The enigmatic and illusive Acme's only record (other than a demo) is arguably one of the most aggressive and interesting records of the 1990s. With recordings dating back as early as 1993 and various sought after demos, Acme remains virtually unknown by many in the hardcore community and that is a shame because people, this album is nothing similar to or even resembling a joke. "To Reduce the Choir..." contains crushing heaviness that resembles and rivals death metal, the familiar discordance of metalcore, a punk attitude, and a vocalist who I truly believe made an honest effort to destroy his larynx. Hailing from Bremen, Germany, Acme created a sound reminiscent of Integrity, Dragbody, and Disembodied so devastating to the ears that it is truly hard to believe that they didn't garner more attention in the United States. This record is flawless nearly from start to finish and, while the reviewer inside of me would like very much to find something to critically assess, I am far too busy trying not to leap off of my chair and start moshing in my living room as I type up this review. It all starts with a guitar tone that, quite frankly, sounds like a downtuned Earth Crisis. The clever and well disguised sludge metal influence is also apparent as the heavy breaks in songs such as "Blind and "Ordinary" aren't played in manner that pays homage to New York style groove but instead is derived from the ugliness of American sludge and European death metal. Does Acme bring to mind feelings of nostalgia as these breakdowns and sludgy riffs penetrate the eardrum? You bet your candy ass it does. Brutal sonically without sacrificing the integrity of a hardcore outfit by appealing to the metal conventions of the day in the manner that so many of their American peers did, "To Reduce a Choir..." succeeds so well mostly because it doesn't appeal at all to the lowest common denominator, it destroys it. If you are into older metalcore or if you simply like powerful and aggressive music, I recommend finding this record in any format you can.
10 / 10
- Joe