We Must Burn

Ostensibly just a brutal hard rock record, We Must Burn was also Poison Idea's return to the killing floor, and, therefore, it's a way to continue proving a point. If the point is that Poison Idea had more than enough power, fury, brawn, and ability to reinstate their place at the banquet hall, then point proven and point taken. Though many listeners regarded We Must Burn with suspicion, crying commercialization, that's really not quite the case. Sure, even though there are a number of pure, unvarnished hard rock moments on this album -- possibly even radio-worthy hard rock moments -- this album is not far removed from, say, Blank, Blackout, Vacant. A good rock band is a good rock band, and should therefore play and write to the fullest of their abilities. Poison Idea's abilities are abundant, and this album showcases them. Songs like "Hard and Cheap" sound like Mollyhatchet just released from a year in hard labor camp, while "Not the Last" is a driving, soaring, keyboard-inflected gem. All told, this is a well-conceived hard rock album with moments of brilliance, leavened by some average hardcore tunes. ~ Patrick Kennedy