ALBUM REVIEW: Burning Throne – Acres
The UK’s south coast has long been a hotspot for alternative music. To coin an overused phrase, perhaps there’s something in the water, but whatever the root cause of such an enigma, ACRES are certainly central when it comes to discussing the more exciting bands to have sprung from the region in recent years. Despite only having released one full-length album (2019’s Lonely World), they have been toiling away for around a decade now, meticulously crafting a reputation as a consistent, solid alt metal outfit. This makes the imminent release of their sophomore album Burning Throne an essential date to be marked in any music fan’s calendar.
The album opens with Nothing., a bold statement that immediately engulfs us in a world of dense atmosphere in which clean vocals contrast with grating screams. The track includes a feature from SILENT PLANET‘s Garrett Russell, which aside from offering a huge marketing draw also adds a new dynamic to the band’s sound. In reality it’s probably the heaviest song they’ve written to date. Next up, title track Burning Throne begins with almost ghostly choral vocals. The track as a whole feels like some of NORTHLANE‘s more atmospheric work, and to continue that comparison it builds into another meaty breakdown as heavy vocals grab the reins from silky cleans and drums pound along like cannon fire.
Hold On is introduced via a jagged, cathartic bassline delivered with an inviting twang as it leads into a huge chorus. This is probably one of the best songs ACRES have written to date, one that tugs at the heartstrings while impressing with a technical finesse akin to a band confident in what they’re aiming to achieve. Probably the album’s standout, it’s followed by The Death Of Me which cranks up the foggy atmosphere, drowning us in reverb. The vocals here are poetic and bordering on spoken word, in some ways reminiscent of bands like CASEY or BEING AS AN OCEAN, perhaps unsurprising given they are regular tour companions. It’s a track that shows ACRES aren’t afraid to cover painful topics by way of honest and personal songwriting. Harsh vocals reappear and reiterate this, allowing the song to burst into life, fuelled by an overarching angst.
Visual Hallucinations offers an interludial respite before My Everything picks the tempo back up. It’s a bouncing, riff-centric track that’s certain to be a favourite on the live circuit. It’s well rounded in the sense that it demonstrates all aspects of the band’s sound well, sometimes heavy, sometimes more reserved, yet always impactful. Feel Anything is next to impress, angrily combining heavy and clean vocals in a potent blend of alt metal. The band show a more reserved side to themselves with Into Flames without sacrificing their potency. It’s a slightly different way of presenting their heaviness without the reliance on some of the album’s earlier intensity and adding to the overall dynamism of the record. The same can be said for When You’re Gone, showing again their ability to craft an identity for individual tracks.
The album concludes with Lost In Our Own World, a melancholic outro to an album that impresses from top to bottom. It may be nearly four years since ACRES released music into the world, but it’s clear that they haven’t been knocked off their stride. Very much alive on the tour circuit, they have written a record here that can only drive them forwards; one that feels like a natural progression for them yet challenges their own conceptions of songwriting. Rest assured ACRES are still flying the flag, the south coast’s reputation is in safe hands.
Rating: 7/10
Burning Throne is set for release on March 3rd via A Wolf At Your Door Records.
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