‘Flourishing’ begins the double album experience with an ingredient often crucial in a TAS record – a big fat riff. A run time of less than ninety seconds means that every moment counts, managing to display seasoned tempo control to dictate the energy and power of the track in spite of its short duration. ‘Calf’s Blood’ builds tension and with ringing guitars, rattling bass and kick drums that punch through the mix. A jaw-clenching fight riff suffixes the track before initiating the instant terror of third single ‘Chain’. Ignorantly heavy music and classically vile lyricism from Vincent Bennett, but another short run time leaves us three songs deep and barely over four minutes of music have been heard. In another album this may be a cause for concern, however the double album tactic employed by TAS mitigates this downfall as will be explored later in this piece.
‘Fresh Bones’ was the second single, one of the standouts of the album. It displays their ability to command power using minimalistic and relatively primitive methods – a valuable and increasingly unique skill to possess in modern heavy music. Further marching and rhythmic hell-sounds are fronted in ‘Teeth Of The Cursed Dog, with very clever use of the buzzsaw-esque guitars to build the classically unforgiving riff so adored by this band. ‘OPEN WOUND’ explores levels of more unique soundscaping to help give this track identity as it powers on with a steadily destructive tempo and well-drilled pace control.
“A steadily destructive tempo and well-drilled pace control.”
‘Sinkhole’ gets groovy with the drumbeats. Then less groovy and more scary – with a callout by Josef Alfonso that will surely be a live-set highlight. A strong riff and consistent cymbal backdrop into the second half of the song keeps it steady and heavy as anything you’ll hear this year. Ties back to their previous release ‘Slow Decay’ remain noticeable throughout this record, ‘Is This Really Happening’ providing such reminiscent moments through a controlled composure to the rhythm throughout, culminating in a ride-accompanied beatdown and some pretty cool vocal work by Bennett.
The first single, released back in December 2022, is ‘Untended Graves’. An all-round summary of the best of this band in its current era. Bouncy and catchy despite being composed of nothing but caveman riffs, collapsing into a pained and visceral final section. Step Into The Light is closed by ‘None Of Us Asked To Be Here’, the main riff of which flows like a slow tide until being sucked into faster waters and unhinged drums, preceding a return to a cumbersome pace to drag the final sludgy riff through the thorns and shrubs and close out the first album.
“An all-round summary of the best of this band in its current era.”
‘Pillar Of Salt’ opens Failure Will Follow. in this gargantuan package of horror. An eleven-minute long homage to everything that ‘tune low, die slow’ truly means. This, the second of the two albums, is instantly recognisable as a different entity to the work preceding it. Soundscape creation is expertly displayed before delivering colossal riffs that, thanks to low tuning and unforgiving rhythm in unison, permeate on a deep and powerful level. This track and album both feel as if they almost have a gravitational pull, with each development in the story providing yet another form with which The Acacia Strain suck you into total sonic horror. Inhuman vocals flanking an eerily beautiful feature from iRiS.exe bring an end a monumental opener. Second track ‘Bog Walker’ flirts with Sabbath worship in the infancy of this seventeen-minute goliath, until out of the depths of the track cuts through a more surgical guitar tone and driving home a swampy and heavy-set riff which invokes titularly-accurate imagery. ‘Bog walker’ throws further evil atmospheres and hurtful riffs around before grinding back into gear for the main riff to see the listener home. A cult classic to-be if ever there was one.
Of the two albums, the three tracks of Failure Will Follow manage to tally a much higher minute count than the former. The contemporary method of art consumption that is growing into many segments of the industry, while bringing certain benefits, has left little accommodation in its forward force for music that takes its time in showing off. Failure will follow is a prime example as to why we ought to appreciate long-form music, which will continue to impress and push boundaries by its very nature. ‘Basin Of Vows’ picks up the gauntlet in the name of a much more classically aggressive TAS vibe. As the bluesy melody of bog walker fades into the distance the listener is confronted with an uncomfortable energy generated by the perpetually growing sound of the instruments. Sweeping down to an almost hallucinogenic phase of the track that basks in melody and sampling in a disturbing way, TAS then release both barrels with a bonebreaking beatdown, awesome crescendo and an appropriately glorious riff to close the casket.
Little else can be said other than extending the utmost importance that this album is heard by ears across the alternative world. Whether heavy, melodic, atmospheric or energetic there is endless precision mastered by The Acacia Strain. They are truly one of a kind, Step Into The Light & Failure Will Follow are testament to this.