Bleghhtooven’s Album of the Month: Signs of the Swarm - ‘Amongst the Low & Empty’

“Limbs construct my monolith. Severed hands reach a darkening sky. I behold my terror of bodies defiled.”

When it comes to Deathcore, 2023 has been a bountiful year. With notable releases from Left to Suffer, To The Grave, Crown Magnetar, and Chelsea Grin, we have definitely been spoiled. However, despite this abundance of deathcore albums, all year I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something. Signs of the Swarm’s Amongst the Low & Empty is the deathcore album that I didn’t know I had been waiting for all year.

Amongst the Low & Empty careens haphazardly from moment to moment, rapidly alternating between heavy, heavier, and “holy shit, I didn’t know humans could make those noises.” Encompassing a variety of different Deathcore styles, Signs of the Swarm always leave you on the edge of your seat wondering what the next few seconds will have in store for you. Throughout the album, they don't rely too heavily on electro/synth, symphonic, or choral elements, allowing the vocals and instrumentation to remain in the spotlight throughout the entire runtime. Every growl, riff, and blast beat are given just enough room to breathe so that the listener can fully appreciate the dynamism of each aspect of Signs of the Swarm’s sound. I will be the first to admit, for me this album is very heavily frontloaded with the first 5 tracks being my personal favorites, and the second half of the album falling off. That being said, those first 5 tracks have some of the highest highs of any album I have heard all year, and I am looking forward to talking a lot more about this band come the end of the year.