Acidosis have been sitting on something for nearly two decades, and “Arrival” makes it clear the wait was worth it. The title track and opening salvo from their upcoming debut album ‘Arrival,’ due April 27th, is a fast-moving heavy metal statement that wastes absolutely no time making its intentions known. Galloping grooves, relentless forward momentum, and a chorus built to be shouted back at a stage.
The track draws its lyrical inspiration from the alien abduction sequence in cult film Fire in the Sky, using the terror of helplessness and loss of control as an allegory for impending doom. It’s a sharp conceptual choice that gives the song weight beyond the riff, and the riff is already doing plenty of heavy lifting on its own. Reference points like Iron Maiden, Mastodon, and Nuclear Assault give you the sonic coordinates, though Acidosis lands somewhere distinctly their own.
The re-formed lineup features Katzman on bass and vocals, Diego Edsel, Deo Budnevich, and Jonathan Rusten on guitars, and Harry Schwarz on drums. The album was produced by Katzman and Ryan Haft, mixed by Haft, and mastered by Howie Weinberg. Artwork comes from Juan Montoya of Torche, with layout by Perry Shall, whose credits include Green Day and Black Keys. That’s a serious production team for a serious record.
‘Arrival’ is a full-length album nearly 20 years in the making, originally drafted during Katzman’s teenage years and now brought fully to life by a lineup that sounds locked in and firing on all cylinders. “Arrival” is the entry point and the warning shot. The rest of the album follows on April 27th.
