“Erase me from my truth, bury me from my being.“
It’s pretty fair to say that the British underground metal scene is utterly teeming with life — dingy, disgustingly-heavy life. Filthy, claustrophobic tunnels run deep beneath the ground we walk on, and within them, bestial creatures coil and linger. Born just last year amongst those wretched, infested catacombs is Swarmed, a modern-metal quintet from the ugly underbelly of London who have already shared stages with the likes of Graphic Nature, Black Coast and Feel Shame.
Swarmed commence their onslaught with the aptly-named titular opener, a sublime tone-setter for the twenty-six minute run-time of their self-titled debut EP. Unsettling electronics pulsate around the rather befitting buzzing of infernal insects swarming, whilst Double Drop D guitar chugs lend serious heft to this introductory piece.
Stellar single “Black Heart” takes second place on the tracklist, exhibiting Swarmed’s signature nu-metalcore sound in full bloom, with tried-and-true djenty riffwork delivered by eight-stringed guitarists Edan Berrett and Tommy Meyer. The instrumentation here is heavily reminiscent of recent efforts by Void Of Vision and Northlane, a compliment I truly cannot express highly enough. “Black Heart” – like much of Swarmed – explores the disillusionment and hopelessness permeating today’s society, albeit through cleverly-crafted metaphors that provide the lyrics a more personal, interpretive edge: “Now you’re full of false intentions, nothing less than divine perfection / An illusion of fate becomes an eternity / With the notion we’ll never be at peace / Only to succeed.”
Lead single and recently-released belter “Eroded” soon swings in, brandishing its blooded knuckles and ready to brawl. Of all the band’s discography, “Eroded” is the perfect choice for a singular song to showcase Swarmed’s supremely-vast scope, particularly for those familiar with bands like InVisions, Pulse and In Fear. Glitchy, chunky electronics open the track, overthrown in mere seconds by a blackened wave of dark, dense instrumentation and slicing, visceral vocals that remain provocative through the track’s runtime.
Fourth track “Ignore The Wounds” features former Loathe member Connor Sweeney, who has swapped out baritone guitars in exchange for utterly berserk vocal deliveries: “Suspend me from the heavens to only give me a glimpse / Conscious breathing in and out, hold my future self / Colours greyed in and out and saturated with atonement / Because I’ll never question it.” Rather fittingly, “Ignore The Wounds” is abundantly Loathe-y, instantly reminding me of “New Faces in the Dark” with its contagious riffs tuned lower than the rumble of a black hole. Hearing how incredibly well put-together this record is nothing short of inspiring — it really is that good.
Delving a little deeper into the vocals on Swarmed, frontman James Burton cuts through each track with the utmost savagery, carving out a perfectly-levelled gap in the mix with the aid and expertise of Felix Crowther, the band’s drummer and co-producer alongside Burton. With these two at the mixing and mastering helm, the entirety of Swarmed has an unbelievably colossal sound, from the eerie ambience of the sample-laden extended interlude “Subterranean” to a true highlight of the EP, “In The Ground Before The Light”.
Grandiose, glowing guitar notes introduced in “In The Ground Before The Light” are supplemented by a thunderous, chuggy and unfaltering low-end foundation by bassist Connor Flys and drummer Crowther, both of whom possess a maniacal mastery over their crafts. “In The Ground Before The Light” started its journey as most tracks do – a rough demo, a labour of love. Unlike most songs that see out their lives within the cramped confines of a studio room, “In The Ground Before The Light” became what it is now through improvisation during live shows, reflecting a truly organic and endearing approach to Swarmed‘s songwriting.
“In The Ground Before The Light” offers up some of Swarmed‘s best lyrics, as Burton lashes out a furious, fatalistic anthem for the masses: “You’re far enough to make me leave behind all I know and leave me blind / Conscious to ensue your fatal hands… Neglecting thoughts and now you leave me here / In the dark to disappear / I’m in the fucking ground before the light.”
Closing track and debut single “War Within” rounds out the pack, a calamitous, crushing thall-a-thon which hybridises styles ranging as far as Vildhjarta and Black Tongue in the track’s volatile verses to emotive melodic passages more akin to Wage War and Currents. On “War Within”, Burton utilises utterly nasty low-output fry vocals leading into Swarmed’s closing breakdown, saving the best for last: “Burning earth and severed lungs, can’t wade through the dregs / Push me to the end / Take me to my fucking end.” As its name would imply, “War Within” is a harrowing introspective dive, one that swaps the EP’s core concepts of corruption and societal collapse for what is perhaps the most potent and poignant song on offer.
Ultimately, Swarmed is an incredibly impactful debut outing by the promising London quintet, up there with some of 2023’s best-assembled modern metal records. Whilst the EP’s overarching sociopolitical storyline is a little loosely-defined at times, the musicianship and open-ended lyricism on show here is nothing short of resplendent, showcasing astronomical potential for this emerging swarm. Given that the entirety of Swarmed was created in-house by the band themselves, I haven’t a single doubt that Swarmed are ones to watch for inevitable future releases.
Swarmed will be independently released on all streaming platforms on July 21st. Swarmed will be performing live in Camden on July 22nd and in Islington on July 30th, and tickets are available here. For more on the UK’s latest and greatest metal bands and all things heavy, stick with Boolin Tunes.
8.5/10