When ACIDOSIS first tore through Miami’s underground, they were teenagers armed with cheap gear and unshakable conviction. Years later, Arrival revives those early songs not as a nostalgia act, but as a reclamation of origin. Frontperson Ben Katzman, after stints with GUERILLA TOSS, COLLEEN GREEN, and MANNEQUIN PUSSY, dug up the band’s high school material while searching for a spark and found a raw map back to the core. Together with guitarist DIEGO EDSEL, protégé-turned-ripper DEO BUDNEVICH, JONATHAN RUSTEN, and drummer HARRY SCHWARZ, ACIDOSIS re-recorded the set with sharpened intent, producer Ryan Haft at the console, and mastering by Howie Weinberg. The result is 26 minutes that feel like ignition.
“Arrival” opens with a galloping statement of purpose, the sound of a door kicking open. “They Live!” channels protest energy into speed and release, a punk-fueled surge that treats the pit as a place of solidarity. “Hostile Negotiations” turns internal conflict into a whiplash sprint, riff after riff challenging the voice that says stand still. Between the shocks, “Interlude I” offers a moonlit breath, a reflective guitar-and-bass vignette co-written by Katzman and Budnevich that frames the record’s stakes.
“Tied To The Tracks” is the catalyst, born from teenage betrayal and redirected into forward motion. It remains a Florida-cult favorite for a reason, a chorus built to be shouted back. “Mankind” hammers like machinery, a critique of profit over people with a rhythmic heft that nods to METALLICA while staying firmly ACIDOSIS. “Interlude II” primes the descent into “Deadly Fits,” a Sabbath-by-way-of-ANTHRAX rocker about self-worth and refusing desperation. Closer “Where I Stand” starts with acoustic introspection, then ascends into harmonized leads that salute CACOPHONY and the precision grind of MEGADETH, wrestling with confusion and conviction before landing on resolve.
At the heart of Arrival is a mentor and a student becoming bandmates. Katzman met Budnevich when he was 14, taught him the language of the riff, and then brought him on tour. That Ozzy and Randy dynamic powers the record’s spirit, a passing of the torch that never dims the original flame. Visuals by Juan Montoya of TORCHE and layout by Perry Shall lock the aesthetic to the music’s lineage, bright Miami strangeness meeting steel-edged classicism.
Arrival plays like a single arc. Hooks on guitars, bass, and vocals sync into a series of decisive moments, each song advancing the same narrative of pressure, reflection, and release. Fans of METALLICA, ANTHRAX, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MUNICIPAL WASTE, KING DIAMOND, RAMONES, HELLOWEEN, POWER TRIP, KREATOR, D.R.I., NEGATIVE APPROACH, MISFITS, and TORCHE will hear a throughline of devotion to craft and impact. The point is not retro worship. The point is remembering why this started and proving that it still matters. ACIDOSIS arrives again with Arrival, a concise, kinetic reminder that will to rock is not a phase, it is a compass.
“Tied To The Tracks” is the catalyst, born from teenage betrayal and redirected into forward motion. It remains a Florida-cult favorite for a reason, a chorus built to be shouted back. “Mankind” hammers like machinery, a critique of profit over people with a rhythmic heft that nods to METALLICA while staying firmly ACIDOSIS. “Interlude II” primes the descent into “Deadly Fits,” a Sabbath-by-way-of-ANTHRAX rocker about self-worth and refusing desperation. Closer “Where I Stand” starts with acoustic introspection, then ascends into harmonized leads that salute CACOPHONY and the precision grind of MEGADETH, wrestling with confusion and conviction before landing on resolve.
At the heart of Arrival is a mentor and a student becoming bandmates. Katzman met Budnevich when he was 14, taught him the language of the riff, and then brought him on tour. That Ozzy and Randy dynamic powers the record’s spirit, a passing of the torch that never dims the original flame. Visuals by Juan Montoya of TORCHE and layout by Perry Shall lock the aesthetic to the music’s lineage, bright Miami strangeness meeting steel-edged classicism.
Arrival plays like a single arc. Hooks on guitars, bass, and vocals sync into a series of decisive moments, each song advancing the same narrative of pressure, reflection, and release. Fans of METALLICA, ANTHRAX, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MUNICIPAL WASTE, KING DIAMOND, RAMONES, HELLOWEEN, POWER TRIP, KREATOR, D.R.I., NEGATIVE APPROACH, MISFITS, and TORCHE will hear a throughline of devotion to craft and impact. The point is not retro worship. The point is remembering why this started and proving that it still matters. ACIDOSIS arrives again with Arrival, a concise, kinetic reminder that will to rock is not a phase, it is a compass.
About ACIDOSIS
ACIDOSIS is a heavy metal band originally formed in Miami by Ben Katzman and Diego Edsel during high school. Rooted in thrash, punk, and traditional metal, the band channels the spirit of teenage rebellion through sharpened musicianship and a love of riffs that hit hard and stay stuck in your head. Now based in Los Angeles, ACIDOSIS has evolved into a multigenerational lineup that includes Katzman’s former guitar student Deo Budnevich, who began touring with the band at 14 and now shreds alongside his mentor.
Known for chaotic live shows, politically-charged lyrics, and hook-driven songwriting, ACIDOSIS has shared the stage with acts like D.R.I., NEGATIVE APPROACH, and the JERRY ONLY MISFITS. After years of hiatus and other musical ventures, Katzman resurrected the band with renewed fire, recording the long-overdue debut Arrival, a collection of songs originally written in high school and reimagined with full force.
ACIDOSIS blends the power of early METALLICA and ANTHRAX with the urgency of MUNICIPAL WASTE and the melodic sensibilities of classic IRON MAIDEN. With art by JUAN MONTOYA (TORCHE) and design by PERRY SHALL (GREEN DAY, BLACK KEYS), the project is a full-circle realization of the band's past, present, and future.
This is riff worship without irony. Punk speed without slop. Metal hooks without ego. ACIDOSIS is built to shred, sweat, and scream until the tape runs out.
ACIDOSIS is:
Ben Katzman – Bass / Vocals
Diego Edsel – Guitar
Deo Budnevich – Guitar
Jonathan Rusten – Guitar
Harry Schwarz – Drums
