Search - Acacia Strain :: Wormwood

A Very Promising Entry In The Acacia Strain Disography

Michael | FL United States | 07/23/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Acacia Strain very often gets unfairly judged as a "deathcore" band because of their association and similar sound of other bands in this so-called genre. Why are we using made-up words for genres like "deathcore" and "metalcore?" Just because two sounds like death metal and hardcore, or metal and hardcore get thrown together doesn't mean we should actually put two words together. What's wrong with just metal? I've always found it easier to use just that. You don't see a store that sells music having a "deathcore" or "metalcore" section anywhere, do you?. Enough rambling. The Acacia Strain's music is what you'd listen to after a bad day at work and you want to lash out, or when you'd want to rearrange somebody's face because you were pushed to your limits. Take Unearth's intensity, the harsh vocals from Ion Dissonance, and mix it with the grit and sludge of Crowbar, and this is the end result.



Want more brutality? Check out their other albums: 3750, The Dead Walk, Continent, and their Most Known Unknown dvd."

Outdone

Craig | Ca | 07/22/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Acacia Strain have successfully 1Upped themselves. This album displays something not many bands in the genre can boast: innovation; which in today's slowly dying music world, is pure gold. TAS continue to prove their worth amongst a sea of painfully generic copy-cat acts. They set the standard.



This is the quintessential album for 2010 as far as heavyness is concerned. The brutality contained within this disk is at times so well executed, the only emotion left to exude is laughter. It simply cannot be topped, its that good. The use of 8 string guitars, hilariously hateful/violent lyricism, and incredibly powerful drumming are all key elements in making this album so enjoyable. Each band member has improved and what they collectively bring to the table is a force to be reckoned with.



This album is a completely natural progression from Continent in every way. The band took all the elements that made Continent so good and improved on them full circle. Vincent is still on point with his vocal delivery and apart from some minor improvements, not much has changed (which is a good thing.) The drumming on this album is more technical than ever. Kevin has definitely improved as a drummer and his foot-work on the double kick shows it. Something that cannot go without notice is DL's use of an 8 string guitar to create the amazing sound-scape on this record. TAS are heavily influenced by Meshuggah and this becomes even more clear this time around. With that being said, they still without a doubt remain entirely unique and innovative in their own right. Lastly, Jack completes the puzzle with his complimentary bass playing to piece everything together. All in all, every musical aspect has improved.



The production on this album is phenomenally good thanks again to Zeus over at Planet Z Studios. Dynamically, this album is as close to perfection as one can get. Each individual part is mixed flawlessly displaying a final product that is sheer joy to listen to. Your ears will understand what I'm trying to say better than I can.



In the end, this album meets and excels at the high expectations left by Continent. The Acacia Strain show no signs of slowing and this album proves it. An amazing addition to 2010 that shouldn't be missed."