeffery furiously belts out his lung collapsing barks with a fairly traditional hardcore / metalcore style, but although he pushes his callused vocal chords to their limits with the best of them, he also tends to draw out the notes on each word he utters, making his vocals a bit more emotive than most. The intriguing part though is that he contrasts his vicious side with captivating melody and spoken word parts, enabling the band to create a starkly dynamic environment that drips both anger and emotion and capitalizes upon a broader range of the senses. Guitar work is grating, with quick jagged riffs that primarily dwell in death metal and metalcore with the slight touch of emo and their precise nature and limitless use of buildups heavily energize each track. Bass playing however is solid and admittedly a bit more timid, though not by its own fault as band bassist Alan diligently works in tandem with the steady barrage of piercing distorted riffs to ensure a solid sonic foundation. Meanwhile, the percussive performance captured here is impressive, using a bevy of rumbling double kick and precise hits along with a variety odd time changes and intermittent stops to inject tension into the songs. As a whole though, perhaps the most unique quality this band possess is the slick syncopation of lunging guitar riffs and thundering double kick that arises on a few of their songs. Its most definitely this pairing that manages to help elevate the music to truly lethal proportions.

It's by no surprise that this band have made a name for themselves already as their talent, technical adeptness and dizzying intensity are all above and beyond the average levels of the music the metal community has been force-fed as of late. With unique song structures, solid song writing and an approach that so seamlessly incorporates a wealth of different genres, these boys have created a sound fresh enough to make great headway outside of the often restrictive hardcore genre, if they ever feel the need. But whatever the case may be for their future and their heavily anticipated follow-up will have to be decided when the time comes, because at present the metal community is finally beginning to catch on to this impressive 5 piece and poisonous or not, the water contained in their well is far too satisfying to be ignored.