ACxDC

Apr 22

Twenty-one years into their time as a band, ACxDC is still going strong and is unleashing another fast, angry, and unforgiving album. But that’s not all there is to it. Due April 26th, G.O.A.T is 17 tracks with eye catching titles and no genre commitment, refusing the box of “powerviolence” and embracing the influence of a range of music. In this project, ACxDC digs deeper than ever before.

While their familiar humor remains consistent, it has evolved, as has the band itself and the world around them. Explained by vocalist and scene hero Sergio Amalfitano, “I think cosmic horror, the pandemic, death, anger at the general populace over the last couple of years, et cetera, has really sort of boiled over in me. I feel like this album is a bit more biting, a bit more straightforward, a bit more tongue and cheek, and there's less held back. Satan Is King was a Kanye diss. This is a diss towards everyone… I think we experiment with genres more than most bands. We definitely add dbeat, hardcore, punk, oi, death metal, thrash, etc AND if you really listen you'll hear the influence outside of those genres from funk, pop, musicals, and more. I think too many people are hung up on labels and we don't care. Obviously greatest of all time can be seen as a fuck you to everyone else…it kind of is, in the most tongue in cheek way, a way of saying we’re a band that stands apart because we are a band that does what we want without thinking about anyone else’s expectations. So to us, we’re the greatest band we can be”.

Handling weighty themes such as political rage, depression, failure, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt more directly than previous releases, this project holds nothing back, and expects the same from its listeners. “I think we just sort of hone in more on what we like and are able to express it better. I find that we’re less ‘afraid’ to play whatever we want however we want without regard as to how it'll be received or interpreted,” states Amalfitano, “I also think that lyrically it's a lot more on a personal level now than ever before. We used to be very adamant about using lyrics to express concepts in silly ways where you could sing along without deeper thought if you didn't want to, but now it’s just a lot more blatant… I want people to be able to relate to the energy of this album in a way where they’ll feel an emotional release. I'd love it if people hear this and get blown away on multiple levels.

“IF YOU CAN HEAR AWESOME SONGS, FEEL THE LYRICS, AND RELATE IN A WAY THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO EXERT ENERGY THEN WE'VE DONE OUR JOB”.

- SERGIO @ACXDC_666

Recorded with Taylor Young of The Pit Recording Studio, G.O.A.T is a wholesome collaborative effort, built by longtime drivers and residents of the extreme music scene. The comfortability and shared beliefs shines through in the album, working to form this cohesively jarring collection of songs. “In terms of production we are very laid back and trust our producer entirely. “Taylor Young is a beast when it comes to recording. He understands all of the extremities of the music we’re trying to accomplish and can capture it better than we can even try to translate our thoughts. Everything from tone, pedals, sheer loudness, all really is a result of him. We come in with ideas but we value his input very much and feel like he’s a close friend so he can be honest with us if he thinks something sucks, ha” Amalfitano describes the recording experience.

It had been four years since the group recorded G.O.A.T’s predecessor, Satan Is King, with Young, and since then they have undergone new experiences and gained new insights as the scene and world kept spinning through a pandemic and major political events. “It's always very relaxing to be in the hands of a professional that’s your friend AND very importantly also involved in extreme music. I think it was standard in the sense that we record individually, but I really enjoyed the vocal tracking. I came in with certain ideas that weren’t very traditional in the sense of following the music exactly and Taylor ran with it with some awesome suggestions. After years of the pandemic I think we just wanted to write something strong, cohesive, explosive, etc, and that lack of recording during Covid really pushed us (in particular the sense of isolation/depression that can be seen in the lyrics)”.

However, Sergio’s voice and perspective isn’t the only one that can be heard on these subjects, as for the first time ever, ACxDC has brought some notable friends (namely, Henry Everitt & Roger Rivandeneira (No/Mas), Alex Jones (Undeath), Elliott Morrow (Gulch), and Galax (Greenwitch)) to feature on their most synergetic project yet. “We've never had features! So it was a unique sort of thing to have happened on this album. I never really thought of having ‘outsiders' really participate in the recordings. I just always thought ‘oh well, just have the band do backup vocals’. But I was excited to have people whose artistry and bands I really respect. It's great to showcase your friends on records and collaborate and see what their take would be on something”.

After over two decades as a collective, you can expect to hear a level of mastery of a familiarized process. Falling into their natural roles, band members Sergio Amalfitano, Jorge Luis Herrera, Ryan James Corbett, and Edward Jason Oropeza, despite any differences, stand as a unit in backing DIY and innate humanity, each bringing value individually to the album. “We all sort of create what we can on our own time and bring it to the group. I hum ideas into my phone or reference other bands (usually not extreme bands) in terms of grooves or breakdowns as well as lyrical concepts that shape the song. Eddie is the main riff master so he'll come up with some killer stuff and demo it so we can morph it into something we all dig. Ryan also writes on guitar and translates stuff to bass and comes with complete songs. Jorge is the backbone so he adds his flare to stuff. Generally though it's collective and we all throw our ideas in the bowl when we do get together,” Amalfitano expresses, “We stand for us. We represent us. We don't necessarily all agree on every single thing but we love each other and we want to express ourselves together. I think at this point we just want to show people what we can create as a unit and have them take that on for themselves. Yes some of us are vegan, edge, anarchist, queer, etc. We all just believe in DIY and not being a fucking asshole”.

Besides a pithy and sonically enticing album later this month, there is more to expect coming your way from ACxDC including “one more LP” and “lots of touring”. They plan to take G.O.A.T “around the world,” to “hang out with friends, call out dumbasses, and have the usual with more fun shows and less giving a fuck”.

To conclude,

“Free Palestine. Fuck Christians. All governments are useless. Shoot more politicians.”

Checkout their bandcamp here: ACxDC

Writer : @ab.bashara

Editor : @just_reidz

04/22/24