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The Acacia Strain | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Chicopee, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2001–present |
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Members |
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Past members |
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The Acacia Strain is an American deathcore band that was founded in 2001 and originally based in Chicopee, Massachusetts, but now based in Albany, New York. The group is currently signed to Rise Records [1] and initially consisted of high school friends Vincent Bennett, Christopher Daniele, and Ben Abert, Karrie Whitfield, Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz, and Daniel Daponde joining shortly after. They recorded and released their debut album ...And Life Is Very Long in 2002 via Devil's Head records. Since then, the band has released eleven more full-length albums.
The Acacia Strain's music has been primarily described as deathcore [2] [3] and metalcore, [4] and has been noted to include heavy influences from sludge, [5] doom metal [5] [6] [7] and death metal [8] along with some punk rock-style aesthetic and sensibilities. [9]
AllMusic characterizes the band's musical style as "utiliz[ing] a bone-crushing rhythm section, apocalyptic samples, and a unique triple-guitar assault to deliver their signature blend of hardcore punk, noise, death metal and doom metal." [5] The site's review of Wormwood elaborates on the band's sound as "an inelegant and unstoppable juggernaut fueled by memories of the unchecked aggression unleashed on the world by the likes of Sepultura and Pantera." [10]
Vocalist Vincent Bennett and drummer Kevin Boutot have both denied that The Acacia Strain is of the "deathcore genre", going as far as expressing dislike for the label, [11] [12] though Bennett was later more ambivalent towards it, stating "sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't." [13]
The Acacia Strain's influences include Candiria, Integrity, Dismember, Rush, Iron Maiden, Crowbar, Meshuggah, Hatebreed, Slayer, Arch Enemy, and Overcast. [14] [12] [15]
Written by lead vocalist Vincent Bennett, the band's lyrics generally center around misanthropy [16] and nihilism. [17] Bennett employs misogynistic and sexually deviant imagery in his lyrics, but usually only as metaphors to help get his points across while keeping the songs' overall meanings open for interpretation. [16] [17] [18]
Current
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Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
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US [19] | US Heat. [20] | US Indie. [21] | US Rock [22] | US Hard Rock [23] | |||||
...And Life Is Very Long |
| — | — | — | — | — | |||
3750 |
| — | — | — | — | — | |||
The Dead Walk |
| — | 40 | 47 | — | — | |||
Continent |
| 107 | 2 | 13 | — | 18 | |||
Wormwood |
| 67 | — | 6 | 21 | 8 | |||
Death Is the Only Mortal |
| 51 | — | 10 | 21 | 5 | |||
Coma Witch |
| 31 | — | 4 | 8 | 1 | |||
Gravebloom |
| 146 | — | 4 | 29 | 8 | |||
It Comes in Waves |
| — | — | — | — | — | |||
Slow Decay |
| 87 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Step Into the Light |
| — | — | — | — | — | |||
Failure Will Follow |
| — | — | — | — | — | |||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, that originated in the late 1980s. Metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, which are slow, intense passages conducive to moshing, while other defining instrumentation includes heavy guitar riffs often utilizing percussive pedal tones and double bass drumming. Vocalists in the genre typically perform screaming; more popular bands often combine this with the use of standard singing, usually during the bridge or chorus of a song. However, the death growl is also a popular technique within the genre.
Deathcore is an extreme metal subgenre that combines death metal with metalcore. The genre consists of death metal guitar riffs, blast beats, and metalcore breakdowns. While there are some precursors to the concept of death metal fused with metalcore/hardcore elements seen in the 1990s, deathcore itself emerged in the early 2000s and gained prominence beginning in the mid-2000s within the southwestern United States, especially Arizona and inland southern California, which are home to many notable bands and various festivals.
Job for a Cowboy is an American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band's debut album Genesis was released in 2007, peaking at No. 54 on the US Billboard 200 and selling 13,000 copies in its first week of release. The second album, 2009's Ruination, sold 10,600 copies in the United States in its first week to debut at position No. 42 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band comprises vocalist Jonny Davy, guitarists Tony Sannicandro and Al Glassman and bassist Nick Schendzielos. Davy is the only remaining founding member.
Winds of Plague is an American deathcore band from Upland, California. Formed in 2002, the band is known for being the first of several deathcore bands to incorporate symphonic elements into their music.
Suicide Silence is an American deathcore band from Riverside, California. The band was established in 2002, and has released seven studio albums, three EPs, and nineteen music videos. They were awarded the Revolver Golden God award for "Best New Talent" in 2009. The group currently consists of guitarists Chris Garza and Mark Heylmun, bassist Dan Kenny, vocalist Hernan "Eddie" Hermida and drummer Ernie Iniguez.
Emmure is an American metalcore band formed in 2003. Originally based in New Fairfield, Connecticut, before moving to Queens, New York, the group has released eight albums, with their first public release being a 2006 EP entitled The Complete Guide to Needlework.
Impending Doom is an American Christian deathcore band from Riverside, California. The group has released six full-length studio albums and are currently a four piece with lead vocalist Brook Reeves as one of the two original remaining members along with Manny Contreras who left the band in 2010 but returned in 2012. The band refers to their style of music as "gorship" - a portmanteau of the words gore and worship.
Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The band is named after the Whitechapel district in East London, England, where Jack the Ripper committed a series of murders. The group comprises vocalist Phil Bozeman, guitarists Ben Savage, Alex Wade, and Zach Householder, bassist Gabe Crisp and drummer Brandon Zackey. Their core lineup, with the exception of the drummer, has remained consistent since Householder replaced original guitarist Brandon Cagle in 2007. Founded in 2006 by Bozeman and Savage, the band has released eight studio albums and fourteen music videos, and it's currently signed to Metal Blade Records. Whitechapel's 2010 album A New Era of Corruption, sold around 10,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release and debuted at position No. 43 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band's self-titled fourth album was released in 2012 and debuted at No. 47 on the Billboard 200, selling roughly 9,200 copies in its first week. In 2014 the band released their fifth full-length album, Our Endless War to generally positive reviews. The album sold roughly 16,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. They released their sixth full-length album Mark of the Blade in 2016 to greater critical acclaim, selling roughly 8,000 copies in the first week of its release. In 2019, Whitechapel released their seventh album, The Valley, which debuted at No. 143 on the Billboard 200 also to critical acclaim. Their newest album, Kin, was released on October 29, 2021.
The Dead Walk is the third studio album by the American metalcore band The Acacia Strain. It was produced by the band and Adam D. of Killswitch Engage. The album was released through Prosthetic Records. This is the band's first with drummer Kevin Boutot and final album with bassist Seth Coleman and guitarist Daniel Daponde.
Continent is the fourth studio album of the American metalcore band The Acacia Strain. This is the first album with bassist Jack Strong and second with drummer Kevin Boutot. Recording began on April 13, 2008, and it was released August 19, 2008 via Prosthetic Records. Frontman Vincent Bennett also spoke to MTV News about the release, saying it was the band's "darkest" effort to date. In 2018, the album was re-released on streaming services, featuring bonus tracks.
Carnifex is an American deathcore band from San Diego County, California. Formed in 2005, they are currently signed to Nuclear Blast after having been signed to Victory Records. They have released nine studio albums and three EPs. Since 2022, the band has consisted of founding members, lead vocalist Scott Ian Lewis and drummer Shawn Cameron, along with rhythm guitarist Cory Arford, bassist Fred Calderon and lead guitarist Neal Tiemann.
Wormwood is the fifth studio album by American extreme metal band The Acacia Strain. The album was released on July 20, 2010. Wormwood reached No. 67 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart. The song "Jonestown" was released as a single in June 2010 and was available at the website for Prosthetic Records.
The Contortionist is an American progressive metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. Formed in 2007, the band consists of guitarists Robby Baca and Cameron Maynard, drummer Joey Baca, vocalist Mike Lessard, bassist Jordan Eberhardt, and keyboardist Eric Guenther. They have released four studio albums and three EPs. The band signed with eOne Music and Good Fight Entertainment in early 2010.
Death Is the Only Mortal is the sixth studio album by American deathcore band The Acacia Strain. It was released on October 9, 2012. It is the band's first release on Rise Records and their final album with Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz as their guitarist before leaving the band in May 2013. The opening track, “Doomblade”, contains a sample from the 2012 horror film, The Devil Inside.
Thy Art Is Murder is an Australian deathcore band from Blacktown, Sydney, that formed in 2006. The band consists of vocalist Tyler Miller, guitarists Sean Delander and Andy Marsh, bassist Kevin Butler and drummer Jesse Beahler. Thy Art Is Murder has released six studio albums since formation.
Fit for an Autopsy is an American deathcore band from Jersey City, New Jersey, formed in 2008. The band consists of guitarists Pat Sheridan, Will Putney and Tim Howley, drummer Josean Orta, vocalist Joe Badolato, and bassist Peter "Blue" Spinazola. They are currently signed to Nuclear Blast and have released seven studio albums since formation.
Gravebloom is the eighth studio album by American metalcore band the Acacia Strain. It was released on June 30, 2017, through Rise Records. It is the band's first album to feature bassist Griffin Landa.
Slow Decay is the tenth studio album by American metalcore band the Acacia Strain. It was released on July 24, 2020, through Rise Records, though originally scheduled for release a week earlier, on July 17.
It Comes in Waves is the ninth studio album by American metal band The Acacia Strain. It was released on December 26, 2019, through Closed Casket Activities. The track titles spell out the phrase "Our Only Sin Was Giving Them Names". The band announced a February 2020 tour in support of the album with Rotting Out, Creeping Death, Chamber and Fuming Mouth.
Step into the Light and Failure Will Follow are the eleventh and twelfth studio albums by American extreme metal band the Acacia Strain. They were released on May 12, 2023, through Rise Records. They are the band's first albums to feature rhythm guitarist Mike Mulholland, replacing Tom Smith who left the band in 2022, and the last to feature longtime drummer Kevin Boutot.