They may hail from Miami, Florida, but there's nothing sunny and straightforward about Poison the Well, as the music and title of "Versions", the band's fifth album, suggests. Having sold more records than your average TV pop star, Poison the Well are now heading for the status of a musical institution. Yes, combining hectic attitude and sonic dexterity with punishing metal punches is a great way to impress, but when you get constantly attacked by disturbing shrills and totally messed-up guitar noises, it seems to me more like unfocused energy than music. In other words, "Versions" is an oddball. Compared to the previous albums, it is experimental, rough and sometimes very hard to swallow. Esoteric it is, too, but in a weird way that has nothing to do with calmness. There are a million and one ill-assorted oddities going on through the 12 utterly lunatic tracks. You can tell that they are bursting with ideas. The problem is when they try to ram as many of them into as short a space of time as they can. Some call it mathcore, but "Versions" is way beyond calculated definitions. Love this band, hate this band, don't give a fuck about this band or never heard of them - just listen to this. Be warned though, many will find this impossible to engage with, so try before you buy.