Poison Idea
Pick Your King
Play Pick Your King
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AMG Review of Pick Your King
Patrick Kennedy
All Music GuidePoison Idea's notoriously brief, punishing debut was released in 1983, a few years after the band formed in Portland, Oregon. Thirteen songs in sixteen minutes. Obviously, not a second wasted. At this juncture, the band consisted of founder and enormous frontman Jerry A., guitarist Tom Roberts later to be rechristened Pig Champion, due to his porcine build, bassist Chris Tense, and drummer Dean Johnson. Already, Jerry A. sang like a man in the middle of a heartattack, bellowing furiously, frighteningly. In other words, the template was being created for albums to follow. With Pick Your King a reference to Elvis and Jesus, Poison Idea helped establish the paradigm for aggressive American hardcore punk.
 "Pick Your King")
