Signs of the Swarm are back.
After signing with Century Media Records and releasing a critically acclaimed fifth album, Bobby Crow (drums), David Simonich (vocals), Michael Cassese (bass) and Carl Schulz (guitar) continue their adventure with its successor, To Rid Myself of Truth.
The eponymous track To Rid Myself of Truth takes us by surprise and assaults us before plunging us into an atmosphere of anxiety, to which they eventually add screams and devastating syncopated riffs. The break remains the highlight of the track, which eventually doubles in violence before moving on to HELLMUSTFEARME, an equally aggressive composition that doesn’t hesitate to alternate between torrents of blasts and complex guitar parts before returning to its pure aggression, as on Natural Selection with its dissonant harmonics that burst forth from the outset. The vocalist remains frightening on the most refined parts, then the band continues to knock us out before Scars Upon Scars takes its place, relaunching the lively riffs with bursts of energy that explode like gunshots, letting the samples reinforce them once again. The catchy final ends up leaving us with Chariot, a disturbing track whose waves of rage strike without warning, once again fueling the unpredictable aspect of the song, which will find its audience live, just like Clouded Retinas, which barely gives us a moment’s respite before trampling us, then welcoming Will Ramos (Lorna Shore, ex-A Wake in Providence), who reinforces the vocal assault for an incredible duet. Speaking of duets, the band collaborates with Phil Bozeman (Whitechapel) on Iron Sacrament, and once again it’s a real success, as the two vocalists complement each other well and offer us a devastating final before David offers us his clean voice on Forcing to Forget. The vocalist easily alternates between the two facets of his singing before letting cybernetic effects take over his performance, followed by the dark Sarkazein which multiplies complex lead parts to disorient us and surprise us with its thick riffs. The modern and unexpected end blows us away before Fear & Judgment takes its place, first with a sample and then accompanied by Jack Murray (156 Silence) and Johnny Crowder (Prison, ex-Dark Sermon) to form a totally unbridled trio that reigns over the track. As all good things must come to an end, Creator is the last track on this album, but it intends to give us one last slap in the face by combining brutal groove and unapologetic technicality, particularly thanks to a piercing solo, followed by a mosh part ready to blow up your speakers.
Even if I was less convinced by their previous album, Signs of the Swarm have won me back with To Rid Myself of Truth! In addition to a veritable wave of Deathcore, the band also offers three insane collaborations!
95/100