Kings of Punk

Part of the not-so-jolly irony of Poison Idea naming their album Kings of Punk is they would almost certainly be appalled at anyone trying to hang that sort of handle on them; their music suggests a handful of guys who know full well they can kick your ass, and therefore are above validation from the likes of you, preferring your fear and disgust over your respect. Whatever you can name, Poison Idea are pretty solidly against it on Kings of Punk, and they're not only eager to howl about it, they articulate contempt as well as any band that ever showed up to drain your liquor and blow out your PA. Jerry A.'s vocals land in the ear like a glob of spit hurled by the homeless guy you tried to ignore, Pig Champion's guitar fuses the relentless downstroke of hardcore with a metal dude's sense of melody and tonal power, Chris Tense makes his bass sound like a dog ready to bite, and Dean Johnson's drumming is relentless and just chaotic enough to make this music sound like an engine that could very well explode at any given moment. Kings of Punk is a barely contained blast of rage and animosity, which is all the more effective for the fact it lasts a mere 26 minutes; in time, Poison Idea would learn to construct a more articulate and artful assault on the culture around them, but for sheer bad karma, this is a definitive document, a chronicle of sheer blinding hatred set to music that is thrilling and corrosive on nearly every level. It's no wonder Poison Idea began to focus more on the metal side of their musical personality after Kings of Punk, since for sheer impact, it would be all but impossible to surpass. ~ Mark Deming