Acrimony was a Welsh heavy metal band from Swansea who was active during the 1990s. Releasing their debut album in 1994, they are regarded as the pioneers of

stoner metal Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Slee ...

in the United Kingdom, and an important influence upon the scene. Although the band never achieved mainstream success, during their career they received much critical acclaim – they were nominated for the ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

'' Best Newcomer award and earned top review ratings. Acrimony have maintained a cult following in the British metal scene, their records reportedly selling for vast sums as collectors items.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

described their musical style as a "powerful blend of

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

’s heavy metal riffery,

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

's space rock excursions, and

Blue Cheer Blue Cheer was an American rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues rock or acid rock style, and ...

's fuzzed-out psychedelic feedback." In 2019, ''Kerrang!'' listed Acrimony as part of "20 bands who didn't get the respect they deserved".

Present day

Since their split in 1999, Stu O'Hara went on to play guitar in Iron Monkey before the outfit disbanded, then he went on to form the Dukes of Nothing with other ex-Iron Monkey members and members of

Orange Goblin Orange Goblin is a heavy metal band from London, England. Formed in 1995, the band's lineup currently consists of singer Ben Ward, guitarist Joe Hoare, drummer Chris Turner, and bassist Harry Armstrong. History Orange Goblin was originally f ...

. Lee 'Roy' went on to form Swansea-based crust, power violence six-piece Black Eye Riot along with Stu and Dorian. Darren and Mead formed the 9ine, and Mead has his own

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

project Yeti. Lee 'Roy' Davies now plays in the heavy metal band Lifer. In 2008 Stu, Mead, Darren and Dorian re-grouped and wrote tracks as Sigiriya, releasing an album called ''Return to Earth'' in 2011. A change of vocalist came in Matt "Pipes" Williams for 2013 release ''Darkness Died Today''. Lee 'Roy' formed Woven Man and released their debut album entitled ''Revelry (In Our Arms)'' in January 2019. In November 2019, Acrimony's three albums, '' Hymns to the Stone'', '' Tumuli Shroomaroom'' and ''Bong On - Live Long!'' were reissued in 3CD digipack and remastered edition by the Dutch music label Burning World Records.

Band members

*Dorian "Dexter" Walters – vocals *Stuart O'Hara – guitar *Matthew Lee "Roy" Davies – guitar *Paul "Mead" Bidmead – bass *Darren Ivey – drums Former members *David "Dai" Jones – Bass

Discography

Albums

EPs and Singles

Compilation appearances

*1996 – "Earthchild Inferno" on ''Dark Passages Volume II'', later included on ''Bong On - Live Long!'' *1997 – "Bud Song" on ''Burn One Up'' *1998 – "Find The Path" on ''Stoned Revolution'' *1998 – "O Baby" on ''Peaceville X'', later included on ''Bong On - Live Long!'' *1999 – "Tumuli Shroomaroom" on ''Rise 13: Magick Rock Volume 1'' *2001 – "Satellite 19" on ''21st Century Media Blitz Volume II'' *2003 – "And the Story Ends" on ''Tales From the Underworld: A Tribute to Blind Guardian''

References

External links

Official Acrimony websiteAcrimony on BBC Wales
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acrimony Welsh stoner rock musical groups Musical groups established in 1991 Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Musical groups from Swansea Musical quintets 1991 establishments in England