Bluster, breakdowns and other such brutality are on the menu as Signs Of The Swarm strive for the next level.
Lauded deathcore purveyors Signs Of The Swarm have a lot of momentum going into their sixth full-length. Containing 11 tracks of their signature brutal sound, they look to build upon that which they have built so far, and this they do, even if there's the creeping sense that you have heard much of what they do before.
The opening title-track pretty much lets you know everything you need to about what is going to follow: it's discordant, it judders, time signatures fuck with your head and there's a colossal breakdown. Throw in some glitchy electronics, and the odd brief moment of clean vocals, and the formula is locked down. There's no denying they are skilled at what they do, keeping things ugly and violent.
They have their moments, to be sure. The strange melodies that weave through the background of Natural Selection add some compelling textures, and likewise with Clouded Retinas, which is winningly eerie. They also bring some guests to the party, the best contribution coming from Whitechapel's Phil Bozeman on Iron Sacrament, whose voice is a nice counterpart to that of David Simonich, and it is probably the best track here, having some decent bounce to its muscle
Whatever, this will undoubtedly trigger massive mosh pits the world over when unleashed on capacity crowds, and the band will continue to grow their fanbase. This very much is where deathcore is at in 2025, and pleasingly obnoxious it is indeed.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: Slaughter To Prevail, Lorna Shore, Thy Art Is Murder
To Rid Myself Of Truth is released on August 22 via Century Media
