The Acacia Strain
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox musical artist
The Acacia Strain is an American metalcore band that was founded in 2001 and originally based in Chicopee, Massachusetts, but now based in Albany, New York. The group is currently signed to Rise Records<ref name="MusicMight">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> and initially consisted of high school friends Vincent Bennett, Christopher Daniele, and Ben Abert, Karrie Whitfield, Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz, and Daniel Daponde joining shortly after. They recorded and released their debut album ...And Life Is Very Long in 2002 via Devil's Head records. The band has released thirteen full-length albums throughout their tenure.
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Artistry
Musical style
The Acacia Strain's music has been primarily described as deathcore<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and metalcore,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and has been noted to include heavy influences from sludge,<ref name=AllMusic /> doom metal<ref name=AllMusic /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and death metal<ref>Lets Talk About Knocked Loose MetalSucks</ref> along with some punk rock-style aesthetic and sensibilities.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
AllMusic characterizes the band's musical style as "utiliz[ing] a bone-crushing rhythm section, apocalyptic samples, and a unique triple-guitar assault to deliver their signature blend of hardcore punk, noise, death metal and doom metal."<ref name=AllMusic>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The site's review of Wormwood elaborates on the band's sound as "an inelegant and unstoppable juggernaut fueled by memories of the unchecked aggression unleashed on the world by the likes of Sepultura and Pantera."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Vocalist Vincent Bennett has denied that The Acacia Strain is of the "deathcore genre", going as far as expressing dislike for the label,<ref name="ExclusiveInterviewVincentBennett">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=SickDrummer /> though Bennett was later more ambivalent towards it, stating "sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Acacia Strain's influences include Candiria, Integrity, Dismember, Crowbar, Meshuggah, Hatebreed, Slayer, Arch Enemy, and Overcast.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=SickDrummer>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Acacia Strain's music videos were also known for being humorous, and generally not taking the deathcore scene seriously.
Lyrics
Written by lead vocalist Vincent Bennett, the band's lyrics generally center around misanthropy<ref name="HardTimesInterviewVincentBennett">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and nihilism.<ref name="sickdrummermagazine1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bennett employs misogynistic and sexually deviant imagery in his lyrics, but usually only as metaphors to help get his points across while keeping the songs' overall meanings open for interpretation.<ref name="HardTimesInterviewVincentBennett" /><ref name="sickdrummermagazine1" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Band members
Current
- Vincent Bennett – lead vocals (2001–present)
- Devin "Big Slime" Shidaker – lead guitar, backing vocals (2013–present)
- Griffin Landa – bass (2015–present)
- Mike Mulholland – rhythm guitar (2022–present)
- Matt Guglielmo – drums (2023–present)
Former
- Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz – lead guitar, programming, backing vocals (2001–2013); rhythm guitar (2007–2013)
- Daniel Daponde – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2001–2006)
- Christopher Daniele – third guitar (2001–2005)
- Ben Abert – drums (2001–2004)
- Karrie Whitfield – bass (2001–2003)
- Jeanne Sagan – bass (2003)
- Seth Coleman – bass (2004–2006)
- Kevin Boutot – drums (2005–2023)
- Jack Strong – bass (2006–2015)
- Richard Gomez – rhythm guitar (2013–2016)
- Tom Smith Jr. – rhythm guitar (2016–2022)
Touring
- Mark Castillo – drums (2004)
- John Preston – bass (2003)
- David Sroka – rhythm guitar (2009)
- Mike Casavant – rhythm guitar (2009–2010)
- Tim Cavallari – lead guitar (2010–2012)
- Tony Diaz – rhythm guitar (2010–2012)
- Matt Guglielmo – drums (2018)
- Terrance Pettitt – drums (2023)
Timeline
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layer:back at:06/01/2001 color:other at:09/02/2002 color:album at:07/13/2004 color:album at:06/13/2006 color:album at:08/19/2008 color:album at:02/16/2010 color:other at:07/20/2010 color:album at:10/09/2012 color:album at:02/19/2013 color:other at:11/11/2012 color:other at:10/14/2014 color:album at:06/30/2017 color:album at:12/26/2019 color:album at:07/24/2020 color:album at:05/12/2023 color:album at:05/12/2023 color:album at:10/24/2025 color:album
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bar:Vincent text:"Vincent Bennett" bar:DL text:"Daniel Laskiewicz" bar:Devin text:"Devin Shidaker" bar:Dan text:"Daniel Daponde" bar:Chris text:"Chris Daniele" bar:Richard text:"Richard Gomez" bar:Tom text:"Tom Smith Jr." bar:Mike text:"Mike Mulholland" bar:Karrie text:"Karrie Whitfield" bar:Jeanne text:"Jeanne Sagan" bar:Seth text:"Seth Coleman" bar:Jack text:"Jack Strong" bar:Griffin text:"Griffin Landa" bar:Ben text:"Benjamin Abert" bar:Kevin text:"Kevin Boutot" bar:Matt text:"Matt Guglielmo"
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width:11 bar:Vincent from:01/01/2001 till:end color:lvocals bar:DL from:01/01/2001 till:05/18/2013 color:LG bar:DL from:01/01/2004 till:05/18/2013 color:Bvocals width:3 bar:DL from:01/01/2004 till:09/01/2004 color:bass width:7 bar:DL from:11/01/2006 till:05/18/2013 color:RG width:7 bar:Chris from:01/01/2001 till:03/01/2005 color:RG bar:Dan from:01/01/2001 till:11/01/2006 color:RG bar:Dan from:01/01/2004 till:09/01/2004 color:bass width:7 bar:Dan from:01/01/2001 till:11/01/2006 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Richard from:05/18/2013 till:07/11/2016 color:RG bar:Devin from:05/18/2013 till:end color:LG bar:Devin from:05/18/2013 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Tom from:07/11/2016 till:03/06/2022 color:RG bar:Mike from:06/24/2022 till:end color:RG bar:Karrie from:01/01/2001 till:07/01/2003 color:bass bar:Jeanne from:07/01/2003 till:01/01/2004 color:bass bar:Seth from:09/01/2004 till:11/01/2006 color:bass bar:Jack from:11/01/2006 till:05/22/2015 color:bass bar:Griffin from:05/22/2015 till:end color:bass bar:Ben from:01/01/2001 till:09/01/2004 color:drums bar:Kevin from:03/01/2005 till:07/16/2023 color:drums bar:Matt from:09/05/2023 till:end color:drums
</timeline>
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US <ref name="Billboard 200">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Heat. <ref name="US-Heatseekers-albums">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Indie. <ref name="US-Independent-albums">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Rock <ref name="US-Rock-albums">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Hard Rock <ref name="US-Hard Rock-albums">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |||||
| ...And Life Is Very Long |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| 3750 |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| The Dead Walk |
|
— | 40 | 47 | — | — | |||
| Continent |
|
107 | 2 | 13 | — | 18 | |||
| Wormwood |
|
67 | — | 6 | 21 | 8 | |||
| Death Is the Only Mortal |
|
51 | — | 10 | 21 | 5 | |||
| Coma Witch |
|
31 | — | 4 | 8 | 1 | |||
| Gravebloom |
|
146 | — | 4 | 29 | 8 | |||
| It Comes in Waves |
|
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|
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| Slow Decay |
|
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}}</ref>
|
87 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Step Into the Light |
|
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}}</ref>
|
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| Failure Will Follow |
|
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}}</ref>
|
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| You Are Safe from God Here |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||
Live albums
- The Most Known Unknown (2010)
EPs
- When Angels Shed Their Wings Volume 3 with Loyal to the Grave (2003)
- Money for Nothing (2013)
- The Depression Sessions with Thy Art Is Murder and Fit for an Autopsy (2016)
Singles
- "Jonestown" (2010)
- "Servant in the Place of Truth" (2012)
- "Above" / "Below" (2013)
- "Bitter Pill" (2017)
- "Big Sleep" (2017)
- "D" (2020)
- "E" (2020)
- "C" (2020)
- "A" (2020)
- "Y" (2020)
- "Untended Graves" (2022)
- "Fresh Bones" (2023)
- "Chain" (feat. Jacob Lilly) (2022)
Demos
- Demo 2001 (2001)
- Demo 2002 (2002)
DVDs
- The Most Known Unknown (2010)
Music videos
- "Smoke Ya Later" (2004)
- "3750" (2005)
- "Angry Mob Justice" (2006)
- "Skynet" (2009)
- "The Hills Have Eyes" (2010)
- "The Impaler" (2011)
- "Cauterizer" (2014)
- "Send Help" (2015)
- "One Thousand Painful Stings" (2020)
References
External links
- 2001 establishments in Massachusetts
- Heavy metal musical groups from Massachusetts
- Metalcore musical groups from Massachusetts
- American deathcore musical groups
- Musical groups established in 2001
- Musicians from Chicopee, Massachusetts
- Musical groups from Springfield, Massachusetts
- American musical quintets
- Rise Records artists