Slow Decay
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Slow Decay
| type = studio
| artist = the Acacia Strain
| cover = The Acacia Strain - Slow Decay.png
| alt =
| recorded = 2020
| studio =
| genre =
- Metalcore{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2023/05/04/review-the-acacia-strain-brings-unbridled-mayhem-with-step-into-the-light/|title=Review: The Acacia Strain Brings Unbridled Mayhem with Step Into The Light|author=Max Heilman|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=May 4, 2023|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2023/05/04/review-the-acacia-strain-mines-the-depths-of-doom-with-failure-will-follow/|title=Review: The Acacia Strain Mines the Depths of Doom with Failure Will Follow|author=Max Heilman|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=May 4, 2023|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
- sludge metal
- deathcore{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/the_acacia_strain_slow_decay_album_review|title=The Acacia Strain Are Unafraid of Reinvention on 'Slow Decay'|author=Mark Tremblay|work=Exclaim!|date=July 22, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
| length = 43:00
| label = Rise
| producer =
| prev_title = It Comes in Waves
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = Step Into the Light / Failure Will Follow
| next_year = 2023
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Slow Decay
| type = studio
| single1 = D (Feed a Pigeon Breed a Rat/Seeing God)
| single1date = February 28, 2020{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/02/28/the-acacia-strain-have-released-two-new-songs/|title=The Acacia Strain Have Released TWO New Songs|author=Axl Rosenberg|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=February 28, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
| single2 = E (Solace And Serenity/The Lucid Dream)
| single2date = March 20, 2020{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/03/20/stream-the-acacia-strains-new-ep-e/|title=Stream The Acacia Strain's New EP, E|author=Axl Rosenberg|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=March 20, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
| single3 = C (I Breathed in the Smoke Deeply It Tasted Like Death and I Smiled/Crossgates)
| single3date = April 17, 2020{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/04/17/stream-the-acacia-strains-new-ep-c/|title=Stream The Acacia Strain's New EP, C|author=Axl Rosenberg|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=April 17, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
| single4 = A (Inverted Person/Chhinnamasta)
| single4date = May 15, 2020{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/05/15/stream-the-acacia-strains-new-ep-a/|title=Stream The Acacia Strain's New EP, A|author=Axl Rosenberg|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=May 15, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
| single5 = Y (One Thousand Painful Stings/EARTH WILL BECOME DEATH)
| single6 = Slow (Crippling Poison/Birds of Paradise, Birds of Prey)
| single6date = July 26, 2020{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/07/26/the-acacia-strain-post-two-more-new-songs/|title=The Acacia Strain Post Two More New Songs|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=July 26, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
}}
}}
Slow Decay is the tenth studio album by American metalcore band the Acacia Strain. It was released on July 24, 2020, through Rise Records, though originally scheduled for release a week earlier, on July 17.{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/06/10/are-the-acacia-strain-releasing-a-new-album-in-july/|title=Are The Acacia Strain Releasing a New Album in July?|author=Axl Rosenberg|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=June 10, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
The songs in the album were all released as six two-track singles, the first five of which were released in the months leading up to the album's release with one-letter titles spelling out the word "DECAY".{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/07/21/the-acacia-strain-guitarist-explains-why-they-released-slow-decay-two-songs-at-a-time-over-several-months/|title=The Acacia Strain Guitarist Explains Why They Released Slow Decay Two Songs at a Time Over Several Months|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=July 21, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}} Guest vocalists in the album include Aaron Heard (Jesus Piece),{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/07/13/the-acacia-strains-devin-shidaker-on-the-metalsucks-podcast-346/|title=The Acacia Strain's Devin Shidaker on The MetalSucks Podcast #346|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=July 13, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}} Jess Nyx (Mortality Rate),{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/04/14/wsou-first-impressions-the-acacia-strain-d-and-e-eps/|title=WSOU First Impressions: The Acacia Strain, D and E EPs|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=April 14, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}} Zach Hatfield (Left Behind), and Courtney LaPlante (Spiritbox).{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/12/16/the-acacia-strain-post-video-with-spiritbox-vocalist-courtney-laplante/|title=The Acacia Strain's Slow Decay: First Week Sales Revealed|author=Vince Neilstein|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=December 16, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
The album went on to have over 12,000 copies sold within a week after its release, over 9,000 of which being pure copies, selling more than their previous albums such as Coma Witch and Gravebloom had in their respective initial weeks of release. The album peaked in the Billboard charts at #87 in the Top 200 chart and #3 in the Hard Rock Albums chart, along with #5 in Current Albums, Top Album Sales, and Vinyl Albums.{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/08/04/the-acacia-strains-slow-decay-first-week-sales-revealed/|title=The Acacia Strain's Slow Decay: First Week Sales Revealed|author=Axl Rosenberg|website=www.metalsucks.net|date=August 4, 2020|accessdate=May 21, 2023}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Slow Decay track listing
| title1 = Feed a Pigeon, Breed a Rat
| length1 = 3:39
| title2 = Crippling Poison
| length2 = 2:34
| title3 = Seeing God
| note3 = featuring Aaron Heard
| length3 = 2:48
| title4 = Solace and Serenity
| length4 = 4:37
| title5 = The Lucid Dream
| note5 = featuring Jess Nyx
| length5 = 4:05
| title6 = I Breathed In the Smoke Deeply, It Tasted Like Death and I Smiled
| note6 = featuring Zach Hatfield
| length6 = 4:44
| title7 = Crossgates
| length7 = 1:08
| title8 = Inverted Person
| length8 = 3:23
| title9 = Chhinnamasta
| length9 = 3:50
| title10 = One Thousand Painful Stings
| note10 = featuring Courtney LaPlante
| length10 = 4:29
| title11 = Birds of Paradise, Birds of Prey
| length11 = 3:46
| title12 = Earth Will Become Death
| length12 = 3:57
| total_length = 43:00
}}
Personnel
=The Acacia Strain=
- Vincent Bennett – vocals
- Kevin Boutot – drums
- Devin Shidaker – guitar
- Tom Smith, Jr. – guitar
- Griffin Landa – bass
=Additional personnel=
- Aaron Heard (Jesus Piece) – vocals on "Seeing God"
- Jess Nyx (Mortality Rate) – vocals on "The Lucid Dream"
- Zach Hatfield (Left Behind) – vocals on "I Breathed in the Smoke Deeply, It Tasted like Death and I Smiled"
- Courtney LaPlante (Spiritbox) – vocals on "One Thousand Painful Stings"
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for Slow Decay ! scope="col"| Chart (2017) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|87|artist=The Acacia Strain|rowheader=true|accessdate=July 11, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardIndependent|12|artist=The Acacia Strain|rowheader=true|accessdate=July 11, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardHardRock|3|artist=The Acacia Strain|rowheader=true|accessdate=July 11, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRock|11|artist=The Acacia Strain|rowheader=true|accessdate=July 11, 2017}} |