Interview with The Acacia Strain vocalist Vincent Bennett [W/ Audio]

Massachusetts based metal band The Acacia Strain have just released their fifth offering, Wormwood. Vocalist Vincent Bennett spoke with me the day before the band was heading out on The Cool Tour. Let me tell you, Wormwood is one hell of a disc. It is heavy, aggressive and everything we have come to expect from The Acacia Strain and then some. Here is what Bennett had to say about the new disc and the bands upcoming tour plans.

Now that your brand new CD, Wormwood is set for release on July 20th how do you feel about it and are you satisfied with the outcome?
Vincent: I love this record. I think this is the most confident I have ever felt releasing a record. I am really happy with the writing the recording and the finality of the whole thing. I think it is just awesome.

What was the writing process like for this disc?
Vincent: Basically we sat down and turned the riffs into songs and we all approved or disapproved and it eventually became a record. It was pretty easy and this was the most laid back recording process I have ever done.

How long did it take to write?
Vincent: 3 or 4 months.

I only have the 3 song sampler that the record company sent me but just by listening to those songs it seems that everything is heavier and more aggressive.
Vincent: Yeah that is what we were going for. We had this vision of our heaviest release and I think it just worked out.

Do you guys think about differing your sounds and performances from release to release?
Vincent: There is always a difference in the records. If you keep writing the same record over and over again you might as well just give up. At the same time if you get too out of your element as a band… We know who we are as a band and we know what we are but we wanted to mature as The Acacia Strain. We did not want to stray to far from who we are as a band but we wanted to grow.

The three tunes that I have heard I truly dig and quite honestly can’t get enough of. I know it is not released yet but how are the early reviews from the press and those who have heard it?
Vincent: Everybody that has heard it is stoked on it.

You guys plan on playing a good mix of old and new tunes on this tour?
Vincent: Yes definitely. We try to mix it up.

I know you guys tour quite a bit. How do you keep up that level of energy and exuberance day after day?
Vincent: I think we are kind of like perpetual motion machines. So when we are not moving we store up more energy so when we have time off like this it gets us more excited to be on the stage and it makes the performance more energetic.

What is on your agenda after The Cool Tour?
Vincent: The Cool Tour is until August 1st and than after that we pretty much have most of August off, we might play a show or two. After that we are going to Europe in September and October with Every time I Die and All Shall Perish and then we come back and will be headlining a tour beginning on Halloween weekend and going throughout Thanksgiving. We have stuff after that and we are pretty much booked up until Fall of 2011.

Really that long, huh?
Vincent: Yeah we have not been on the road for like six months so we are trying to get all of our ducks in a row and really get out there.

So this is really the eve of your departure for more than six months or eight then?
Vincent: Yeah. It is going to be fun but it will be stressful as well.

Any closing words at all?
Vincent: Get the record. If you want to buy it get it the first week because that is the only time it really fucking matters. After that you can download the shit out of it I really don’t care. For some reason the first weeks numbers are the only numbers that mater to anybody anyway. The fact that numbers matter at all anymore is complete bullshit to me because if you are going to go by records sold than you need to go by records downloaded as well. There are plenty of bands out there that have platinum records by downloads alone. If the fans really want the record buy it the first week or pre-order it. After that I really don’t care at all.