Album bleeds doom metal

Connecticut band The Acacia Strain are back with a wild record called Slow Decay. The instrumentation consists of electrifying guitar playing by Devin Shidaker, Tom Smith Jr. and Griffin Landa. The drum playing by Kevin Boutot blasts each song with steady beats and the vocals by Vincent Bennett rage havoc on each track with a distinctive and authoritative sound. Slow Decay proves how doom metal is alive and fans will be happy with the effort The Acacia Strain put into this record.

Ear-bleeding “The Lucid Dream” is a tune which features empowering vocals by Bennett and Mortality Rate vocalist Jess Nyx. While listening, the chemistry between Bennett and Nyx is undeniably good because their vocal styles create a musical surge that is filled with high-strung emotions. Bennett’s vocals are driven with sheer power and Nyx’s vocal style lights the atmosphere with high-pitched screaming and shrieking that can leave listeners wanting to hear more from her. “The Lucid Dream’’ is a righteous song that has a generous kick of vocals by Bennett and Nyx.

Thunderous “Crossgates” is a vein shaker because the track has fantastic guitar playing. At the beginning of the song, the sound of heart-pounding guitar playing by Shidaker, Smith Jr. and Landa greets listeners with heavy noise. All three guitarists do a fine job playing clear guitar riffs while staying on a slower musical tempo. What is the most enjoyable is how the bass guitar playing by Landa shakes the background with low vibrating riffs that can be felt while listening. If people want to hear a song that has bittersweet guitar playing, “Crossgates” is the song of choice.

Blazing “Crippling Poison” is a song that has incredible drum playing by Boutot. Throughout the entire track, Boutot’s drumming shines brightly due to how his beats are being played on a slower musical structure. While the rest of the band is playing harder and deeper musical notes, Boutot’s drum playing brings a fast paced sound that enriches the composition with a taste of hard rock drum beats. Boutot plays his heart out in “Crippling Poison” and it is nice to hear how talented Boutot is as a drummer.

Angry “Inverted Person” is a gloomy song because the lyrics contain the feeling of despair while trying to thrive in a world filled with negativity. The words “Pass the blame down/ An entire generation of entitled fucking clowns/ Bulldoze through every situation/ You steamroll every conversation” shows how The Acacia Strain is upset with what is going on in society and Bennett shows how angry he is toward people who do not bring justice to those who need it. “Inverted Person” is a meaningful piece with incredible words.

Booming “I breathed in the smoke deeply it tasted like death and I smiled” has beautiful instrumentation and the vocals from Bennett and Left Behind lead singer Zach Hatfield keep the music together with a collaboration of rhythmic vocal styles. In the middle of the song, both vocalists sing a verse together and what is amazing is how Hatfield and Bennett sing in a powerful and harmonic way. The chemistry between Bennett and Hatfield is amazing by how well both vocalists shout the lyrics in pure musical fashion. Bennett and Hatfield give their all while singing on “I breathed in the smoke deeply it tasted like death and I smiled.” 

Slow Decay is a well-played album that defines what doom metal is and it also shows how The Acacia Strain continue to release great music.