“I’ll change my colors and show myself out.” Such are the first words uttered by vocalist Jeff Moreira on “Wax Mask,” the opening track on Peace in Place. In reality, the melodic hardcore veterans are doing the opposite: returning to the fold with a collection of songs just as intense and emotionally driven as the music they created in the late ’90s and early aughts. On their first album in 17 years(!), Poison the Well harnesses a deep pool of anger, frustration, and introspection. Peace in Place examines the fragility of human relationships in many forms—broken friendships, dead-end romance, and the apathy that often lurks beneath the surface. Produced by Grammy winner Will Putney (Body Count, Knocked Loose), the album captures the classic PTW trio of Moreira, guitarist Ryan Primack, and drummer Chris Hornbrook in top form alongside bassist Noah Harmon and guitarist Vadim Taver. With a deft balance of clean and shouted vocals, “Thoroughbreds” makes reference to Moreira’s high school mascot and the dissolution of hometown bonds. “Everything Hurts” opens with a huge bass riff as Moreira delivers a soaring chorus: “Though I’ve shouldered all of your pain/You’re not the only one, we’re just the same.” “Bad Bodies” is the kind of heavy yet melodic banger that Poison the Well inspired a generation of metallic hardcore bands with on their 1999 debut The Opposite of December… A Season of Separation. Lush and atmospheric, “Drifting Without End” has a distinct alt-rock feel, while “Melted” fuses space-rock overtones to a math metal rager. Last but not least, closer “Plague Them the Most” chugs, slashes, and burns its way to a fiery conclusion before giving way to dead air and revealing a hidden ballad.