KILL FEED 080: Matt Guglielmo of THE ACACIA STRAIN Will Never Be Safe From Remakes

It’s not hard to see how the world of survival horror can be quite appealing to the metal mindset. While its roots reach much deeper, 1996’s Resident Evil on Sony’s newly released PlayStation console welcomed the gaming community at large to the horrors of facing off against hordes of the undead completely alone and with strictly limited resources. A few years later, Konami published Silent Hill, their answer to Capcom’s worldwide success, giving the subgenre a more cerebral, Lynchian twist. Many previous player characters recall with vivid detail their first encounter with Resident Evil’s zombie dogs or Silent Hill’s radio static. Numerous titles and franchises have since left their bloody mark in our collective psyche, sharing the same space that remembers Suffocation’s Effigy of the Forgotten or Cannibal Corpse’s Tomb of the Mutilated. Even safe on your couch, you felt that fear—and that fear meant you were alive.

It’s precisely that feeling that The Acacia Strain’s drummer Matt Guglielmo seeks out in his downtime. To be sure, the heavy hitter loves games of all types, with some particularly kid-friendly N64 gems being placed high on his nostalgic mantle. But splitting his time between two active bands (he also occupies the drum throne for END) and production duties, Guglielmo prefers what rare breaks he has to mean just that little bit more. Three years ago, Decibel’s co-nerds linked up with his yet-to-be bandmates, vocalist Vincent Bennett and guitarist Devin Shidaker. Now a full-fledged member of the group, it’s time to welcome him in as a part of the growing Kill Feed arcade to get insight on his physical collection, his mixed emotions about the surge in remakes and his perspective on why metal and gaming are a match made in Hell.

You Are Safe From God Here is available now via Rise Records and can be purchased here.
Follow The Acacia Strain on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.