Heavy Song of the Week: Poison Ruïn Go Medieval on Post-Punk Ripper “Härvest”
The post Heavy Song of the Week: Poison Ruïn Go Medieval on Post-Punk Ripper “Härvest” appeared first on Consequence.
Heavy Song of the Week is a new feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week the accolade goes to “Härvest” by Philly post-punk band Poison Ruïn.
With a freshly inked deal with Relapse Records, Philadelphia’s Poison Ruïn are poised to be the breakout punk band of 2023 — just like their fellow Philadelphians Soul Glo were last year.
Unlike Soul Glo, Poison Ruïn veer more toward minimal post-punk rather than riff-hitting hardcore, looking toward the past as a reflection of the present. “Härvest,” the lead single from their forthcoming album of the same name, approaches these anachronisms in a couple ways. Firstly, the sound of the song is decidedly vintage and lo-fi, capturing that golden tape-y aura that’s easy on the ears. It worked for Ariel Pink, Molechat Doma, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and it works for Poison Ruïn as well.
Secondly, the group politicize medieval and fantasy imagery as symbolic commentary on humanity’s current plights. Peasantry, plagues… are these not familiar to modern society? It’s a concept rarely explored so poignantly, somehow conjuring an otherworldly mystique that’s firmly rooted in our own, very real tribulations.
— Jon Hadusek,
Senior Staff Writer
Honorable Mentions:
Darkthrone – “A Blaze in the Northern Sky” (Goatlord Version)
Before Darkthrone went full black metal in a now-legendary pivot from their death metal origins, they recorded a rehearsal demo entitled Goatlord. Still rooted primarily in technical death metal, the project was shelved by Fenriz and Nocturno Culto in favor of 1992’s A Blaze in the Northern Sky. Elements of the Goatlord sessions appeared on that album, but it wasn’t until 1994 that Fenriz resurrected the rehearsal tapes, adding vocals and officially releasing the new version via Moonfog Productions in ’96.
He would come to regret tacking on the vocals, and later claimed that he hoped to release the original, instrumental Goatlord. That happened in 2008, when the instrumentals finally surfaced on Disc 4 of Darkthrone’s Frostland Tapes box set in raw lo-fi form. Now the band is giving Goatlord its fair due with a proper stand-alone release on Peaceville. Remastered from the original tapes, it’s the definitive version of this lost epic, highlighted by the original version of “A Blaze in the Northern Sky.” This particular track serves as a fascinating document of a band in active growth: the exact midpoint where Darkthrone transitioned from serviceable and competent death metal band to black metal heroes of the highest order.
Scowl – “Opening Night”
If Scowl wanted to make a song that sounds like The Offspring circa ’98, they pulled it off on “Opening Night.” The Santa Cruz band is spearheading a prolific California hardcore scene, but here, they make a concession for the masses. It’s damn catchy, and what stricter enthusiasts might see it as the proverbial sell-out single, we view as a joyous power-pop slammer. Life’s too short to hate on a good ol’ fashioned pop song — as the hardcore purists learned with Turnstile.
Spotlights – “Algorithmic”
Over the past decade, a scene has emerged that would appear to worship the hi-fi textural rock of Failure, A Perfect Circle, Deftones, and Hum, among others. We’re certainly not complaining. Spotlights fall under this umbrella, where the production, mixing, and mastering hold as much weight as the compositional integrity of the song. It’s the only way to make a dense, guitar-heavy track like “Algorithmic” sound at all legible. And if done correctly, as is the case here, the final master yields a rich and immersive aural experience — a key trait of all those aforementioned bands.
Heavy Song of the Week: Poison Ruïn Go Medieval on Post-Punk Ripper “Härvest”
Jon Hadusek
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