Classic Records: Poison The Well "The Opposite Of December"

Poison The Well's first full length "The Opposite of December" blew the doors on everyone. Sure there were a few bands doing the screaming/singing thing (New Day Rising) but no one reached the level that these guys did as quickly. After releasing an Ep on Goodlife Recordings, Trustkill offered to put out their full length. I remember going to see them about 5-6 months before the full length came out and just saying to myself "Man they got real good". The CD came out in December of 1999 and from that moment, it was all uphill. The band started touring nonstop and every kid fell in love with Poison The Well. The lyrics did have the element of love in them but just not overdone like so many bands tend to do now. They also dropped the anti-religion thing they had going on and opted for the more personal lyrics. The layout was put together by Jake Bannon and featured just one picture of a wide-eyed, mouth open Derek Miller airborne with guitar in hand. I always felt that while so many bands of the day were cluttering their layouts with live pictures (which I personally like, see Strife "One Truth"), they went a different route and made the layout full of flowers. Also, the record lists Jose as the guitar player and Ryan Primack as having recorded guitar tracks. Ryan had quit the band briefly and Jose joined but eventually Ryan would rejoin just after the record was released (good timing too). For anyone who saw them play at Hellfest 2000, they were easily one of the most anticipated bands that weekend (along with Throwdown) and their set reflected that. It got to a point where you couldnt even hear Jeff over the crowd. Eventually the band went in a more experimental direction but this record to many is their defining moment. This featured the classic lineup and will always be recognized as one of the finest releases to come out of South Florida or hardcore in general.