The Acacia Strain – Thirty Seven Fifty
Out of the many bands that have come from the Massachusetts’s metal scene (Shadows Fall, Converge, Killswitch Engage), none have come closer to breaking the sound barrier than the Acacia Strain. Coming off a storming performance the inaugural New Jersey Hell Fest the band have released their seminal debut on Prosthetic Records (also home to Virginia metallers Lamb Of God) ‘Thirty Seven Fifty’. At the helm of production, Acacia Strain have hired the services of über producer Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage.
It is obvious that Adam D’s production talents have rubbed off well on Acacia Strain. With three guitarists creating a wall of barbaric sound echoing Brummie bruisers Napalm Death and Florida death-heads Morbid Angel. Add in a pounding rhythm section that will make your ears bleed and to top it of the throat shredding vocals of Vincent Bennett and your sound system will beg for mercy.
Clocking in at just under half an hour, ‘Thirty Seven Fifty’ is the epitome of a sonic assault. “Brown Noise” is a musical equivalent of multiple crowbar blows to the head and “Smoke Ya Later” is a twisted collage of thrash metal, hardcore, death metal and grindcore. “Drawn and Quartered” is like Deicide on steroids with machine-gunning drumming.
With a record like this your average metalhead will be begging for more. A cracking record from one of the heaviest bands out there to date.