REVIEW: Poison The Preacher - Vs The World

Since opening for Overkill in front of 70,000 people in 2023, Poison The Preacher’s popularity has skyrocketed. The band was formed in 2021 by Juan Pablo (vocals, guitar) and Sergio Cortes (drums) as a college project between two music majors, and it was not until 2023 when the band began to look like we know it today, with Juan Camilo Bernal joining on the guitar and Thomas Lopez on bass. With their very first upcoming tour in Europe in September, the band is starting to be seen on the wider radar of hardcore, trash and death metal fans around the planet, which is perfectly timed as they are just now celebrating the release of their debut album.

Vs The World is a diverse release that is eclectic, energetic and engaging, all within the span of just nine tracks. The band play things relatively a little safe in committing to their respective genres, but still add in new and dynamic sounds, as they celebrate their culture throughout by expressing their Latin American roots within the heaviness found here.

The band decided to dive right into action after the opening track and continued with their two collaborations, 'Sucker Punch', featuring Chris Ramos (Dead Heat) and 'Dying Every Day'+, featuring Devin Swank (Sanguisugabogg). Both songs are energetic, featuring heavy breakdowns and ear-piercing vocals. The former has a great portion of Pablo’s and Ramos’ vocals stitched together for some significant moments, whilst in the second one the band’s vocalist and Swank fill in for each other rather than combining, going for a welcoming mixture of vocals and sounds. Both pieces also include the excellence of Camilo Bernal’s guitar, Lopez’s bass and Cortes’ drums, creating two distinctive pieces that compliment each of the band's guests, allowing them to shine within the sound Poison The Preacher have curated.

With the band proudly representing their own roots, we get to hear many elements from Latin American music, more specifically from Colombian traditional music, throughout all of their songs, but most obviously in 'Congelado en el Tiempo', which is an excellent fusion of their chosen genres and it creates a ‘Municipal Waste-goes-Latino’ sound, which is fairly specific to Poison The Preacher throughout their whole album. Another example worth mentioning is the last song on the album, 'Us Against The World'. We do hear the same musical elements, amplified by the razor guitar riffs and breakdowns, that make the track stand out. The track touches on the topic of what it means to be a Colombian and Latin American band in today’s global music scene - a thought that is present throughout the entirety of VS The World.

Although the transitions between songs are barely noticeable - and in most cases non-existent, due to the band giving listeners exactly zero chance to stop for a breather - it is still a very interesting piece to listen to, especially for fans of the Municipal Waste, Overkill and Suicidal Tendencies. Whilst there may not be many moments to sit and reflect upon the record until it's very much done, that gives it a brutal intensity that reflects the searing passion and desire of the band themselves. The whole record promises a new perspective on Colombian-infused metal music, with a great band to help pave the way.

Score: 7/10

Vs The World was released on May 23rd 2025 via Seek and Strike.

Words: Katerina Stepanikova

Photos: Poison The Preacher