Signs of the Swarm – Absolvere
Release Date: 24th September 2021
Label: Unique Leader Records
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Genre: Deathcore, Death Metal.
FFO: Brand of Sacrifice, Oceano, Angelmaker, Shadow of Intent.
Review By: Tyler Sharkey
If you’re a fan of deathcore, or heavy music in general, I’m sure you’ve heard of Pittsburgh 5-piece, Signs of the Swarm, by now. The band emerged in the mid-2010s and quickly caught the attention of anyone that happened to hear them and their arsenal of sonic chaos. Well, after 3 albums, a few tours and a vocalist change, they’re back with their fourth full length record, Absolvere.
This album wastes no time getting started. The opening track, Hymns ov Invocation, gives you less than 20 seconds of ominous build up before erupting into a frenzy of filthy vocals, blazing blast beats and dirty deathcore chugs and riffs. It’s a strong introduction and a good indicator that you’re in for quite a ride.
As the album progresses the listener continues to be bombarded with unrelenting musical madness. Vocalist, Dave Simonich, devastates every track with his broad range of vocal techniques leaving you with “stank face” after every lyric he spits. Songs like Nameless and Blood Seal featuring Ben Duerr of Shadow of Intent hit especially hard with massive breakdowns and unforgiving gutturals. The only times we are shown any real mercy are in the few and far between singing sections on tracks like Dreaming Desecration and single, Death Whistle, adding a little variety while being beautifully executed and never feeling forced or out of place at all. Other than those brief moments of serenity, this record is an absolute sledgehammer crushing you with every beat. Most fans of the genre really couldn’t ask for more.
That being said, even though this album is extremely well written and something I think most fans could appreciate, I feel like it does lack a little bit of originality. There are some modern flavours mixed into the batch but I don’t hear many boundaries being pushed here and the band seems to stick with the more classic or standard deathcore vibe. Not necessarily a bad thing, especially in this case, but if you’re looking for something that’s pushing the limits of the genre, this isn’t quite it.
Overall, Absolvere is a fantastic deathcore album full of all the familiar sounds of dread, despair, hell and death the fans know and love while managing to keep it fairly fresh and fun. The vocals are commanding, the drums are unstoppable, the breakdowns are violent and the riffs will have you jumping through your ceiling. Signs of the Swarm have shown us, once again, why they’re one of the top acts out there today and that they don’t plan on slowing down any time soon.
(4.5 / 5)
