coldrain enlist The Used's Bert McCracken for new song 'Poison'

coldrain have released 'Poison', a new song from their upcoming album 'OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE', featuring guest vocals from The Used frontman Bert McCracken. It follows 'EX-HUMANITY' as the latest taste of the record.

The track leans on big melodies and an immediate hook, a setting that suits McCracken's delivery. Vocalist Masato said the lyrics deal with love and desire, and with how something or someone you love can become addictive enough that you lose yourself in it. Finding the right dosage of that love, he said, feels like one of the most human struggles there is.

Masato also addressed the choice of guest, describing McCracken as one of the band's all-time favourite singers. He said the voice of The Used vocalist brings rawness and emotional intensity to the song, making 'Poison' feel like a "timeless emo masterpiece".

'OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE' arrives on September 25 through Century Media Records. The Japanese band has spent years working between alternative rock and melodic metalcore, and the team-up with McCracken pushes them closer to the American emo lineage that shaped much of that sound.