Poison Headache - "Gray Skies" (Song Premiere)

May 18, 2016

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I don’t usually like to lift the curtain on how Invisible Oranges works behind the scenes, but I’m going to break that rule to talk about San Diego metallic hardcore (can I say metalcore again yet?) band Poison Headache.

Their press agent sent me a personalized email–a rarity–asking me to listen to their upcoming self-titled debut, but making sure not to mention the names of anyone involved in the band. Sort-of unusual, especially for a hardcore band; Anonymity still tends to be the sole purview of black metal acts. In any case, this person has been communicating with me for the better part of a decade in regards to numerous other acts, and has a pretty good sense of what I do and don’t look for in new music.

Sure enough, that recommendation was right on the money. Poison Headache play dark and aggressive hardcore with a little twist of gothic melancholy thrown in. Their album will fit nicely in my library on the same shelf as Integrity, sandwiched between The Banner and Harm’s Way. The song we’re premiering today, “Gray Skies,” packs more atmosphere and melancholy than most of the remaining tracks on the LP, which offer more frequent D-beats–and just wait till you hear the absolute batshit finale to “Discloser.”

But what about those anonymous members? As it turns out, Poison Headache’s PR rep really has me pegged. They were omitted on purpose: Phil Sgrosso, formerly of As I Lay Dying, sings and plays both guitar and bass in the project. I am not a fan of his past work, but Poison Headache goes a long way toward reversing my opinion of him.

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