''Continent'' is the fourth studio album of the American

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

band

The Acacia Strain The Acacia Strain is an American metalcore band originally from Chicopee, Massachusetts. They are currently signed to Rise Records. The band has released ten full-length albums. History Forming in 2001, The Acacia Strain was started by h ...

. This is the first album with bassist Jack Strong and second with drummer Kevin Boutot. Recording began on April 13, 2008, and it was released August 19, 2008 via

Prosthetic Records Prosthetic Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal recordings, founded in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald. Prosthetic Records released the first two albums by Lamb of God and Animals ...

. Frontman Vincent Bennett also spoke to

MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...

about the release, saying it was the band's "darkest" effort to date. In 2018, the album was re-released on streaming services, featuring bonus tracks. The album debuted at No. 107 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Heatseekers chart with first week sales of almost 5,600. In September 2018, The Acacia Strain began a 10-year anniversary tour with

After the Burial After the Burial is an American progressive metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released five of their six full-length albums through the label. Since their inception in 2004, the band h ...

Erra Erra can refer to: * Erra (god), a Babylonian god * Erra, Estonia, a settlement in Sonda Parish, Ida-Viru County, Estonia * Erra, the purported home planet of the pleiadean aliens described by ufologist Billy Meier * Pizzo Erra, a mountain in Switz ...

, and

Make Them Suffer Make Them Suffer is an Australian metalcore band from Perth, formed in 2008. They are currently signed to Greyscale Records. Their debut studio album '' Neverbloom'' peaked at No. 56 on the ARIA Album charts in June 2012, and showcased t ...

, where The Acacia Strain played the record in full.

Track listing

Personnel

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes. ;The Acacia Strain *

Vincent Bennett Vincent Bennett is an American musician, best known as the vocalist and only remaining original member of the American deathcore band The Acacia Strain. He is also the vocalist for the hardcore band Cockpunch A groin attack is a deliberate stri ...

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

* Daniel Laskiewicz –

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and

rhythm guitars In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar) ...

, programming, backing vocals * Jack Strong –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

* Kevin Boutot –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

;Production *

Zeuss Christopher Harris (born April 1, 1972), known professionally as Zeuss, is an American record producer, mixer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter. Biography Zeuss is best known in the worlds of hard rock, heavy metal music, hardcore punk, and ...

–

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, mixing * Alan Douches – mastering * Paul A. Romano – art direction,

artwork A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...

, design ;Guest musicians * Human Furnace (

Ringworm Dermatophytosis, also known as ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin. Typically it results in a red, itchy, scaly, circular rash. Hair loss may occur in the area affected. Symptoms begin four to fourteen days after exposure. Multiple a ...

) –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

on "Baby Buster"

Charts

Trivia

* Several of the album's tracks refer to the television show

Arrested Development The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...

: ** "Seaward" (name of GOB's boat) ** "Forget-Me-Now" (name of GOB's date-rape drug) ** "Baby Buster" (Buster's Nickname) ** "Balboa Towers" (name of Lucille's Mansion Community) * The final 3 lines of "Skynet" are a reference to the

message board An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...

on Lambgoat.com * An internet rumor circulated stating that lyrics on the first track, "Skynet", were written about the band

Emmure Emmure () is an American metalcore band formed in 2003. Originally based in New Fairfield, Connecticut, before moving to Queens, New York, the group has released eight albums, with their first public release being a 2006 EP entitled ''The Compl ...

and how they have allegedly ripped off The Acacia Strain, although vocalist Vincent Bennett has denied this on stage numerous times. Regardless, Emmure responded to plagiarism claims in their song "R2DEEPTHROAT".

References

2008 albums The Acacia Strain albums {{2000s-death-metal-album-stub