The 'Faces of Death' Tour brought their all to London
Coming straight off the back of the release of their new jaw-dropping single ‘IWONTLETYOUDIE’, Signs of the Swarm and company were ready to beat London to a pulp.
Kicking off the evening was Australian deathcore royalty, To the Grave. By mixing brutal deathcore with hardcore influences, getting the crowd riled up and two-stepping to their anti-animal cruelty lyrics with songs like ‘Burn your local butcher’ and ‘Cut off the head’, they made sure no one was eating meat for dinner after their set.
Next up were Varials, hailing from Pennsylvania, their mixture of melodic vocals, ground-shaking bass lines and breakdowns choppy enough to be a barber shop started to get the crowd moving even more, getting them ready for Signs of the Swarm. A guest vocal slot from the UK’s own geezer-core pioneer, Ben Mason of Pintglass made their set feel like a small hometown show as he went down and got the pit moving.
The UK’s own Heart of a Coward was next on the bill, and you could tell instantly that they were a crowd favourite. From the get-go, the venue filled up and the crowd were screaming the lyrics straight back at them. As their set came to a close, they made sure to end on a high note during ‘Deadweight’ with the crowd participating by screaming “I don't give a fuck” right back at them.
Closing off the night with an earth-shattering set were the legendary Signs of the Swarm. Kicking the set off with their hit track ‘Amongst the Low and Empty’, they held absolutely nothing back; they unleashed pure brutality with fast flashing strobes and spin kicks that could win an Olympic gold medal. Even with a slight mic issue, they belted through ‘Tower of Torsos’ not missing a beat and showing true professionalism, ensuring the crowd got what they came for! As if the crowd weren't enjoying themselves enough, they had a surprise hidden in their back pocket. Jasper Harmer, from the UK’s finest Beyond Extinction, came on and delivered a brutal guest vocal on ‘The Witch Beckons’ alongside the rest of the band. Closing out the night they played their new hit single ‘IWONTLETYOUDIE’ with guitarist, Carl Schulz, going down to the crowd to get them all amped up for it.