Poison the Well
Peace In Place


4.5
superb

Review

by Themaxwell23 USER (1 Reviews)
March 22nd, 2026 | 22 replies


Release Date: 03/20/2026 | Tracklist

Review Summary: After a 17-year wait, Poison the Well hasn't just returned; they’ve reclaimed their throne. Released on March 20, 2026, Peace in Place is a masterclass in how to evolve without losing the jagged, bleeding heart that made them melodic metalcore pioneers

Peace in Place feels like a "greatest hits" of original material. It manages to stitch together the raw, basement-show aggression of The Opposite of December with the sprawling, avant-garde textures of You Come Before You and Versions. It is emotionally heavy, technically refined, and—most importantly—genuinely pissed off. It takes everything they have done over there legendary careers and make another genre defining album.

Wax Mask" & "Primal Bloom": The opening duo serves as a violent re-introduction. Jeffrey Moreira’s vocals sound as strained and urgent as they did in 2003, while "Primal Bloom" delivers a breakdown that proves the band still knows how to command a pit. Weeping Tones is the album’s emotional anchor. It leans into their post-hardcore sensibilities, balancing melodic vulnerability with a crushing sense of loss.Bad Bodies is pure pulverizer. If you miss the chaos of the early 2000s, this track is a gift. It’s dense, dissonant, and features some of Chris Hornbrook’s most muscular drumming to date. Plague Them the Most The nearly 10-minute closer is an absolute journey. It moves from blackened metalcore to delicate, ambient interludes, ending the album on a note of ambitious bliss and beauty.

Many "comeback" albums feel like a band trying to remember who they used to be. Peace in Place feels like the band finally becoming who they were always meant to be. It’s mature but hasn't lost its edge by any means as it’s the heaviest album they have made since tear from the red. If you grew up on The opposite of December or Tear from the Red, you’ll love the energy; if you stayed for The Tropic Rot, you’ll appreciate the sophistication. This is easily a contender for Album of the Year. In my opinion it was worth the wait.


user ratings (73)
4
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
Lugia21220
March 22nd 2026


40 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

I waited and waited almost 20 years for my favorite band to make a comeback. I expected something mundane, some nostalgia here and there… no this is a monster of its own. What an amazing album. I can’t stop listening to it….

Larkinhill
March 22nd 2026


8459 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Possibly AOTY for me. One of the hardest hitting records of the past five years for me. Weeping Tones is up there with their very best. Primal Bloom, Bad Bodies, second “half” of Plagues…all incredible. The entire album is consistently great.



The “weak” section is Melted and first half of Plagues. But look, I rated it a 5. There’s a reason I put weak in quotations. Because there’s nothing weak about this album, just that those songs are on a slightly lower rung than the rest.



Also checked the setlist for the first two shows of the tour. SPOILER IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED….

….



….

….

They’re opening with Zombies followed by Botchla. But these are the small FL shows they’re playing. Regardless, I still suspect it’ll be the rest of the tour setlist as well. As far as tracks played off this album, they’re playing Thoroughbreds and Everything Hurts of course, as well as Weeping Tones and Wax Mask. Really hoping they add in Primal Bloom and Bad Bodies at some point.

Larkinhill
March 22nd 2026


8459 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Lugoa, I can’t stop either. I worked an 8 hr overnight shift last night and literally listened to it on repeat for about 6 and a half of those hours. Hasn’t gotten much “better” since, lol.

Motiv3
March 22nd 2026


9423 Comments


Yay finally a review for this. Album rules hard.

Hawks
Staff Reviewer
March 22nd 2026


122099 Comments

Album Rating: 3.7

Nice review. Album rips.

Larkinhill
March 22nd 2026


8459 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

“Many "comeback" albums feel like a band trying to remember who they used to be. Peace in Place feels like the band finally becoming who they were always meant to be. It’s mature but hasn't lost its edge by any means”



This is a pretty spot-on, in a nutshell encapsulation of the album as a whole.

greatgradegrate
March 22nd 2026


49 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

no-bad-album streak intact

LouBreed
March 22nd 2026


439 Comments


Apparently your review got posted twice for some reason, which is why it is blocked from displaying in the user reviews queue and Sputnik duplicated the album on the band's page. I would suggest writing in Sowing shoutbox about this issue, he normally gets it fixed within a day. Then your review will get due coverage

nipplehair
March 22nd 2026


127 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Larkin. I don't know if you're referring to the hidden track as the second part of Plague but in case you are..the hidden track is titled "Mercedes"



It's in the booklet for the album, but not listed anywhere on streaming



Just figured I'd give you a heads up

Deviant.
Staff Reviewer
March 22nd 2026


32320 Comments


Apparently your review got posted twice for some reason, which is why it is blocked from displaying in the user reviews queue and Sputnik duplicated the album on the band's page. I would suggest writing in Sowing shoutbox about this issue, he normally gets it fixed within a day. Then your review will get due coverage


First time reviews always need to be approved before they're displayed on the front page. Looks like the first copy was submitted in an unfinished state. It's all sorted

Hawks
Staff Reviewer
March 22nd 2026


122099 Comments

Album Rating: 3.7

Dev to the rescue!!!

LouBreed
March 22nd 2026


439 Comments


Congrats on the first review then! Can't comment on the album, only going through my first discography run myself, didn't get here yet

DDDeftoneDDD
March 22nd 2026


23616 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Tks for the rev. Please make it to the front page. I like this band and these 2 last ones are now my faves

jrlikestodance
March 22nd 2026


7943 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Love the tight, short review. Hits exactly what I was thinking. Love that one of my top favorite bands still is dropping quality material. We are blessed in 2026

Relinquished
March 22nd 2026


50189 Comments


I went for the first two sold out florida shows and I gotta report that they’re back in form, sound amazing and they’re still playing the hits

ConcubinaryCode
March 22nd 2026


8207 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Im so excited to see these guys in two weeks. I see they've been playing a ton off OoD.

Jebull
March 22nd 2026


1480 Comments


I'm so jealous.. maybe they'll be doing shows when I have money again lol

Album rules. So much.

jrlikestodance
March 22nd 2026


7943 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Seeing them in May with Converge!!! My second time for both in two years and both bands are still killing it. Can't wait to hear the new songs live

Larkinhill
March 22nd 2026


8459 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Larkin. I don't know if you're referring to the hidden track as the second part of Plague but in case you are..the hidden track is titled "Mercedes"







It's in the booklet for the album, but not listed anywhere on streaming







Just figured I'd give you a heads up





Oh word, thx man. Nice to put name to song. Hmm now I’m wondering the meaning behind the title. It’s such a bittersweet, optimistic song, like leaving an old life behind and starting anew. Maybe like a brand new, shiny Mercedes. Or like hitting the open road in a Mercedes convertible top down, leaving behind an old life for new, greener pastures, like the optimism only freedom rediscovered can conjure.



In my case, it’s the feeling I got when I finally got sober.



It better not be some fucking chick’s name 😆—a very stripper-esque one I might add.

Relinquished
March 22nd 2026


50189 Comments


There’s regular girls named Mercedes too



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