Shadow Monster - “Poison”

Brooklyn’s Shadow Monster captured our attention with their 2019 EP Punching Bag, which featured some fuzzy and melodic gems like “Kill Me Sweetie” and “This Dead Thing.” It’s been almost six years since that release, but today, the project of songwriter Gillian Visco is back with a raucous new tune called “Poison” and a cool video featuring lots of familiar faces from the NYC scene to go along with it.

“Poison” accentuates the duo’s powerfully pared-down guitar and drums combination. While the bare bones dynamic has always sounded bigger than the sum of its parts, “Poison” feels particularly massive. Visco’s riffs feel loud and searing, while drummer John Swanson’s playing adds some serious umph. The music pairs perfectly with the frustration captured in the lyrics, which explore feelings of depletion from the past can negatively impact your ability to develop new connections.

The video, which was shot and edited by Zack Booth, features a series of NYC-music folks in a bar setting. Each willingly barters something they cherish in exchange for a potentially bad drink. This, in conjunction with the song’s potent lyrical message, raises the query, “how much do we sacrifice while we heal… while we run from ourselves?”

Check out the video below!

“Poison” is the lead single from Shadow Monster’s forthcoming album Dog, which is set for release on April 4th via Substitute Scene. It’s available on all streaming services. Keep up with Shadow Monster by following them on Instagram.