No matter how long Poisonblack has been in existence, they simply cannot shake the tag of “Ville’s other band.”  Ville, for those who haven’t followed metal in the last decade, is Ville Laihiala, who was the vocalist in the legendary Finnish band Sentenced.  Poisonblack’s debut album Escapexstacy was actually released while Laihiala was still in Sentenced, which does explain why it is still considered Poisonblack’s best album to some people.  Since then, the band has been trying to get out from under the Sentenced shadow, and it continues with the latest release Drive.

Poisonblack has evolved from a Gothic rock sound to a more blues-influenced rock, and never more is that evident than on Drive.  The opening track “Piston Head” shows traces of this, but it is on tracks such as “A Good Day for the Crows” and “Maggot Song” that truly show this influence, and it actually fits with Laihiala’s vocals.  Even with this, longtime fans of Sentenced may find it to be too close to mainstream for their liking.  “From Now-here to Nowhere” captures this sound perfectly, with its dark, brooding sound that is punctuated with the piano providing some background to the vocals.  One noticeable thing that seems to be lacking is emotion, as there seems to be less on Drive than on the first two albums.  Sure, there is some emotion on songs such as “From Now-here to Nowhere,” “Scars,” and “Futile Man,” but it only seems to be half and half as far as the amount of emotion Poisonblack shows on the album.  Musically, the guitars add a “dirty feel” to the album, but that seems to be it aside from a few stand out tracks (“Scars,” “From Now-here to Nowhere,” and “Futile Man,” which are the longest tracks on the album).

Poisonblack has hit a wall when it comes to trying to forge its own identity.  Though the first two albums have shown promise, it hasn’t gotten better since the band’s last album Dead Heavy Day.  Drive is a little better, but there are still some considerable holes to fill before more people take Poisonblack seriously.  A healthy dose of emotion would be a good start.

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  Piston Head
2.  Mercury Falling
3.  A Good Day for the Crows
4.  Maggot Song
5.  From Now-here to Nowhere
6.  Sychophant
7.  The Dead-End Stream
8.  Futile Man
9.  Scars
10.  Driftwood

Total playing time:  44:56

Release Date: April 27, 2011
Label: Hype Records

Poisonblack - Drive

Reviewer: Peter

May 17, 2011