Formed in 1991, the German rockers Poisoned Hestia gained lots of following with their unique mixed influences and their very own style before going on a hiatus in 1995. They reunited and came back with full force in 2019 releasing their debut record “Subtle Seduction” followed by the “Far Beyond” remix EP in 2020, the single set “The Horror Series”, and finally their latest record “All The Way Down” on the 16th of April 2021. A dark-themed record with lyrics tackling mental illness, megalomania, voodoo, cultism, and delusions of faith backed by Poisoned Hestia’s unique melodic mix of styles. They even released a video of “All The Way Down” that you have to check out but first, let me tell you about the album.
“All is Dead” starts the album heavily with a remarkable groove that reminded me of Zakk Wylde’s BLS mixed with Newsted’s debut’s rawness. Those deep confident vocals made me listen to every word he was saying and I loved how the vocals reflected the lyrics’ dark vibes while the melodic riffs and rough solos kept things HEAVY. “In Your Head” comes next starting with the same rawness and heaviness before smoothly getting into a haunting drums and bass-dominated verse with fading guitars. It progresses into a heavier bridge and chorus with catchy melodies, heavy riffs, and mysterious lyrics in a dynamic structure. With a more industrial sound and approach comes “Radiation Trip“, which has a relentless groove with Poisoned Hestia’s unique melodies and catchy energetic chorus. Poisoned Hestia experiments in a new direction on “Stitches”, it starts with a southern sludgy riff that I totally dig! Its sound keeps on progressing and getting bigger with a super catchy vocal melody and KILLER guitar licks and melodies. Steering into a slower pace made “Lava” sound heavier than any other previous song. The riffs are more dense and hit really hard with fat bass reflecting those dark lyrics and the outro is quite a banger. Back to their fast riffs and fluid groove on “Don’t Believe” and “Say My Name”, the deep expressive vocals, super melodic riffs, and the pounding drums, with “Don’t Believe” having punk-ish parts and cool screaming backing vocals. “Necessary Evil” starts with an epic intro with a big open promising sound before engaging in a dynamic stream of melodies with more progressive riffs and structure. Towards the end comes my fav song off the record “Flames Await”. It has a deceiving electronic intro that built some anticipation before hitting with the heavy riffing. The riffs sound more tight and mature on this one with electronic breaks and well-written, well-arranged melodies. Ending the record with the title track “All The Way Down” which sums up a lot of the record’s sound. Starts on a high note and groovy riffing before it gets more melodic with different twists.
“All The Way Down” is a totally recommended record for any heavy music fan. It has fast riffs, groovy riffs, slow thick riffs, and loads of melodies all mixed with the perfect groove and mesmerizing vocals. It shows Poisoned Hestia’s wide range of influences and their ability to mix them all creating something their own. Looking forward to more from Poisoned Hestia, cheers!
