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
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
with suspicion, crying commercialization, that's really not quite the case. Sure, even though there are a number of pure, unvarnished
moments on this album -- possibly even radio-worthy
moments -- this album is not far removed from, say,
Blank, Blackout, Vacant
. A good
rock
band is a good
band, and should therefore play and write to the fullest of their abilities.
'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
album with moments of brilliance, leavened by some average hardcore tunes. ~ Patrick Kennedy