THE ACACIA STRAIN
It can be said that some bands truly embody a certain spirit or emotion. Without a doubt, Massachusetts’ long running juggernauts, THE ACACIA STRAIN, truly embody anger. And that shows more than ever on their newest full length, “Wormwood.” The band’s actual sound and vibe are more ferocious than ever on this, their fourth full length for Prosthetic Records and fifth effort overall. Even the successes of their previous full-length, “Continent,” which debuted at #2 on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” chart in 2008 and their DVD, “The Most Known Unknown,” which debuted at #10 on Billboard’s Top Video Sales Chart in the February of its release, have not assuaged front man and lyricist Vincent Bennett’s turmoil. For “Wormwood,” the band returned to the scene of the creation of “Continent;” producer Zeus’ of Planet Z Studio in Hadley, MA, who has previously worked with the likes of Hatebreed, The Red Chord, All That Remains and more, engineered, mixed and mastered the slab of vitriol. This time around, we find guitarist, D.L. experimenting with 8 string guitars, adding further depth and low end to the band’s already stomach-turning low end sound. “Wormwood” peaked at #67 on the U.S. Billboard charts, signaling metal fans’ increasing affinity for the band’s sheer musical passion and vicious brand of heaviness. The band appeared on last year’s “Cool Tour” with As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Between the Buried And Me, Blessthefall, Architects, Cancer Bats and War of Ages. The band’s extensive tour history has them on the road with acts such as Whitechapel, Unearth, Bleeding Through, Killswitch Engage, Despised Icon and August Burns Red. They have also appeared on The Sounds of the Underground Tour and will be a must-see addition to this summer’s Vans Warped Tour. THE ACACIA STRAIN were formed in 2002 in Western Massachusetts, and have gone through a variety of line ups, even, at one point having three guitars, but have played in their current incarnation since 2006. That line up consists of vocalist Vincent Bennett, bassist Jack Strong, guitarist Daniel “DL” Laskeiwitz and drummer Kevin Boutot.