metal

Signs of the Swarm

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American deathcore at its most relentless — downtuned slams and guttural low end delivered with enough precision to keep the brutality legible.

Signs of the Swarm are a deathcore band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formed in 2014 by vocalist CJ McCreery, guitarists Rodney Fabiann and Jacob Toy, bassist Collin Barker and drummer Bobby Crow. Their music draws on the heavier, slam-influenced end of the genre: downtuned guitars, blast beats, breakdowns and guttural vocals, arranged with enough technical control to keep the riffs distinct.

The band's 2016 debut, Senseless Order, was largely self-recorded and drew mixed reviews, but led to a deal with Unique Leader Records. Its follow-up, The Disfigurement of Existence, released in 2017, brought in black metal and hardcore influences and included the single "Final Phase," featuring Dickie Allen of Infant Annihilator.

McCreery left in 2018 to join Lorna Shore, and David Simonich, previously of Improvidence, took over as vocalist after briefly touring with the band. Simonich debuted on 2019's Vital Deprivation, drummer Jimmy Pino's final record before Bobby Crow, who had earlier switched to bass, moved back behind the kit.

During the pandemic the band issued standalone singles, including "The Collection," which featured guest vocals from Matt Honeycutt of Kublai Khan and Nick Arthur of Molotov Solution and introduced new guitarist Jeff Russo. Signs of the Swarm has since released six studio albums and become one of the more visible acts in contemporary American deathcore.

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