Hell could not hold them and London was not ready
Signs of the Swarm is a staple of deathcore. They have been working their way through the ranks and clawing their way out of the cesspool. Each time they go on tour, they come back bigger and badder than the last leg. My last time witnessing the swarm was in Dublin 2022, supporting Decapitated. This time around, they have managed to organise their headlining tour with their own choice of equally heavy bands. Whether it’s on a small or large stage, Signs of the Swarm’s stage presence is on point. David is still a monster vocalist and hits his notes like a young Phill Bozeman. Watching Michael play bass is always a treat, and I’m still surprised the man doesn’t use a pic. Bobby and Carl make this stuff look easy, for real. This band has put in a serious amount of work into their craft and are raising the standard of bands globally. I can’t wait for the next time I get to see these guys and what they will put out next.
Beyond Extinction brought groove and heft to the room. Maintaining a heavy, energetic consistency, they had people shaking the room and crashing out in the pit. Watching this set felt like being at an underground show 10 years ago. The raw heft and crushing breakdowns sent the crowd into a whirlwind. This is a band that has major potential to soar beyond the underground.
Pint Glass. This band was something special. These geezers would have you running from the venue to go get a trade and have you smoking a pack of Marlborough Reds at the drop of a snare. Insanely heavy and dangerous. There was not one moment here they lost the crowd’s focus; the vocal duo’s presence was just as exciting as their range. This was proper tradie hardcore that shook the building. These tradesmen brought that feeling of imminent death to their set, and I’m still not over how much of a great show they put on. I left feeling completely satisfied.
