Acrassicauda’s Debut Proves Unyielding
Fluid metal, Iraqi style
Acrassicauda
Only the Dead See the End of the War
Released on Mar 09, 2010
In 2001 Acrassicauda began thrashing and shocking the unsuspecting people of Baghdad. As you might imagine, Baghdad, Iraq doesn’t provide the best reception for the metal music scene. In fact, Acrassicauda claims the title of the first metal band to come from Iraq. The topic so controversial a film was commissioned.
The documentary shows the adversity of this band’s journey in the unwelcoming streets of Iraq. The hardships led to the band receiving numerous death threats for allegedly worshiping Satan, which is entirely untrue. With the death threats and turmoil growing in Baghdad, the band decided to move out. They initially moved to neighboring Middle Eastern countries, but chose New Jersey as a suitable home.
Acrassicauda takes no time to get thrashing away in the opening “Message From Baghdad.” This raw and energetic intro tempts you and quickly brings it to a break down, brought up by a raspy ‘yeaaah.’ The song punches back in with a powerful voice, a quick guitar picking melody and heavy on the double bass drum rhythms. They work in unison, showing us what Iraqi metal sounds like. A harsh and compelling upbringing melded with an aggravated outlook creates this rigid music.
Moving right along to “Garden of Stones;” a steady and riveting launch sends this song into a chugaduging guitar session. This song shows off their Metallica influence. Faisal Talal sings in that raspy and evil tone James Hetfield has so properly perfected.
The song’s overall lyrical tone is dark, as they sing about the aggravation of setting they once lived. The “garden of stones” planted with human remains left from the war.
A meandering and flowing guitar solo fits this song quite so. The solo could be compared to that of Joe Satriani with a lot less flare, as he is quite the showman. A bongo joins in the jam, paired with dulled Middle Eastern singing for a small taste of their roots. The bongo and resonated singing comes off as forced and
“Massacre” opens with evil guitar riffs furthering in intensity, then subsiding to their native tongue, speaking over the top. The singing lays stale through the song. The quality only found within the instrumentals of this tune. In the chorus I hear echoes of Godsmack, a strange influence to follow.
They break it down and comes back thrashing with some speed metal. Quite enjoyable. Unfortunately the speed metal merely tempts us with a glimpse and the song returns to a slower tempo, thinning to an end.
Don’t you fret metal junkies; “The Unknown” surely will send you into a head banging stupor. The vigor runs rampant; it is metal, so screaming does ensue. Don’t be scared, embrace it for once.
They sing of their hardships, “Living in a world of hate, hate, discrimination. Lies, lies.” Instrumentally speaking, the anger is apparent and well employed. It must be easy for this band to create heated music, as they have experienced some serious alienation in a war-stricken country.
Download Only the Dead See the End of the War here
High Point
They pay homage to their metal influences in a respectable fashion.
Low Point
The lackluster lyrics bring it down, but at least I can understand them, as opposed to most American metal.
Posted by Daniel Wehrli on Mar 18, 2010 @ 6:00 am