The Acacia Strain - The Dead Walk

[Zack]

The Acacia Strain - The Dead Walk
Prosthetic Records-6561910033-2- June 13, 2006
By Zack Attaran

The Acacia Strain, a Massachusetts based band, is really what comes to mind when I say “metalcore”. Well, that and endless breakdowns, but that wouldn't be too far from the truth when contemplating this quartet. Interestingly enough, though, every metalcore band could have this same introductory paragraph in their review and it would raise no flags. After all, I believe they all really do sound the same, and The Acacia Strain is no exception.

On terms of how this album compares to their previous, I think it’s more or less the same, maybe even a little worse. On their last album we saw some actual melody and higher pitched screams, while this one is straight up metalcore with almost no variation and could possibly fool someone into the thinking one song is on repeat the entire time. Some songs do stand above the pack though, like ’4x4’, which exhibits a shred of melody. ’Demolisher’ makes me feel a bit energized, but it’s still nothing special. Songs like ’Whoa! Shut it Down! make me want to chuck this CD out the window because the entire piece consists of non-stop breakdowns. In addition to this, the lyrics are quite uninteresting:
“Get the fuck out of Dodge! So get the fuck out! Get the fuck out of dodge!”

Overall, it’s nothing special. Just straight up metalcore with all the breakdowns you’ll need to keep you happy and then some. For the lover of anything –core.

5/10

UM’s Review Rating Scale

Official The Acacia Strain Website
Official Prosthetic Records Website

 

[BrandonS]

Yeahh... you should have gave it a lower score... don't be nice to the metalcore pack of wolves by rating stuff higher than it deserves! Stick it to them with some justice! BOOM!

 

[Dr. Abner Mality]

I saw a banner ad for this record that had the unmitigated gall to say it's "the heaviest record that will be released this year"!uke:

They oughtta be strapped to an altar and forcefed constant doses of Lair of the Minotaur's "Ultimate Destroyer" to find out what that really means. Posers!

 

[Esoterik]

Give credit where credit is due.

For metalcore, this record is incredibly heavy. But, like I said, its heavy for metalcore, not heavy for metal in general. Obviously theres way more brutal stuff out there, but as far as metalcore is concerned, this album is pretty fucking heavy (thanks in large part to the tuning, the production, and the vocalist).

I usually despise metalcore but this record actually managed to get a few repeated listens, so it must be doing something right. In my book the things going right on this record are the vocalist (very jarring yet enjoyable highs) and the somewhat odd leads the guitarists throw in every so often. Also, the production gives the breakdowns the needed weight to have any merit whatsoever, even tho I'll agree with the rest of you that breakdowns are the most overused, cliched pieces of garbage in metalcore today.

 

[Zack]

Ya, thats exactly what I thought. That's why it got a 5/10

 

[King Chaos]

Yeah, I'm also not big on the metalcore, but the sheer shamelessness of Acacia Strain's breakdowns is actually entertaining. I think the rating was definately fair.

 

[Esoterik]

The record boils down to this: Kudos to the producer, the record sounds great!

 

[Peepers]

I just listened to lair of the minotaur, and i must say they sound almost the same as the acacia strain, just worse and even more repetitive. So apparently the more repetitive and the shittier, the better. Props to all of your undifferentiated and unlogical opinions. This album fucking owns all that flaming european metal, which, might I add, is just as repetitive if not more. Nothing like constant blasting and annoying high pitched screams. Oh, and to the whole uninteresting lyrics comment, you actually took the lyrics from the song you said you liked. Did you actually look at the lyrics or did you just hear that part and suddenly assume everything else was the same? I'll agree that some songs are rather unmelodic and unoriginal, but just because of those few, it shouldn't bring the rest down. No album is going to have a perfect lineup of songs. And how is every band not repetitive? Even progressive is repetitive in a sense. This shit is heavy as hell, but obviously not anywhere near as badass as Slayer and such.. even though one of their songs is about skullfucking. I'll leave you with that.

 

[Esoterik]

Props to all of your undifferentiated and unlogical opinions.

My head almost exploded after that little gem.

Peepers, seriously, did you make an account just to defend this album? This isn't the kind of album that warrants such a response...it's ok, pretty good even at times, but not good enough to groundlessly bash all other styles of metal with ILLogical arguments.

This album is the aural equivalent of an ugly, fat hooker. She's heavy as fuck, fun to punch around in a vein popping rage, but ultimately nothing you'd want to bring home to mom.

 

[Zack]

Oh, and to the whole uninteresting lyrics comment, you actually took the lyrics from the song you said you liked. Did you actually look at the lyrics or did you just hear that part and suddenly assume everything else was the same?

I liked that song for the melody, not the lyrics. Those are two things that should be graded on different levels.

4 - 6: Average . . . buy if you really like this style

Also, a 5/10 isn't really a bad score. You even said it yourself: This album is average, nothing special

 

[BlessedxForsaken]

Yeahh... you should have gave it a lower score... don't be nice to the metalcore pack of wolves by rating stuff higher than it deserves! Stick it to them with some justice! BOOM!

Haha. Definatly

 

[jcocarooski]

ok well the cd is pretty damn heavy i must say, and still shows the great style they have... but it lacks the changeup as 3750 showed us

this cd is a good one to dance to, but the songs are close to the same

i'd give the cd a 6/10, one to own if you really like metalcore

 

[Peepers]

haha yeah actually i did make this account to defend the album

and i must say compared to 3750 this cd does kinda blow

but uh, for the record, unlogical is a synonym for illogical

 

[Esoterik]

Haha wow look at that it sure is. Point remains that I've never heard someone say it, and it REALLY does sound like an unintelligent thing to say. My bad.

 

[Peepers]

i mean yeah it sounds unintelligent but i had the whole un- alliteration going on

cmon.

 

[yea]

you retards are too hung up on giving something a genre. learn to listen to music not metalcore or metal or whatever else you want to call it.
the acacia strain is fucking great by the way. the lyrics on this CD were really good and its heavy as fuck.

 

[Negativeobs]

They are a pretty fucking awesome band, but that just is opinion.
I'd much rather listen to this than European Shit that Peepers mentioned.

 

[Agalloch]

This CD, and band, absolutely suck.

 

[Negativeobs]

Well I don't like Agalloch at all but I can at least acknowledge them

 

[johnkrux]

for a metal core band... shit is pretty fuckin heavy...

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