Only the Dead See the End of War
Vice Records, 2010
Rating: 8 out of 10
Connor Lukkar – The Corsair
“Only the Dead See the End of War” is an apt name for Acrassicauda’s debut EP; coming from Baghdad, they know a thing or two about war. Formed in 2001, Acrassicauda (from the Latin taxonomical name for the black scorpion: A. crassicauda) became Iraq’s first and, until recently, only metal band. They avoid being politically charged, but living in a war tattered country has given this four-piece band a unique perspective. Singing about death and massacre is all well and good for suburban white kids, but when it comes from a group that has had to stop shows because nearby bomb blasts caused power outages, the words carry just a little bit more power.
Soon after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2004, Vice magazine heard of this band that had been playing covert shows for the small but dedicated metal scene in Baghdad. Over the next three years Vice’s online video network covered Acrassicauda in the outstanding documentary “Heavy Metal in Baghdad.” The film shows that Acrassicauda may be the most passionate band on Earth. These guys love metal. They played just five shows in six years. In 2006, guitarist Tony Aziz’s computer store, along with its basement practice space, was destroyed by a scud missile. With equipment destroyed and nowhere to practice, the band went on hiatus. In the past few years the group has moved from Baghdad, to Syria, to Turkey, and finally under the sponsorship of Vice Records, they have come to the U.S. to make music.
The music on “Only the Dead See the End of War” could be described as cutting edge and ground breaking, if we were in 1983. They do a good job; the songs are fast, precise, and dark. Any Metallica or Slayer fan would enjoy this EP simply because these tracks sound like they could have been made by Metallica or Slayer. They are good songs, but they fail to introduce a recognizably Acrassicauda sound. This lack of a musical signature really doesn’t detract too much from “Only the Dead See the End of War.” Years of oppression and war have kept Iraq at least a decade behind western musical culture, so it is to be expected that the first-ever Iraqi metal group would not be cutting edge by our standards.
This EP is a must have, even for those who don’t particularly like the music itself, because the term “first Iraqi metal band” is a fantastic conversation starter. This is an extremely interesting and passionate band, which, with time, will surely blossom into great band.