Album/EP

Signs Of The Swarm - Amongst The Low & Empty (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Jul 21, 2023

7 min read

Signs of the Swarm - Amongst The Low & EmptyReleased: July 28, 2023

Line Up:

David Simonich // VocalsCarl Schulz // GuitarsMichael Cassese // BassBobby Crow // Drums

Online:

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One of the finest - and most brutal - acts to come out in the post-2010 deathcore world, Pittsburgh punishers Signs of the Swarm have established themselves in this turbulent scene by sheer hard graft and consistently releasing new music. Coming off the back of their most consistent record to date, 2021’s Absolvere, and some explosive standalone singles, their newest effort - the first with international metal powerhouse Century Media and fifth overall - Amongst The Low & Empty is the quartet’s most diverse and expansive offering to date.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d4P51ye_0I&pp=ygUSc2lnbnMgb2YgdGhlIHN3YXJt

The LP’s opening title track is a massive statement of intent. Powerfully grooving with some great vocal and guitar hooks - it's chorus riff is instantly grabbing - it’s ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ ending breakdown is borderline absurd. The listener isn’t given a moment's respite though, with ‘Tower of Torsos’ - and it’s lurching, mechanical outro - another pulverising song. These big, machine-like passages are all over Amongst The Low & Empty. From the distorted vocals and industrial soundscapes in the middle of ‘Echelon’, the shrieking guitars during the awesome closer ‘Malady’, to ‘Faces Without Names’, the musical brethren to the title track, which packs a great ending that moves into an Aphex Twin-style haunting, beat-driven electronic movement.

There’s plenty of more straight ahead material to be found of course - Signs of the Swarm haven’t forgotten their roots. The band really does have a great knack of composing some truly massive beatdowns - even the most experienced deathcore/hardcore heads will surely be nodding along to some of the titanic grooves. The inspired-sounding ‘Fire and Stone’ has a real lively vibe to it, almost a touch of nu-metal guitar in the ending, while ‘Borrowed Time’ is a pure deathcore cut with it’s pitch-shifting intro and flattening ending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Br2zmu-sEI&pp=ygUSc2lnbnMgb2YgdGhlIHN3YXJt

New guitarist Carl Schulz brings a lower-tuned, occasionally thall-styled sound to Signs of the Swarm, while David Simonich’s always monstrous gutturals, growls and screams may be at their finest here. Amongst The Low & Empty’s more experimental numbers show off the group’s continued musical growth. The restraint on the front end of 'Shackles Like Talons' is impressive, while ‘Dreamkiller’ houses the LP’s most atmosphere and melody, yet no power is sacrificed thanks to some ripping, histrionic guitar work.

You cannot accuse Signs of the Swarm of rehashing themselves on Amongst The Low & Empty. Though definitely packing classic deathcore elements, it’s obvious the band are pushing their sound into the future on their fifth effort. At times it’s this diversity that makes the album seem a little unfocused, and will require a couple of extra spins to have it all sink in. The industrial, more experimental elements may also put off more ‘meat and potatoes’ deathcore fans, but it’s impressive to see Signs of the Swarm branch out into a somewhat under-mixed genre. Certainly, their most gripping and impressive work to date, Amongst The Low & Empty needs to be heard by any self-respecting deathcore fan.