Philadelphia post-punk band Poison Ruïn have released their new album, Härvest, via Relapse Records. Stream it via Apple Music or Spotify below.

The buzz surrounding the group is well-deserved, as proven by the title track. It offers a rare blend of lo-fi post-punk and classic SST hardcore, with the trebly vintage production evoking Hüsker Dü (both bands sport the umlaut, after all) and modern lo-fi auteurs Molechat Doma. Comparisons to ’80s deathrock/hardcore acts such as Christian Death and early T.S.O.L. are also warranted.

Meanwhile, the medieval aesthetics of the music video and Härvest artwork have more in common with black metal or dungeon synth. As singer-guitarist Mac Kennedy explained, the album’s lyrics and imagery rework fantasy themes “as a series of totems for the downtrodden, stripping it of its escapist tendencies and retooling it as a rich metaphor for the collective struggle over our shared reality.”

He added, “I’ve always found fantasy tropes to be incredibly evocative; that said, even though they are a set of symbols that seem to speak to most people of our generation, they are often either apolitical or co-opted for incredibly backwards politics. Instead of knights in shining armor and dragons, it’s a peasant revolt. I’m all for protest songs, but with this band I’ve found that sometimes your message can reach a greater audience if you imbue it with a certain interactive, almost magical realist element.”

It’s certainly working, with Relapse swooping up Poison Ruïn after the band’s self-titled 2021 compilation made the rounds in underground punk circles via YouTube and Bandcamp. In addition to releasing Härvest, the label has also reissued that comp. Physical copies of Härvest and Poison Ruïn are available via the Relapse Records official store.

You can catch Poison Ruïn live in Brooklyn for an album release show on April 15th, followed by a full run of the UK and Europe. See their full touring schedule below, and grab your tickets here.

Härvest Artwork: