SIGNS OF THE SWARM hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania were formed in 2014. They are a Deathcore band and "Absolvere" is their fourth full-length album. The album was released via California label Unique Leader Records which have a track record of brutal technical Death Metal and Deathcore bands among their roster. "Absolvere" has a length of more than 40 minutes.

SIGNS OF THE SWARM have a history of being their own worst enemies. Allegations of sexual assaults against former vocalist CD McCreery (ex-LORNA SHORE) and more recently against Jacob Toy as well as physical and sexual abuse allegations against guitarist Cory Smarsh led to the departure of Smarsh and Toy, and currently SIGNS OF THE SWARM have only three members left. Coming back to the album, it is surely not an easy task to stand out from the large number of Slam/Deathcore releases and there have been some releases like those from MENTAL CRUELTY, LORNA SHORE, or recently from VULVODYNIA, which are setting the tone.

The album starts strongly with "Hyms Ov Invocation" which is an assault of brutality, darkness, and anger as manifested in the hammering drums, the blast-beats, the aggressive guitar riffing, the twists in rhythm, the breakdowns, and the brutal growls and screams. The vocals have everything, the Deathcore fan could possibly ask for ranging from deep growls to highly pitched screams and squeals. "Boundless Manifestations" and "Dreaming Desecration" continue with the pummelling but add a bit more atmosphere and darkness to the sound. The textures in "Boundless Manifestations" are not overly complex, there are little distortions, and the guitars are the driving element for this track including a short, but contributing lead guitar solo. The vocals in "Dreaming Desecration" include a rare clean part which fits very well into the atmosphere of the track. "Totem" is a grim track with a slow, stomping rhythm and several breakdowns. It is the official video release and the YouTube link is given below.

"Nameless" has a frenzy start at breakneck speed and a blast-beat attack with powerful riffing and the lead guitars providing a chilling atmosphere in the background. The vocals are pretty diverse here and David Simonich is firing from all cylinders. The title song serves as two minutes' dark interlude before it transitions into another short but brutal "Revelations Ov A Silent King" which is a rollercoaster of bludgeoning high-speed attacks and doomy down-tempo parts.

There are a couple of guest appearances on "Absolvere". Alex Erian (DESPISED ICON) joins in to the vocals on "Hollow Prison" and he adds a different layer to the track. The main feature on "Hollow Prison" is the chilling atmosphere provided with the guitars and the piano towards the end of the track. "Blood Seal" features Ben Duerr (SHADOW OF INTENT; HOLLOW PROPHET) on the vocals and he has a fine contribution too. The album closes with "Death Whistle" which is one of the highlights on the album: blast-beat thunderstorms, freezing atmosphere, head-banging rhythms, another clean vocal part beside the mainly deep growls, and an Aztec death whistle.

"Absolvere" has all the ingredients to be a good Deathcore album. It is brutal, it is grim, and it is vicious. There is a good technicality of all instruments, the drum play is second to none and vocals are brutal, but also versatile. As with every good Deathcore album, "Absolvere" offers a dark and chilling atmosphere. SIGNS OF THE SWARM have improved in almost all departments including the songwriting. The album is well produced. "Absolvere" is an album that can well compete with the main Deathcore releases in 2021 and Deathcore fans will dig this album.