Review Summary: Deathcore songwriting showcase - if such a thing exists.
Absolvere finds Signs of the Swarm at their peak performance. The name of the game with this album is *groove and mood*, a phrase I will repeat throughout. Absolvere is not a masterclass in technical musicianship (i.e. shredding), but it is an exceptional showcase of deathcore songwriting ability and musicality.
Absolvere presents a dark, slightly unsettling, and brooding atmosphere – with crushing, sludgy riffs and excruciatingly low gutturals. The groove and mood of Absolvere is best exemplified on the single “Totem” - with a bouncy guitar line and a nod-inducing chorus (see also “Hollow Prison”) featuring David Simonich’s deep but controlled gutturals. “Revelations Ov a Silent King” provides further testament to Simonich’s vocal ability, displaying his full range in a brutal chug-a-thon of a song.
The record does provide tympanic relief in the form of long, drawn-out ambient sections in between some tracks. These instrumental buffers build anticipation, especially as “Blood Seal” (with Ben Duerr of Shadow of Intent) comes to a close and leads into the stellar closer “Death Whistle”. “Death Whistle” is Signs’ at its absolute best – intense, heavy, but also providing one of the two choruses on the record with singing – a feature that I wish I heard more of throughout Absolvere.
As far as the songwriting and musicality is concerned, Absolvere demonstrates Signs’ ability to harness a dynamic range of tempo within each song to demand engagement and intrigue. Look no further than the opening track “Hymns Ov Invocation” to hear a groovy chorus, a trudging breakdown, as well as some speedy blast beats. The ability to create varied song structures and rhythms without coming off as intentional chaotic is displayed throughout the album – making the record feel like less of a chore to listen to in its entirety.
A low point for the album comes in the form of the vocals. The performance is excellent – it’s almost like highs became the mids and the lows just got as low as possible. The issue with this is the legibility. Frankly, I can easily understand about 5 lines in this whole album – the rest is just impressive screaming sounds to my ears. Without looking at the lyrics and listening along, I don’t think that many can make out the musings Simonich attempts to present. I’m not savvy enough to say whether it’s something with the mix, like compression or distortion, or if it lies in the performance itself - though the same issue can be heard on Vital Deprivations. While I very much appreciate the musicality of the vocal performance, I wish lyrics were better enunciated – especially considering how much I enjoyed the lyrical content on this one.
All told, Absolvere is not a masterclass in technical guitar work or exceptionally experimental drumming – but that’s not what Signs of the Swarm is aiming for. Absolvere is a groove and a mood – a foreboding mood, but also an interesting harbinger of what the band will produce in the future.
