1. "Down"
This is a driving and pounding, steady tune. The rhythm is heavy and carries this song throughout. Tom Malicoat's vocals are excellent as always, going from harsh and aggressive to smooth and clear. He sounds like an angry Geoff Tate much of the time. This song is very good. Lethal isn't so much like Queensryche here as I find similarities to other prog metal/power metal bands like Conception and Angel Dust present as well.

2. "Bitter Taste"
This song is a lot like "Down.". It is rhythm driven, heavy and moves along at a somewhat slow pace. At first, the lack of anything catchy in the vocal melodies annoyed me. But as I listened to the song more and more, it finally clicked. It isn't the vocal melodies that hook the listener at first, that will come later. The thing that makes this song and other songs on the disc almost instantly catchy is Lethal's ability to come up with incredible rhythms that make excellent use of the guitar, bass and drums. Queensryche is evoked here but there are other influences present as well. This is a good song, one of the best on the CD.

3. "Born"
Unlike the first two songs on this disc, "Born" is more laid back. The lyrics are introspective and the music is very interesting. This a good song that conjures up images of both Alice in Chains and Queensryche. It's a good combination.

4. "Walking Wounded"
For the fourth song on the CD, Lethal again gives us a powerful, rhythm driven song. The song is a good one and may be the best on the album thus far. It reminds me a lot of UK prog metal band Threshold's first album Wounded Land.

5. "Poison Seed"
The most Queensryche-like tune yet on this release, "Poison Seed" is in the same vein as "Born"-somewhat relaxed and thoughtful. This may be the best song on the disc. It kinda reminds me a bit of Queensryche's "Silent Lucidity".

6. "Watch Me Feed"
The heaviest song on Poison Seed so far, this is a driving, relentless tune While there is nothing really memorable about this song, it is still a fairly solid tune even though the vocal melodies are somewhat annoying here and there.

7. "Meaning"
The intro here is superb as bass and guitar intertwine beautifully. This is a heavy, crunching song. But the vocal melodies (and I'm a vocal melody guy) never do quite take off.

8. "Now"
A quiet, easy-going song, "Now" contains some very strong Celtic touches throughout. This makes for an interesting song reminding me just a bit of Enya and Ayreon. An Alice in Chains feel is present as well.

9. "Your Favorite God"
A nice, groovy bass guitar rhythm starts this track off. This track has a harder, edgier Conception/Queensryche feel to it. The vocal melodies aren't as strong as they probably should be and this makes the song hard to listen to at first. But after a few spins in the old CD player, the song finally catches on. "Your Favorite God" is a one of the best on the disc.

10. "Odd Shaped Pearl"
The last song on the album is a quiet one. "Odd Shaped Pearl" is an instrumental that uses only classical instruments. It is a beautiful song. And it is an odd way to end the album as it is very different than all the other tracks on Poison Seed.

It sounds like Queensryche isn't as big an influence on Lethal as they once were. Lethal's own style seems to be moving to the forefront on this disc. I may be wrong, but it seems as though there is a definite if subtle Alice in Chains influence in many of the songs, too. The album falls short in some areas but, in the final analysis, this is still a good disc even though Lethal seems to have just barely missed the mark, a mark that could have made this CD great. With a few more memorable hooks and vocal melodies, this disc could have been as good, if not better, than Programmed. As it is, Poison Seed is a good, solid album but it doesn't outdo Programmed. The disc will especially appeal to fans of heavy rhythm-oriented power/progressive metal.

Ratings and Wrap Up:
7.8
The Best: Tom Malicoat's vocals.
The Worst: It took me forever to get into this disc.
The Weird: The last track. An odd way to end such a heavy CD.
The Rest: I'm happy to see Lethal isn't just a Queensryche clone.

Review by Joesph White-


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