Consider the distinct, sarcastic yet striking messages conveyed in each album... Inspired by Darby Crash—who, like his older brother, died from a heavy drug overdose and famously scrawled "lies here Crash" on his wall while dying—they embraced an extreme punk ethnic culture. In 1983, they shouted "Pick Your King," forcing you to choose between Jesus or Elvis. Elsewhere, they philosophically jab at American society and politics by calling it “Ugly American,” or with iconic works like Feel The Darkness, they pushed boundaries by, for example, putting a gun to the head of famed American singer Herbert Khaury, nicknamed Tiny Tim, on the album cover—nearly resulting in a lawsuit, defining their own extremity and, in fact, Poison Idea itself. (Though Khaury reportedly dropped his compensation claim upon realizing the band was broke—haha.)
The band’s 1992 album Blank Blackout Vacant presents an even more nihilistic frame, especially with its cover art, while musically transitioning the metallic hardcore punk essence of Feel The Darkness into a triangle of Rock'n'Roll, hardcore punk, and hard rock. Dirty Discharge riffs mingle with Rock'n'Roll solos, yielding tracks that are at times angry, sometimes melancholic, and occasionally geared towards fun, filling the album.
Tracklist
Say Goodbye
Star Of Baghdad
Icepicks At Dawn
Smack Attack
Forever And Always
Punish Me
Crippled Angel
What Happened To Sunday
You're Next
Drain
Brigandage
Amy's Theme
Vietnamese Baby
There’s a unique magic in Poison Idea, where their musical structures, managing to hold even more exciting elements with each album, point towards a Motörhead Rock'n'Roll vibe, a Black Flag hard rock/hardcore foundation, and the anarchic, uncompromising hardcore punk noise of Discharge. These combined elements prove that they are among the most ironic, sarcastic, possibly the most philosophical—or the ultimate pranksters—of the old-school hardcore punk scene, from whom many lessons can be drawn.
Released by Taaang Records, the album features excellent guitar riffs paired with supportive bass lines that create a classy foundation. The lineup includes the ever-constant Jerry A. on vocals, Myrtle Tickner on bass and harmonica, the late Pig Champion (a significant loss to Poison Idea due to his suicide) on guitar, Thee Slayer Hippy on drums and percussion, Mondo on guitar and piano, with Phil Irwin contributing saxophone, and Bob Stark on piano and keyboards.
Pushing speed limits while delivering fierce, raw hardcore bursts, the band continues this approach on the album with harsh, aggressive punk tracks. Examples include the chaotic, anarchic vocals and old-school fast hardcore styles of “Say Goodbye,” “Star Of Baghdad,” “Crippled Angel,” and “Drain,” which offer direct Motörhead and Discharge fusion elements. In these tracks, Jerry’s vocals literally pour venom, and behind his fiery, powerful delivery, you can sense traces of Lemmy. Another essential classic American hardcore track, “Punish Me,” features great guitar and even bass solos—one of the album’s favorites. Opening with a destructive drum assault, “Smack Attack” is a fast hardcore piece characterized by solid rhythmic backing, high tempo, aggressive riffs, killer bass lines, Jerry’s rapid-fire vocals, and gang-style backing vocals, clearly marking the band’s signature style.
With sometimes dark, sometimes thrash-adjacent, melancholic riffs, the album also includes the incredibly harmonious piano accompaniment in “Crippled Angel,” and the fun, ‘70s hard rock riffs blended beautifully with saxophone in “Forever and Always.” The versatility of this album becomes apparent listening to these tracks. Additionally, the band covers New York Dolls’ “Vietnamese Baby,” delivering a seriously excellent rock’n’roll and punk fusion—balanced vocals and music, plus solos, making it a thoroughly enjoyable piece.
Poison Idea’s messages, born from their spiritual nature and steeped in extreme imagination, are not always easy to grasp. They can be seen as a collective of musician-philosophers reflecting nihilism from their own worlds, offering their unique perspective on the politics and socio-cultural climate of their era. Drawing from classics like Motörhead, Discharge, Black Flag, and Led Zeppelin, they blend hardcore punk, hard rock, crustcore, and rock’n’roll influences, delivering speed, anger, and rawness with no compromise in every album. Their songs have been covered by numerous bands—from Pantera to Turbonegro and Kill Your Idols—earning them the well-deserved title as one of the most legendary hardcore groups in history. As Phil Anselmo said, “Poison Idea, it’s a good idea.”