Step into the Light and Failure Will Follow are the eleventh and twelfth studio albums by American extreme metal band the Acacia Strain. They were released on May 12, 2023, through Rise Records. They are the band's first albums to feature rhythm guitarist Mike Mulholland, replacing Tom Smith who left the band in 2022,[7] and the last to feature longtime drummer Kevin Boutot.
| Step into the Light / Failure Will Follow | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Step into the Light cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 12, 2023[1][2] | |||
| Recorded | 2022 | |||
| Genre | Step Into the Light: Deathcore, metalcore[3] Failure Will Follow: Sludge metal, doom metal[4] | |||
| Length | 23:33 (Step Into the Light) 38:42 (Failure Will Follow) 62:15 (total) | |||
| Label | Rise | |||
| Producer | Randy LeBoeuf | |||
| The Acacia Strain chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Additional cover | ||||
 Failure Will Follow cover | ||||
| Singles from Step into the Light | ||||
Step into the Light features 10 tracks of the band's usual deathcore/metalcore style that are mostly each under three minutes long, and it features guest vocals from Jacob Lilly (Chamber) and Josef Alfonso (Sunami).[8] Failure Will Follow consists of three tracks that are each over 10 minutes long that show "the sludgier side of the band".[9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Flourishing" | 1:17 |
| 2. | "Calf's Blood" | 1:40 |
| 3. | "Chain" (featuring Jacob Lilly) | 1:12 |
| 4. | "Fresh Bones" | 2:29 |
| 5. | "Teeth of the Cursed Dog" | 2:40 |
| 6. | "Open Wound" | 1:54 |
| 7. | "Sinkhole" (featuring Josef Alfonso) | 3:50 |
| 8. | "Is This Really Happening?" | 2:57 |
| 9. | "Untended Graves" | 2:17 |
| 10. | "None of Us Asked to Be Here" | 3:17 |
| Total length: | 23:33 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pillar of Salt" (featuring Dylan Walker and iRis.EXE) | 11:32 |
| 2. | "Bog Walker" (featuring Sam Sawyer) | 17:00 |
| 3. | "Basin of Vows" (featuring Ethan McCarthy and Abra Bigham) | 10:10 |
| Total length: | 38:42 | |
Personnel
editThe Acacia Strain
edit- Vincent Bennett – lead vocals
- Devin Shidaker – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Mike Mulholland – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Griffin Landa – bass
- Kevin Boutot – drums
Additional personnel
edit- Jacob Lilly – vocals on "Chain"
- Josef Alfonso – vocals on "Sinkhole"
- Dylan Walker - vocals on "Pillar of Salt"
- iRis.EXE - vocals on "Pillar of Salt"
- Sam Sawyer - vocals on "Bog Walker"
- Ethan McCarthy - vocals on "Basin of Vows"
- Abra Bigham - spoken word on "Basin of Vows"
Production
edit- Produced by Randy Leboeuf
References
edit- ^ Andrew Sacher (February 14, 2023). "The Acacia Strain announce new LP 'Step Into the Light' (new song & exclusive swirl vinyl)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- ^ Sam Taylor (March 15, 2023). "The Acacia Strain have announced a second new album for May". Upset. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ Max Heilman (May 4, 2023). "Review: The Acacia Strain Brings Unbridled Mayhem with Step Into The Light". www.metalsucks.net. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Max Heilman (May 4, 2023). "Review: The Acacia Strain Mines the Depths of Doom with Failure Will Follow". www.metalsucks.net. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Jack Rogers (December 14, 2022). "The Acacia Strain Release Punishing New Track 'Untended Graves'". Rock Sound. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Hesher Keenan (April 20, 2023). "The Acacia Strain Released Their Latest Single "Chain"". Metal Sucks. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "The Acacia Strain Guitarist Tom Smith Calls It Quits, Says There's No Beef and Names Final Shows". Metal Sucks. February 24, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Calum Slingerland (February 14, 2023). "The Acacia Strain 'Step into the Light' on New Album". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Hesher Keenan (March 15, 2023). "The Acacia Strain Announce a Second New Album, Failure Will Follow to Release the Same Day as Step Into The Light". www.metalsucks.net. Retrieved May 21, 2023.