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The Acacia Strain

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The Acacia Strain
The Acacia Strain in 2014
The Acacia Strain in 2014
Background information
OriginChicopee, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres
Years active2001–present
Labels
Members
  • Vincent Bennett
  • Devin Shidaker
  • Griffin Landa
  • Mike Mulholland
  • Matt Guglielmo
Past members
  • Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz
  • Christopher Daniele
  • Daniel "Outhouse" Daponde
  • Karrie Whitfield
  • Jeanne Sagan
  • Seth Coleman
  • Ben Abert
  • Kevin Boutot
  • Jack Strong
  • Richard Gomez
  • Tom Smith
  • Kevin Smith

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 in 2010

Artistry

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Musical style

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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]

Lyrics

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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]

Members

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Timeline

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Drummer Kevin Boutot was the second-longest remaining member of the band behind vocalist Bennett.

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[19]
US
Heat.

[20]
US
Indie.

[21]
US
Rock
[22]
US
Hard Rock
[23]
...And Life Is Very Long
  • Released: September 2, 2002
  • Label: Devil's Head
  • Formats: CD, digital download
3750
  • Released: July 13, 2004
  • Label: Devil's Head, Prosthetic
  • Formats: CD, digital download
The Dead Walk
  • Released: June 13, 2006
  • Label: Prosthetic
  • Formats: CD, digital download
40 47
Continent
  • Released: August 19, 2008
  • Label: Prosthetic
  • Formats: CD, digital download
107 2 13 18
Wormwood
  • Released: July 20, 2010
  • Label: Prosthetic
  • Formats: CD, digital download
67 6 21 8
Death Is the Only Mortal
  • Released: October 9, 2012
  • Label: Rise
  • Formats: CD, digital download
51 10 21 5
Coma Witch
  • Released: October 14, 2014
  • Label: Rise
  • Formats: CD, digital download
31 4 8 1
Gravebloom
  • Released: June 30, 2017
  • Label: Rise
  • Formats: CD, digital download
146 4 29 8
It Comes in Waves
  • Released: December 26, 2019[24]
  • Label: Closed Casket Activities
  • Formats: CD, digital download
Slow Decay
  • Released: July 24, 2020[25]
  • Label: Rise
  • Formats: CD, digital download
87 1 1 1
Step Into the Light
  • Released: May 12, 2023[26]
  • Label: Rise
  • Formats: CD, digital download, vinyl
Failure Will Follow
  • Released: May 12, 2023[27]
  • Label: Rise
  • Formats: CD, digital download, vinyl
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

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EPs

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Singles

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  • "Jonestown" (2010)
  • "Servant in the Place of Truth" (2012)
  • "Above" / "Below" (2013)
  • "Bitter Pill" (2017)
  • "Big Sleep" (2017)
  • "D" (2020)
  • "E" (2020)
  • "C" (2020)
  • "A" (2020)
  • "Y" (2020)
  • "Untended Graves" (2022)
  • "Fresh Bones" (2023)
  • "Chain" (feat. Jacob Lilly) (2022)

Demos

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  • Demo 2001 (2001)
  • Demo 2002 (2002)

DVDs

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Music videos

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  • "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

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  1. ^ "The Acacia Strain". MusicMight. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  2. ^ "Hear the Acacia Strain's brutal new song "Bitter Pill"". Alternative Press. March 27, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  3. ^ "Death Is the Only Mortal by The Acacia Strain on Apple Music". iTunes. October 9, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  4. ^ "The Acacia Strain and guitarist DL Laskiewicz part ways". Guitar Player. June 11, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Monger, James Christopher. "The Acacia Strain". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  6. ^ Mark Tremblay (July 22, 2020). "The Acacia Strain Are Unafraid of Reinvention on 'Slow Decay'". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  7. ^ Max Heilman (May 4, 2023). "Review: The Acacia Strain Mines the Depths of Doom with Failure Will Follow". www.metalsucks.net. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  8. ^ Lets Talk About Knocked Loose MetalSucks
  9. ^ "THE ACACIA STRAIN IS MY FAVORITE BAND [W/ INTERVIEW]". MetalSucks. February 28, 2011.
  10. ^ Heaney, Gregory. "Wormwood – The Acacia Strain". Allmusic. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  11. ^ Bee Roth, David (December 30, 2008). "Exclusive Interview with The Acacia Strain's Vincent Bennett". MetalSucks. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  12. ^ a b Smart, Noel (July 21, 2011). "Interview With Kevin Boutot of The Acacia Strain – Summer 2011". Sick Drummer. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  13. ^ Bellino, Vince (December 26, 2019). "Interview: Acacia Strain Vocalist Vincent Bennett Discusses New Album 'It Comes in Waves'". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  14. ^ Rosen, Steven (March 7, 2009). "Acacia Strain: 'We Keep Stuff Like That Really Tasteful'". Ultimate-Guitar.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  15. ^ Doyle, Alan (December 30, 2003). "The Acacia Strain". Hardcore Times. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  16. ^ a b "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.
  17. ^ a b "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.
  18. ^ "The Acacia Strain Interview". Driven Far Off. May 26, 2006. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  19. ^ "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  20. ^ "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  21. ^ "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  22. ^ "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  23. ^ "The Acacia Strain – Chart History: Hard Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  24. ^ "NEWS: The Acacia Strain to drop ninth album, It Comes In Waves!". Dead Press!. December 21, 2019.
  25. ^ DiVita, Joe. "The Acacia Strain Debut Two New Songs, Detail 'Slow Decay' Album". Loudwire. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ Sam Taylor (March 15, 2023). "The Acacia Strain have announced a second new album for May". Upset. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
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