Photos and writing by Dillon Reesor
The Acacia Strain brought their headlining tour to The Underground in Charlotte on August 17th, for a night that was heavy from the jump. With support from No Cure, Tribal Gaze, Ingrown, and Bodysnatcher, the lineup delivered a full evening of nonstop energy to a room that was packed before the first note sounded.
No Cure opened things up with a raw set that immediately got the floor active. Their sound hit hard and direct, and the crowd responded with the first pits of the night.
Tribal Gaze followed with dense, riff-driven death metal that added weight to the early part of the show, locking the crowd in step with every drop.
Ingrown kept the momentum alive with a burst of hardcore punk aggression—short, sharp songs that carried plenty of bite.
Bodysnatcher then raised the intensity to another level, their breakdowns pulling the room into constant motion. By that point, it was clear this was going to be one of those shows where the energy never dipped.
When The Acacia Strain finally took the stage, the room was primed and ready. The band leaned into what they do best: massive, slow-burning riffs paired with Vincent Bennett’s signature growl, creating a wall of sound that felt both crushing and controlled. After more than two decades in the game, their experience shows—not just in how tight they play, but in how they pace a set. The balance of older material with newer songs gave the crowd exactly what they wanted, and Bennett’s stage presence and vocal delivery kept things in focus even as the pits kept opening up.
What stood out most about the night was how consistent it felt. From the first band on, the show had momentum, and The Acacia Strain capped it off without ever letting things drag. Charlotte showed up big, the openers brought the heat, and The Acacia Strain showed why they’re still one of the most dependable names in metal.
fuelthescene.com 