I must admit that I have never listened to Poison Ruïn until this new record that is out with Relapse. These guys are hailing from Philadelphia and this release contains eleven songs. Music on this record can be described as punk rock, I mean really raw punk with rudimentary melodies in the song structures, distorted raw guitars, shouted vocals but also melody here and there. I can also hear some unique dungeon synth influences in this one, along with medieval influences, especially in lyrical approach. This is punk with fantasy lyrics, but fantasy lyrics which can be transcribed to today’s modern hardships and modern slavery of men. Songs have dungeon synth intros and almost post punk darkened feel in them, making this record really apocalyptic and fun to listen to. By depicting themes in songs like ‘Tome of Illusion’, ‘Torture Chamber’, or ‘Bastards Dance’ this one offers music and lyrics where boundaries of reality and fantasy interplay into one whole, sometimes being hard do divide one from another. This is not your happy merry go round record for listening on a sunny hot day to bring back smile on your face. No, quite the contrary, there is kind of rebellious but also hopeless vibe to the music and lyrics of Poison Ruïn, making this band quite unique and very special punk band that will appeal to battle hardened gutter punks, but also to more fantasy oriented people. So, open your mind and go listen to this one, because it is different, raw, melodic and epic sounding at the same time.
