Album Review: The Acacia Strain – Gravebloom (Rise Records)

The Acacia Strain’s latest release, Gravebloom is an album filled with bone-crushing brutality & rhythm. Eleven tracks of intense hardcore blended with metal (just don’t call them metalcore). Gravebloom was released on June 30th 2017 via Rise Records.

Having come to life in 2002, Gravebloom is The Acacia Strain’s eighth album & first new material since the split release with Thy Art is Murder (The Depression Sessions – read our review here) in 2016.

The bands influences range from Sick of it All & Black Flag to At The Gates & Pantera. Blending a hardcore punk style (particularly in the vocals) with heavy rhythm, the first couple of songs go for the throat.

Worthless, Plague Doctor, Bitter Pill, Big Sleep…The Acacia Strain have no interest in your pleas for mercy. This is a furious, non-stop juggernaut that lacks elegance but makes up for that with its unparalleled aggression.

That fury pours out of every instrument. The booming drum beats, the twisted bass hooks, the screaming guitar attacks & the aggressive, personal sounding vocals. When Vincent Benentt lets rip it’s like he’s up close & in your face doing everything he can to make you give up & walk away.

Abyssal Depth & Model Citzen’s slower groove & darker doomy tones change things up slightly around the halfway mark. A double header that drops low, belly rumbling tones designed to unsettle & remove any chance the listener might have been getting used to the unbridled anger.

If the record has any fault it’s that the last couple of tracks start to blend into each other. The hyper-aggression begins to melt together resulting in less impact.

That being said it’s still a seriously fine album filled with a thumping hardcore/metal sound.

The Acacia Strain – Gravebloom Full Track Listing:

1. Worthless
2. Plague Doctor
3. Bitter Pill
4. Big Sleep
5. Gravebloom
6. Abyssal Depths
7. Model Citizen
8. Calloused Mouth
9. Dark Harvest
10. Walled City
11. Cold Gloom

Gravebloom is out now & you can pick it up via most major streaming services such as Apple Music below.