ALBUM REVIEW: Slow Decay – The Acacia Strain

In a time where music is so freely available and the heavy scene in particular so overwhelmingly stacked it can be hard to find a way to stand above the crowd and be noticed. However, over the past year or so THE ACACIA STRAIN have found a way to do exactly that. Following on from their critically acclaimed surprise release It Comes In Waves the band have been on a run of dropping surprise seven inches, complete with two songs a piece and the titles of each new release coming together to spell ‘DECAY’. Now, the final piece of the master plan has come to fruition, with the release of Slow Decay the boys are putting all of the seven inch releases together along with two previously unheard songs in the form of a full length release.

This current incarnation of the band of Vincent Bennett on vocals, Kevin Boutot on drums, Griffin Lands on bass and the pairing of Devin Shidaker and Tom “The Hammer” Smith on guitars and the consistency seems to be paying dividends with THE ACACIA STRAIN hitting their most fruitful creative spell in the entirety of their career.

The album opens with Feed A Pigeon, Breed A Rat and kicks in with a vocal delivery a vocal delivery from Bennett which sounds like he is shredding his very vocal chords to bits. This is THE ACACIA STRAIN at its most primal, the production is crisp, but leaves enough rawness in there to make everything seem dangerous and schizophrenic in the best way. Boutot dictates the pace expertly, switching from high pace double bass sections to thumping half-time moments and even the odd two step part thrown in for equal measure. Crippling Poison shows the band embracing their hardcore influences and laying down two and half minutes of pulverising pit music. The riffs are simple, yet crushing and the vocals are emotive and commanding in the way that people have come to expect from the big man himself.

Seeing God picks up the baton and runs with it, only with the pace dialled way up which only further proves the point that these veterans ate showing no sign of slowing up any time soon. It also features the first of many guest spots of the release from Aaron Herd of the hungry young upstarts JESUS PIECE which shows that THE ACACIA STRAIN are not only admired by the heavy music scene at this stage in their career but they are also very much in touch with what is going on around them. The next feature on the album comes from Jess Nyx of the band MORTALITY RATE who brings her particularly energetic style of hardcore vocals in to contrast against the deep, weighty sound that Bennett creates. This whole song is a lesson in how to write a pit-enticing track that shifts stylistically between all of the areas the THE ACACIA STRAIN have covered in the past, from hardcore, to deathcore and elements of sludge thrown in for good measure. If you wanted to show someone the range that this band has creatively then this would be a great starting point.

Chhinnamasta is a song that will keep the fans of the sludgier side of THE ACACIA STRAIN happy. The half time beats, guttural vocals and dissonant lead guitar runs all come together to create a claustrophobic feel that is simply brilliant. When you look back through the catalogue of the band it becomes clear that the boys have always been at their best when they are at their most cynical and with lyrics that describe a dead or dying earth and someone despairing at the sight that is exactly what you get here.

Following that we get possibly the most intriguing guest spot on the release, enter Courtney LaPlante; the former vocalist of IWRESTLEDABEARONCE and current vocalist of SPIRITBOX. The aforementioned intrigue comes from the fact that LaPlante is one of those people who has a singing voice that is as serene as they come and a harsh vocal that is as scathing as anyone in the business, so it is interesting to see how they will utilise her. The answer to that is the former, her soft tones are used to help layer the atmospheric breaks in the song and help to add extra depth to the sound.

Slow Decay shows a band who are regarded as veterans of the scene with a new sense of artistic direction and a fresh fire in their collective gut. THE ACACIA STRAIN have always been regarded as a reliable source of heavy music, however nowadays they have shifted in to the role of trailblazing sonic adventurers and long may it continue. A triumphant outing.

Rating: 9/10

Slow Decay is out now via Rise Records.

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