Album Review: The Acacia Strain – Failure Will Follow (Rise Records)

Arriving on the 12th of May via Rise Records, The Acacia Strain will release two brand-new albums on the same day. Step Into the Light, which is a more traditional deathcore record, and Failure Will Follow, which sees the band experimenting with a sludgier sound.

The second of the two new Acacia Strain records, and the one with a bit more experimentation to it. This is a sludge album, albeit from a band rooted in unbridled heaviness. Featuring three tracks, each a gargantuan tome, it turns out that sludgy metal is something The Acacia Strain are quite good at.

The album opens with 11+ minute Pillar of Salt. A touch of moody atmosphere and melody, leading into a worrisome cacophony of raw, rough, and filthy heaviness. The sound of your mind, body, and spirit being enveloped by life-stealing muck. Constant mood-altering shifts, the molasses covered instrumental tempo, and savage vocal roars makes this one hell of an opener.

Yet, it almost pales in comparison to Bog Walker. A 17-minute track that sees The Acacia Strain building up a level of dread through monotony, only to unleash a disturbing level of doom-infused heaviness. Where the riffs almost have groove, there’s cleaner vocals, a midpoint melodic tone change, and a bit more of an epic stance. However, the feeling of being hit over the head by the weight of their sound is what sticks.

Finally, it’s Basin of Vows and if it’s been a struggle to stop yourself from drowning in The Acacia Strain’s filth so far, this track will be the final slab of destructive misery to sink you once and for all. There’s almost no give with this track, and it’s a strong example of how the band’s traditional deathcore sound can be turned into something so abhorrent.

More of this please.

The Acacia Strain –Failure Will Follow Track Listing:

1. Pillar of Salt
2. Bog Walker
3. Basin of Vows

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