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Versions (Poison the Well album)

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Versions
Studio album by
Poison the Well
ReleasedApril 3, 2007
RecordedMay 2005 ·
November–December 2006
StudioThe Octagon & Tonteknik (Umeå)
Genre
Length41:58
LabelFerret Music
Producer
  • Eskil Lövström
  • Pelle Henricsson
Poison the Well chronology
You Come Before You
(2003) 		Versions
(2007) 		The Tropic Rot
(2009)
Singles from Versions
  1. "Letter Thing"
    Released: March 13, 2007

Versions is the fourth studio album by the American metalcore band Poison the Well, released on April 3, 2007. Recorded with producers Eskil Lövström and Pelle Henricsson in Umeå, Sweden, work on the album commenced in May 2005, whilst Poison the Well were still under contract with Atlantic Records. In 2006, the band parted ways with Atlantic over creative differences and signed to Ferret Music, after which they completed the rest of the album in November and December that year. Vocalist Jeffrey Moreira, guitarist Ryan Primack and drummer Chris Hornbrook were the sole constant members of Poison the Well during the recording of Versions; guitarist Jason Boyer was present for initial sessions and worked on five songs, but left prior to its completion in 2006.

Versions is a metalcore and post-hardcore album that incorporates elements from country music and a wide variety of instrumentation. Music critics praised the album's songwriting and ambition, though some felt mixed towards its experimentation. Preceded by the digital-only single "Letter Thing", released in March 2007, Versions debuted at number 147 on the US Billboard 200 chart with first week sales of 7,700 copies. Poison the Well promoted the album with headlining and supporting tours of North America and Europe, and performances on the 2007 Warped Tour.

Background and recording

[edit]

In 2003, Poison the Well released its third album, You Come Before You, through Atlantic Records. The album was well-received,[1] but was a commercial failure, selling only 115,500 copies in the United States by 2007.[2] After lengthy tours in support of the album, Poison the Well began pre-production on a new album.[3] In September 2004, longtime guitarist Derek Miller left Poison the Well, stating that his "heart was no longer in" the band;[4] his departure led them to scrap twelve songs he had written.[5] The band recruited Jason Boyer as his replacement, along with new bassist Ben Brown. The band began writing Versions in January 2005;[6] "Riverside" was the first song written for the album.[7] They also recorded seven demoes at The Steakhouse around this time.[8] According to drummer Chris Hornbrook, the band developed songs from a riff written by either guitarist Ryan Primack or Boyer,[3] who contributed to the writing of five songs.[9]

Poison the Well recorded Versions over the course of two recording sessions[5] with producers Eskil Lövström and Pelle Henricsson, whom had both worked on You Come Before You,[5] at Tonteknik Recording in Umeå, Sweden. The album's basic tracks were recorded at The Octagon.[10] The first recording session, in May 2005,[11] produced twelve songs.[5] Thereafter, the band embarked on the Sounds Of The Underground of the United States.[3] Experiencing personal and artistic burnout, with Primack still dealing with his father's death in February 2005,[1] Poison the Well delayed plans to resume recording Versions to early 2006 so they could write more material.[3] Towards the end of writing, the band sent their demos to Atlantic.[9] Primack said that although the label's European division supported Poison the Well, Atlantic's US division wanted the band to write accessible material, leading to a creative standstill.[7] As they had signed to the label under the condition they would have complete creative control, Poison the Well decided to leave Atlantic.[3][5] It took the band six months to get out of their contract,[3] and they announced their split from the label on June 13, 2006.[12]

Vocalist Jefferey Moriera said that Poison the Well broke up for a week around the time of their departure from Atlantic before deciding they wanted to continue.[2] Shortly thereafter, the band were contacted by Ferret Music, whose personnel they had known for several years;[6] they signed to the label four months later.[3] In the interim period between recording sessions, Boyer and Brown both left Poison the Well, with the former getting married and thus being unable to commit to touring, and the latter citing financial reasons.[5] In November 2006,[13] Moriera, Primack, and Hornbrook returned to Sweden to record eight new songs for Versions and re-recorded most of their material from the first recording session.[5] The band finished recording in December 2006,[14] and the album was mixed and mastered in January 2007.[15] They had twenty songs to consider for the album's twelve-song tracklist, and struggled to come to an collective agreement.[16] The outtakes were later released as a trilogy of extended plays, I/III / II/III / III/III, between November 2008 and May 2009.[17]

Composition

[edit]

Versions is a metalcore[18][19] and post-hardcore[20] album. According to Eduardo Rivadiva of AllMusic, the album combines moderate "bursts of pure hardcore with unpredictable detours into densely textured guitar dirges".[21] Drew Beringer of AbsolutePunk felt that its heavier, more atmospheric sound marked a departure from Poison the Well's previous albums.[22] Primack felt that the album was darker than Poison the Well's previous releases, which he attributed to Derek Miller's departure, telling Chronicles of Chaos: "He was responsible for all the more uplifting stuff, while I was the guy who likes to make music that's dark and negative and frustrating."[7] Music journalists also highlighted the album's incorporation of influences from country music,[2][16][19] and wide variety of instrumentation including mandolins, slide guitar, horns and banjo, performed mostly by Primack.[2][15] Lövström and Henricsson also contributed to the instrumentation.[16][23] Moriera's vocals alternate between singing, crooning and screaming.[18] Primack said that Versions has no concept and was intended to reflect the lives of Poison the Well's members.[24] Moriera did not want to disclose the meaning of his lyrics so listeners could come up with their own interpretations, which he believed would make them more personal and important.[25] The album's title, coined by Moriera, reflects the changes in Poison the Well's lineup, management, and labels.[23]

The opening track of Versions, "Letter Thing" features intense drumming, aggressive vocals and guitarwork,[22] banjos,[26] and slide guitar.[18][27] "Breathing's for the Birds" is a mid-tempo track[28] featuring dynamic vocals[19] and a rolling tom drum pattern.[29] Jackie Smit of Chronicles of Chaos compared the song to the Deftones.[20] "Nagaina" was named after a cobra in the Ruyard Kipling story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1894).[25] Musically, the song features a "swooping" bassline,[22] classic and progressive rock-styled riffs, and clean singing.[19] Stephen Hill of Metal Hammer called it a "slow, stalking menace".[27] Waleed Rashidi of Modern Drummer cited "The Notches that Create Your Headboard" as an example of moments where "brawn defeats beauty" on Versions.[29] "Pleading Post" incorporates banjos, mandolins, and various horns,[21] whilst "Slow Good Mourning" showcases various instruments across its running time[20] and slowly culminates in a "crushing finish", per Beringer.[22] Kirk Miller of Decibel remarked that the latter song was "positively jaunty and pop-like for a song about dead bodies".[18] "Prematurio el Baby" layers organs over disorganized guitarwork, and was likened to a garage rock-influenced At the Drive-In by Miller.[18] Brian Shultz of Punknews.org likened "Composer Meets Corpse" to a heavily distorted Snapcase.[19] "You Will Not Be Welcomed" opens with moody keyboards and guitars and showcases Moriera's falsetto and screamed vocals,[22] and its "emotive crescendo" was highlighted by Smit.[20] "Naive Monarch" combines speed with melody[22] and showcases polyrhythmic dissonance,[20] whilst the country rock song[18] "Riverside" pays homage to Spaghetti Westerns[21] and recalls the work of Ennio Morricone.[7][16] Beringer described Versions' closing track, "The First Day of My Second Life", as combining of all of the ideas presented throughout the album.[22]

Release and promotion

[edit]
Poison the Well performing in Europe in 2008

On January 22, 2007, Poison the Well unveiled the track listing for Versions.[30] After initially being uploaded to the band's Myspace page on February 20,[31] "Letter Thing" was released as the lead single from the album, exclusively on digital storefronts, on March 13, 2007.[32] The album was released on April 3, 2007, and sold 7,700 copies in its first week to debut at number 147 on the US Billboard 200 chart.[2] According to Hill, the album was "mostly ignored" upon release due to the four-year gap between Poison the Well's albums, between which time he said metalcore had both peaked and declined commercially.[27]

With guitarist Brad Clifford and bassist Mike MacIvor filling in as touring members,[3] Poison the Well embarked on headlining tours of the southeastern United States, Europe, and United Kingdom in February and March 2007.[33][34] From April 3 to May 12, 2007, Poison the Well embarked on a headlining tour of the United States supported by Heavy Heavy Low Low, Fear Before the March of Flames, The End and Portugal. the Man.[2] On May 17, a music video for "Letter Thing", directed by Roboshobo, was released.[35] After touring with Saosin and The Receiving End of Sirens in late June,[36] Poison the Well joined the Warped Tour from July to August 25, 2007.[2] In September, they toured the United Kingdom again, with Gallows and Lethal Bizzle.[37]

In January and February 2008, Poison the Well embarked on a winter tour of the United States. Dance Gavin Dance supported the band for the duration of the tour, with The Chariot, The Locust, and Crime in Stereo supporting on select dates.[38] Poison the Well then returned to Europe for a tour with The Dillinger Escape Plan and Stolen Babies between February 26 and March 30.[39] From May 10–29, 2008, Poison the Well and Throwdown supported Killswitch Engage on a two-week tour of the Midwestern United States and Canada,[40] followed immediately thereafter by a headlining tour from May 30 until June 12.[41]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk82%[22]
AllMusic[21]
Alternative Press4.5/5[42]
Chronicles of Chaos8/10[20]
Metal.de8/10[43]
Ox-Fanzine10/10[44]
Punknews.org[19]
Rock Hard8/10[45]
Spin[46]

Sebastian Wahle of Ox-Fanzine hailed Versions as a creative breakthrough for Poison the Well and praised the band for making music for themselves instead of their fanbase.[44] Rivadiva of AllMusic expected the album to be controversially received by fans, but nevertheless found it a "typically progressive" and "daring" release from the band.[21] Metal.de's Norman Sickinger called it "a work of modern metal that's as raw as it is profound".[43] Spin's Aaron Burgess praised the intensity and multifaceted nature of its songs,[46] whilst Ronen Kaufman of Alternative Press highlighted Lövström and Henricsson's production, which he called the best of Ferret Music's releases.[42] Punknews.org's Shultz said that whilst operating in their "standard, heavy groove", Poison the Well sounded "worlds more intense, honest, and convicted" than they had on their previous releases; he likened the album's presentation to the discography of Hydra Head Records and Cave In.[19]

Chris Harris of MTV News felt that Poison the Well had "effectively launch[ed] a new sound" and were "surprisingly successful" in their attempts to combine heavy metal with country on Versions.[2] Exclaim!'s Max Deneau considered its songwriting to be Poison the Well's strongest since their debut album The Opposite of December...A Season of Separation (1999) and felt it successfully blended conflicting elements. Deneau felt Moriera's vocal range was limited but said he showed growth in other areas.[26] Beringer of AbsolutePunk praised Poison the Well's attention-to-detail with its songwriting, though he found some songs too similar and criticized its slow mid-section with the tracks "Pleading Post" and "Slow Good Mourning".[22] Miller of Decibel found the experimentation of tracks like "Riverside" confusing, but was nevertheless content with Poison the Well's aggressive sound remaining intact.[18] Smit of Chronicles of Chaos felt the album's instrumental experimentation faltered at points, such as on "Slow Good Mourning", whilst highlighting its moments of "noir atmosphere" and praising Poison the Well's take on post-hardcore, which he compared favorably to Fugazi's sixth album The Argument (2001).[20]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Letter Thing"2:28
2."Breathing's for the Birds"3:41
3."Nagaina"4:10
4."The Notches that Create Your Headboard"2:30
5."Pleading Post"3:36
6."Slow Good Mourning"5:05
7."Prematurio el Baby"2:53
8."Composer Meets Corpse"2:30
9."You Will Not Be Welcomed"4:46
10."Naive Monarch"2:24
11."Riverside"3:02
12."The First Day of My Second Life"4:53
Total length:41:58
European and vinyl bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Wreck Itself Taking You With Me"3:21
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Oceanbreast"4:17

Personnel

[edit]

Personnel per liner notes.[10]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Versions
Chart (2007) Peak

position

US Billboard 200[47] 147
US Top Independent Albums (Billboard)[48] 8

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Kauffman, Ronen (August 1, 2007). "Poison The Well: No More Sorry". Alternative Press. No. 227. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Harris, Chris (April 16, 2007). "Poison The Well Are Back — And Fusing Metal With ... Country?". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Pertola, Petteri (March 15, 2007). "Poison The Well". Rockfreaks.net. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  4. ^ Punknews.org (September 23, 2004). "Poison The Well guitarist quits". Punknews.org. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Jones, Dan (March 2007). "Features - Poison the Well". Rockmidgets.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Willschick, Aaron (May 29, 2007). "Interview with Poison The Well drummer Chris Hornbrook". V13.net. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d Smit, Jackie (May 7, 2008). "Last Chance for a Slow Dance". Chronicles of Chaos. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "Poison The Well talks about leaked demos". Punknews.org. January 8, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2025. We did [the demoes] about a year and 2 months ago at this place called The Steakhouse.
  9. ^ a b Wahle, Sebastian (April–May 2007). "A different version of Hardcore". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  10. ^ a b Poison the Well (2007). Versions (liner notes). Ferret Music. F080.
  11. ^ "Poison The Well recording new album". lambgoat.com. May 19, 2005. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  12. ^ "Poison The Well splits with Atlantic Recs". lambgoat.com. June 13, 2006. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  13. ^ "Poison The Well resumes recording". lambgoat.com. November 11, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  14. ^ "Poison The Well finishes recording album". lambgoat.com. December 11, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Poison the Well Putting Finishing Touches On New Album". Blabbermouth.net. January 17, 2007. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d Parks, Andrew (May 2007). "Poison the Well". Decibel. No. 31. Red Flag Media, Inc. Archived from the original on April 22, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  17. ^ "Poison the Well To Release Series Of Seven-Inch Singles". Blabbermouth.net. October 5, 2008. Archived from the original on May 24, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Miller, Kirk (May 2007). "Poison the Well - Versions". Decibel. No. 31. Red Flag Media, Inc. Archived from the original on April 21, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g Shultz, Brian (April 13, 2007). "Poison the Well - Versions". Punknews.org. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g Smit, Jackie (March 25, 2007). "CoC : Poison the Well - Versions : Review". Chronicles of Chaos. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  21. ^ a b c d e Rivadavia, Eduardo (n.d.). "Versions - Poison the Well | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i Beringer, Drew (April 1, 2007). "Poison The Well - Versions". AbsolutePunk. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Seaver, Morley (April 28, 2007). "Poison the Well - We Came To The Conclusion That It's Always Going To Be The Three Of Us". Caustic Truths. Archived from the original on May 23, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2025 – via Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles.
  24. ^ Vayner, Ofer (June 1, 2007). "Interview with: Poison The Well drummer Chris A. Hornbrook". Alternative-Zine.com. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  25. ^ a b "Poison The Well Interview with Ryan Primack, Chris Hornbrook, and Jeff Moreira". Way Too Loud!. July 19, 2007. Archived from the original on November 5, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  26. ^ a b Deneau, Max (April 17, 2007). "Poison The Well - Versions". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  27. ^ a b c Hill, Stephen (September 29, 2015). "Are Poison The Well the fathers of metalcore?". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via loudersound.
  28. ^ Hartmann, Graham (January 16, 2025). "10 Extremely Underrated Metal Albums From The 2000s". Metal Injection. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  29. ^ a b Rashidi, Waleed (August 2007). "Critique". Modern Drummer. No. 333. Modern Drummer Publications, Inc. p. 154. ISSN 0194-4533 – via Internet Archive.
  30. ^ "Poison the Well: 'Versions' Track Listing Unveiled". Blabbermouth.net. January 22, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  31. ^ "Poison the Well: New Song Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. February 20, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  32. ^ "Poison The Well to issue digital-only single". lambgoat.com. February 2, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  33. ^ "Poison The Well, The End, This Is Hell dates". lambgoat.com. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  34. ^ "Poison The Well tour (UK)". lambgoat.com. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  35. ^ "Poison the Well: 'Letter Thing' Video Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. May 16, 2007. Archived from the original on May 24, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  36. ^ August, Justin (April 23, 2007). "Tours: Saosin / Poison the Well / The Receiving End of Sirens with Fiore, Flight 409". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  37. ^ "Poison the Well to Tour U.K. With Gallows, Lethal Bizzle". Blabbermouth.net. June 22, 2007. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  38. ^ "Poison The Well announce winter tour dates". Alternative Press. December 27, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  39. ^ Aubin, Paul (December 3, 2007). "Tours: Dillinger Escape Plan / Poison The Well / Stolen Babies". Punknews.org. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  40. ^ "Killswitch Engage, Throwdown, Poison the Well: Midwest, Canadian Dates Announced". Blabbermouth.net. February 29, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  41. ^ "Poison The Well tour dates". lambgoat.com. April 15, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  42. ^ a b Kauffman, Ronen (June 28, 2007). "Poison The Well - Versions". Alternative Press. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  43. ^ a b Sickinger, Norman (April 4, 2007). "Poison The Well - Versions Review". metal.de. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  44. ^ a b Wahle, Sebastian (April–May 2007). "Review - Poison the Well - Versions CD". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  45. ^ "Versions". Rock Hard (in German). Vol. 240. April 17, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  46. ^ a b Burgess, Aaron (May 2007). "Reviews: New CDs". Spin. Vol. 23, no. 5. SPIN Media LLC. p. 90. ISSN 0886-3032.
  47. ^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 16. April 21, 2007. p. 51. ISSN 0006-2510.
  48. ^ "Albums: Top Independent". Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 16. April 21, 2007. p. 64. ISSN 0006-2510.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Kelham, Andrew (May 2007). "Poison the Well: Do You Remember the First Time?". Rock Sound. No. 96. Rock Sound Ltd. p. 39. ISSN 1465-0185.
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