Band : Acrassicauda
Album title : Only The Dead See The End Of The War
Label : Vice
Distributor : V2
Release date : 08/03/2010
Release : CD

Last year, there’s been much ado about this Thrash Metal band. Hailed from Irak’s capital city Bagdad, where the band was formed in days that Saddam was still in power, the four members have gone through several personal and combined hardships. First the 2003 American bombardments of their city decimated their families and friends, and in the resulting occupation even more people in their immediate surroundings were killed. Eventually the band’s practive place was blown to bits and to top everything off, they were getting threats from the death squads that were roaming the streets.

Survival their main goal, they left everything behind and began their rag-tag flight from Bagdad. It would lead them first to Syria, and from there to Turkye…where the band members met Testament backstage at a concert, and found a mentor and sponsor in guitarist Alex Skolnick, facilitating their move to the United States. Several months and filled-out forms later the band eventually arrived in New York, to find companies such as ESP, Peavey, Guitar Center and Yamaha willing to donate instruments to get the band started again. I’m not sure in how far Skolnick had a hand in the band’s getting of that attention, but certain is that he helped the band to the possibility to practice, and eventually (with the help of Josh Wilbur – of Lamb Of God, Hatebreed and System Of A Down fame) produced the band’s first recordings. By then, Vice Records had taken an interest in the band’s music…and that’s how Acrassicauda’s debut EP came to life!

Those among you living in Belgium or Holland, and also taking notice of reviews in (paper) magazines might already have picked up the April issue of Dutch magazine Aardschok, where you would’ve found a rather negative review of this same EP. The reviewer starts off by stating that people whom might’ve seen the Rockumentary Heavy Metal In Bagdad would already know that Acrassicauda is not an exceptionally talented band, continues to break down the band’s capacities, and ends his review with the contradictoral claim that the band’s EP stands no comparison to the fantastic  documentary! I have to admit that when I first read the biography of this band I raised my eyebrows in disapproval somewhat. I mean, check this out : “Take the number of Metal bands who sing about war, death, and destruction. Subtract from it the number of Metal bands with personal experience of such matters. If you arrive at the number minus 345 billion then you’ve done the math correctly.”! That is such a rediculous over-estimation of the amount of Metal bands on this Earth it gives the statement a thoroughly laughable touch! I mean, we may be Metalheads, but we’re not stupid, you know!

Luckily the music, and the band’s lyrics are a lot more serious. Drawing from their love for Black Album era Metallica, Slayer and Seputura, the band has indeed succeeded in bringing us material with a difference, in that most songs have sóme Oriental influence incorporated into it, besides the lyrical aspect! In the opening track “Message From Bagdad” that is somewhat limited to the incorporation of a small passage of sound samples from tv reports on suicide attacks. “Gardens Of Stone” (which above mentioned reviewer claims is based on the rhythmic approach of Pantera’s “Domination” and typified by a whiny James Hetfield like vocal…huh??!!!) is ended with a short Persian chant (part of a call to prayer?). “Massacre”, on the contrary, opens with a spoken word passage, done in Persian, and towards the end there’s even a short passage with a bit of an oriental influence in the music itself! The EP’s closing track “The Unknown”, besides being the longest track, is also the exception to the “Oriental” rule. What sets Acrassicauda apart for me personally, is their generous play of notes by the lead guitarist. As Thrash bands go, they also have a way to diversify the pace of songs within the songs itself, which incites the listener to pay a little more attention, thus eventually also paying attention to the lyrics! In essence, Acrassicauda do their thing well, in fact véry well, as you may well find out for yourselves by checking what audio is posted at either the band’s own website (www.) acrassicaudas5.com, or MySpace page. Have fun!

89/100

Tony.