dooming the universe: Acacia (Sweden)

Acacia (Sweden): “Tills döden skiljer oss åt” (Art of Propaganda)

Do you support bands that make epic atmospheric, melancholic doom? Do you enjoy bands that make music as if they have no interest at all in short, easy songs because they do not seem to care to play the games of the music business, of appealing to a “wide” audience?

Acacia sounds like they do not pander to the masses, metal or otherwise. It’s music for a select audience, initiated in a specific tradition of doom. Of the five songs, only the first one is six and a half minutes, and functions as a sort of introduction. The other four songs are 11:52, 17:08, 11:50 and 14:06. The lyrics are in Swedish (I presume). If I could summarize the style of Acacia, I would say that it is melancholic, melodic doom with both traditional singing and growling, spiced up with forays into blasting black metal. A lot goes on in a song, yet it flows smoothly.

There several ear-catching elements, too. For example, the keyboards on this album sound nothing like the typical metal keyboards. It is piano, and it’s not “happy,” but rather morose-melancholic playing by Seiya Ogino. Another example is the singing of Moa Thorén, who has a really pleasant voice, and is a highlight of the album. A third case is that the guitars continually have a black metal vibe, so it is not slow chugging/plucking away, but rather riffy, memorable guitar work.

In short, very highly recommended for doomsters into melancholic doom. Acacia’s album has its own special vibe and is a rich mix of sounds that go together coherently. www.facebook.com/acaciaswe