Poison Idea
Germs singer Darby Crash shaped Jerry A.'s vocals, lyrics and outlook, and the Portland group he fronted followed that extremist punk ethic from 1980, also drawing on Black Flag and Discharge. Their 1983 debut EP, Pick Your King, was a short, lo-fi blast of fury.
Over time the band folded rock muscle into its hardcore attack without losing any bite, a fusion that defined Kings of Punk, War All the Time and Feel the Darkness. Metallica later covered 'Taken By Surprise' off that 1990 album.
Heavy drinking took its toll. Guitarist Pig Champion, struggling with his weight, often played sitting down and quit touring after We Must Burn; he died in 2006, before Latest Will and Testament came out. Confuse & Conquer arrived in 2015.
If you like Poison Idea you should check out: Black Flag, Wipers, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Misfits, Motörhead, Fugazi, Mudhoney, Butthole Surfers
