Founded in 1991, deceased in 1995 and ressurrected in 2019, is the best way to introduce you to a German quartet called Poisoned Hestia. The band consists of the following musicians; Oliver Lynch (vocals), Jimmy Doyle (lead & bass guitar), Vince D. Will (rhythm & acoustic guitar) and Brooks Farris (drums).

Their second full-length effort, containing ten completely new tracks, got released independently in summer of 2022. It’s entitled All the Way Down and it’s definatelly showcasing the edgier side of these veteran musicians from Germany. All the Way Down is a dark-themed record where the band exposes their inner deamons – lyrically tackling mental illness, megalomania, voodoo, delusions of faith and similar topics.

Unlike many of their ‘genre-colleagues’, Poisoned Hestia doesn’t play a typical gothic metal, but rather dark rock inclining towards classic & hard rock direction. This well-written and lyrically nicely composed album is backed by their superb handling of all the instruments and with their equally unique fusion and melodic mix of different styles. Thus, we can hear the elements of Gothic rock, groove, southern sludge, industrial and heavy metal.

Clearly, there’re some obvious differences in the approach and vibe on each individual track, but overall the album has numerous fast-, slow-, thick and groovy- riffing, loads of nice melodies, perfect groovy & steady drums and mesmerizing vocals. It shows Poisoned Hestia’s wide range of influences and their ability to mix them all creating something that is entirely their own.

All the Way Down was mixed and mastered at ‘Modern Nihilism Recordings’, Toulouse (France). Production is cold and distant, and with shady atmosphere, but also the one where the music flows carelessly on, allowing each instrument, and the vocals, to shine through. In other words; all instruments are capable of evoking an emotional responses in a listener. The cover artwork emanates also some industrial vibes, and one can say it’s also partly representative of the band’s sound on this sophomore album.

This record with its almost, forty two minutes of minimalistic obscurity and playful melodies, shows quartet’s wide range of influences and their ability to mix them all in order to create something of their own, a trademark sound.

In conclusion; All The Way Down is a very catchy and floating and variable album, and as such a totally recommended for any fan of classic heavy and dark rock music. I’m already looking forward to hear more from Poisoned Hestia in the hopefully not too distant future.

As a side note, they even released a video for the title track, “All The Way Down” (it sums up a lot of the record’s sound), that you need to check out below. For further information on this latest release, by these four gentlemen, go to https://poisonedhestia.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-way-down