The Acacia Strain
The Acacia Strain is an American metalcore/deathcore band originally from Chicopee, Massachusetts. They are currently signed to Rise Records.[1] The band has released twelve full-length albums.
The Acacia Strain | |
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 The Acacia Strain in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Chicopee, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Past members |
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History
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Forming in 2001, The Acacia Strain was started by high school friends Vincent Bennett, Christopher Daniele, and Ben Abert. Looking to bring their current band Septic Orgasm to the next level of technicality, they brought in their mutual friend, Karrie Whitfield, and high school student Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz to play bass and guitar respectively. The band began playing local shows around Massachusetts and recorded their demo in 2001.
After DL received a shoulder injury while playing high school football, Bennett asked friend and current Blood Has Been Shed guitarist, Daniel Daponde, to fill in on guitar while DL healed from his injury. The group felt Daponde brought a heavier and more technical aspect to the band, so when DL returned they wanted Daponde to stay, thus forming the unusual three guitar lineup.
After countless local shows, including quite a few in Bennett mother's basement, the band was approached by Toby Dutkiewicz, who ran Devil's Head records, if they would join his label. The band agreed and recording for their debut album ...And Life Is Very Long began in 2002 at Zing recording studio in Westfield, Massachusetts with Adam Dutkiewicz and Jim Fogarty at the helm with Jim doing most of the tracking.
Artistry
Musical style
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] and death metal[6] along with some punk rock-style aesthetic and sensibilities.[7]
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."[8]
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,[9][10] though Bennett was later more ambivalent towards it, stating "sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't."[11]
The Acacia Strain's influences include Candiria, Integrity, Dismember, Deftones, Rush, Iron Maiden, Crowbar, Meshuggah, Hatebreed, Slayer, Arch Enemy, and Overcast.[12][10][13]
Lyrics
Written by lead vocalist Vincent Bennett, the band's lyrics generally center around misanthropy[14] and nihilism.[15] 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.[14][15][16]
Members
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Current
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Former
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Touring musicians
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Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [17] |
US Heat. [18] |
US Indie. [19] |
US Rock [20] |
US Hard Rock [21] |
US
Internet |
US
Current Albums |
Billboard
Top Albums |
US
Vinyl |
US
Digital Albums | |||||
| ...And Life Is Very Long |
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 3750 |
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| The Dead Walk |
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— | 40 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Continent |
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107 | 2 | 13 | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Wormwood |
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67 | — | 6 | 21 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Death Is the Only Mortal |
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51 | — | 10 | 21 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Coma Witch |
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31 | — | 4 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Gravebloom |
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146 | — | 4 | 29 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| It Comes in Waves[22] |
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Slow Decay[23] |
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87 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | |||
| Step into the Light[24] |
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Failure Will Follow[25] |
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
EPs
- Money for Nothing (2013)
- Above/Below (2013)
- The Depression Sessions with Thy Art Is Murder and Fit for an Autopsy (2016)
Singles
- "Jonestown" (2010)
- "Servant in the Place of Truth" (2012)
- "Above – Below" (2013)
- "D" (2020)
- "E" (2020)
- "C" (2020)
- "A" (2020)
- "Y" (2020)
Demos
- 2001 Demo (2001)
DVDs
- The Most Known Unknown (2010)
Music videos
- "Smoke Ya Later" (2004)
- "3750" (2005)
- "Angry Mob Justice" (2006)
- "Skynet" (2009)
- "The Hills Have Eyes" (2010)
- "The Impaler" (2011)
- "Cauterizer" (2014)
- "Send Help" (2015)
- "One Thousand Painful Stings" (2020)
References
- "The Acacia Strain". MusicMight. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
- "Hear the Acacia Strain's brutal new song "Bitter Pill"". Alternative Press. March 27, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- "Death Is the Only Mortal by The Acacia Strain on Apple Music". iTunes. October 9, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- "The Acacia Strain and guitarist DL Laskiewicz part ways". Guitar Player. June 11, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- Monger, James Christopher. "The Acacia Strain". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- Lets Talk About Knocked Loose MetalSucks
- "THE ACACIA STRAIN IS MY FAVORITE BAND [W/ INTERVIEW]". MetalSucks. February 28, 2011.
- Heaney, Gregory. "Wormwood – The Acacia Strain". Allmusic. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- Bee Roth, David (December 30, 2008). "Exclusive Interview with The Acacia Strain's Vincent Bennett". MetalSucks. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- Smart, Noel (July 21, 2011). "Interview With Kevin Boutot of The Acacia Strain – Summer 2011". Sick Drummer. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- Bellino, Vince (December 26, 2019). "Interview: Acacia Strain Vocalist Vincent Bennett Discusses New Album 'It Comes in Waves'". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- Rosen, Steven (March 7, 2009). "Acacia Strain: 'We Keep Stuff Like That Really Tasteful'". Ultimate-Guitar.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- Doyle, Alan (December 30, 2003). "The Acacia Strain". Hardcore Times. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- "The Acacia Strain – 2009 Interview with Vincent Bennett". hardtimes.ca. March 28, 2009. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- "Interview with Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain". Sick Drummer Magazine. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- "The Acacia Strain Interview". Driven Far Off. May 26, 2006. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Hard Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- "NEWS: The Acacia Strain to drop ninth album, 'It Comes In Waves'! | DEAD PRESS! | It's more than "just music" to us". www.deadpress.co.uk. December 21, 2019.
- DiVita, Joe. "The Acacia Strain Debut Two New Songs, Detail 'Slow Decay' Album". Loudwire. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- Andrew Sacher (February 14, 2023). "The Acacia Strain announce new LP 'Step Into the Light' (new song & exclusive swirl vinyl)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- Sam Taylor (March 15, 2023). "The Acacia Strain have announced a second new album for May". Upset. Retrieved March 15, 2023.