The Acacia Strain Return With Brutal New Single, 'Untended Graves'

The Acacia Strain have returned with a blistering new single, Untended Graves, their first single since releasing their tenth album, Slow Decay, in July 2020.

The Massachusetts group have released stupendously heavy music since the beginning, but ten albums and a new single into their career, they're as monstrous as ever. Untended Graves is just over two minutes, but that's just over two minutes of being pummelled to the face and body by harsh riffs, drums, and vocals.

The band said about the new single, "UNTENDED GRAVES is a good example of our current collective writing, with some added perspective that was injected into the band recently, as well,” says the band. “It will be a fun one to play live next spring. However, as usual with us, it’s no indication of what’s to come."

With a rallying cry of "I don't want to die" featured in the song, The Acacia Strain says something essential amongst the madness of the music.

We wrote about Slow Decay two years ago: "This album is the sound of sheer rage and turmoil bubbling up to the surface and the refusal to accept our current state of living. Slow Decay takes a long hard look into the mirrors of society, environment, and self, watching as something monstrous stares back."

We added, "Slow Decay takes you through a journey of both external and internal hatred and resentment, lashing out at anything and everything that it deems deserving of scathing criticism and punishment. Crossgates is the perfect example of this, with lines like “what if instead of burning alive, we are living hell? We are the worst versions of ourselves”, permeating a deep loathing for what society has transformed into." Read the rest of the review here.

"With this lineup, I think every single member has become jaded in their own ways with different aspects of the music industry," guitarist Devin Shidaker told Kill Your Stereo. He continued, "There are no rules, and we are proving that. We were all on the same page with how we wanted to do this, and we didn’t second-guess ourselves with any of it. 

"I think that is the attitude that TAS has needed for a long time in respects to songwriting. We have already been a 'fuck the rules' kind of band in a live and lyrical setting, but now I think that mentality has finally transcended into our music as well. There are no rules, and we will be doing what we want from here on out." 

Stream or watch the visualiser to Untended Graves below.