WHO: Poison Ruin
WHAT: Hymn from the Hills
WHY: Can sludgy metal be this catchy? Is it allowed to? Their previous EP Confrere was fine. It was pleasant but forgettable. Not forgettable enough to not give Poison Ruin another chance. I’m glad I did. Hymn from the Hills seems like a more coherent and complete work, full of hooks and, I suspect, forbidden melodies for a band of this genre. One I can’t even describe. Maybe it’s a new direction for the band, maybe it’s the people involved in the mixing and production, or maybe I’ve been primed properly, but this album sounds both edgy and remarkably accessible. I’m a new man: a fan of Poison Ruin.
