Acacia Strain

Formerly an above average mosh band with the added gimmick/draw of a third guitar player, the Acacia Strain have officially stormed upon the scene with all guns blazing and without a doubt scored the "most improved band of the year” award. With The Dead Walk, the group have essentially peppered their tried and tested metallic beat-down formula with more atonal, rhythmically diverse songwriting which easily bests A Life Once Lost at their own game. While not quite as diverse or emotionally engaging as their obvious peers in Blood Has Been Shed, the comparative lack of dynamic is compensated for in the form of absolutely relentless, uniformly punishing and ultimately eardrum-bursting breakdowns. The lumbering crunch of metalcore veteran Adam Dutciewitz’s superb production seems to be perpetually threatening the listener’s speakers with outright combustion — a mix this well proportioned is rare these days; the guitars and drums both stand strong and powerful at the forefront of the attack while the vocals sit comfortably in the middle without losing a speck of clarity or aggression. Anyone already in or planning on forming a mosh band should reconsider at this point — attempting to one-up this release would be futile and downright embarrassing.