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Concert Review – Signs of the Swarm (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 09/01/2024)

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Simply relax and enjoy an evening out in the greatest city in Ontario with five amazing bands in a frenzy of circle pits and moshing.

***Review and photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi***

OPENING ACTS: A Wake In Providence, 156/Silence, Ov Sulfur and Cane Hill

An evening out in the greatest city in Ontario with even better weather than the last few concerts we have been to. Fall weather is much cooler and makes for a great comfortable concert without the hot humid stench of sweat . The smell of crisp air filled with pumpkin spice from every store along Bloor Street in Toronto is great and with that the venues are cooler in terms of air quality inside, making it a perfect time to take some awesome death and metalcore bands.

Lee’s Palace is the venue tonight where five amazing bands have come together to whip us up in a frenzy of circle pits and moshing. First band of the night is  A WAKE IN PROVIDENCE, aka AWIP, who has recently release the album I Write To You, My Darling Decay. Hailing from NYC this band is spearheaded by vocalist Adam Mercer, guitarist Dandre Tyre, bassist Anthony Adipietro, and drummer Jesse Mcenneny. I am not familiar with this band as its my first time hearing them and let me be honest I was not a fan of early deathcore but this band has got me listening to them. Awesome performance great music and a ton of groovy bass and drumming.

Our first short intermission while they switch up bands gives us time to check out the merch tables and gets some drinks from the bar, or just simply go outside and enjoy a smoke or the now legal weed. Next up is 156/SILENCE. Hailing from The Steel City of Pittsburgh, in the state of Pennsylvania, United States, this metalcore band consists of vocalist and bassist Mike Ernst, guitarist Jimmy Howell, drummer Zac Dranka and vocalist Aleks Pihl. They have a great sound and are tight, great stage presence and can get the crowd hyped up.

Another line change is happening and outside I go to chat with friends and other photographers, plus chatting to the promoter Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. I always enjoy chatting to Noel about his business and bringing the best bands to our city. The third band of the night was OV SULFUR. Hailing from my favorite place in the world, Sin City Las Vegas, Nevada, This band has been to Toronto this year three times and I’ve captured them every time  The first time I saw them was at the Phoenix Concert Theatre when they opened for some huge bands and they had me hooked. The band consists of vocalist Ricky Hoover, guitarist Chase Wilson, bassist Ding and drummer Leviathan. This deathcore band has a ton of energy and powerful delivery of sound, they will knock you into another dimension if not careful in the circle pits. If you have never seen this band I don’t know what you’re waiting for, get to a venue and see for yourself.

Another short break and CANE HILL was up; this band hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. This metalcore institution consists of Elijah Witt on vocals, James Barnett on the guitar, Ryan Henriques on bass and Devin Clark on drums. This quartet is also new in my listening experience and they are awesome to see live. Elijah is a great frontman delivering guttural and soft vocals while getting the crowd all horny, and by that I mean he was asking the crowd if they were horny or alive. I think the crowd spent a lot of energy on the first three bands and when he said that the crowd came alive again with circle pits and crowd surfers.

SIGNS OF THE SWARM

The last break of the night was much needed as the venue was getting hot from the near sold out venue. It was time for the headliner, another band from The Steel City area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, SIGNS OF THE SWARM. This deathcore band is made up of vocalist David Simonich, drummer Bobby Crow, bassist Michael Cassese and guitarist Carl Schulz. They have five studio albums with the release of their fifth album Amongst the Low & Empty. This band gets better and better every time I have seen them and it’s been two times this year. Their performance on and off the stage is top notch, friendly people with great showmanship, and if you ever get a chance to see them live do it. Also, if you see them hanging out during their tour, strike up a conversation.

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Album Review – A Wake In Providence / I Write To You, My Darling Decay (2024)

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These Staten Island, New York-based Deathcore titans are back with their incendiary fourth studio album, a must-listen for admirers of the genre.

Formed in Staten Island, New York in 2010, American Blackened and Symphonic Deathcore titans A Wake In Providence are unleashing upon us their fourth studio opus, beautifully entitled I Write To You, My Darling Decay, the follow-up to their 2022 album Eternity. Formed of Adam Mercer on vocals, D’Andre Tyre on the guitars, orchestrations and vocals, Jorden Felion on the guitars, and Jesse Mcenneny on drums, A Wake In Providence are on absolute fire throughout their entire new installment, turning it into a must-listen for admirers of the music by Lorna Shore, Chelsea Grin, and many others renowned acts of the current Deathcore scene.

The Maddening sounds absolutely cinematic, epic and somber from the very first second, until all hell breaks loose to a demonic roar by Adam, with their Deathcore essence being nicely complemented by all orchestral elements by D’Andre in the background. Then featuring guest vocals by Ben Duer (of Shadow Of Intent), Mournful Benediction presents a great fusion of melodious sounds with sheer heaviness and rage, with the hammering drums by Jesse and the keys by D’Andre haunting our souls for all eternity; flowing into the piano-infused phantasmagorical interlude Agony, My Familiar before the quartet comes ripping once again in Agonofinis, a lecture in Blackened Deathcore that will crush your minds an skulls mercilessly to the austere, sulfurous riffs by D’Andre and Jorden, not to mention how brutal the drums by Jesse sound. And in And Through The Fog She Spoke the band offers seven minutes of stunning and visceral passages, with all harsh and clean vocals elevating the song’s epicness and punch considerably.

They keep delivering first-class Deathcore to the masses in the also detailed and grim In Whispers, where D’Andre once again does a superb job with all orchestrations supported by the infernal drums by Jesse; and it looks like those guys have mastered the art of crafting multi-layered, detailed Deathcore hymns, as the title-track I Write To You, My Darling Decay is the perfect depiction of that, spearheaded by the venomous growls by Adam amidst a neck-breaking, imposing wall of sounds. Then despite showcasing most elements that make the music by A Wake In Providence so compelling, the song The Unbound sounds a bit generic and repetitive in the end; whereas back to a more vicious and dynamic sonority we face Pareidolia, with Jesse once again taking the lead with his inhumane drumming while Adam deeply roars for our total delight. Lastly, the closing song of the album, titled I, The Mournful, also presents the band’s share of fury and melancholy in a climatic way, with the infernal roars by Adam being boosted by all orchestrations, demonic riffs and bass, and pulverizing beats.

If Deathcore infused with symphonic and blackened elements is your cup of tea, you have to give I Write To You, My Darling Decay a shot, as A Wake In Providence not only sound extremely heavy and vile during the entire album, but also very melodic and obscure, giving the whole record an amazing vibe that will surely last until their next opus is released. Hence, don’t forget to follow those guys on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with all news, including their upcoming shows, to stream their demented creations on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase I Write To You, My Darling Decay by clicking HERE or HERE. This is Deathcore at its finest, and I’m sure once you get in contact with their music, you’ll get addicted to it and succumb to the darkest side of modern-day American Deathcore.

Best moments of the album: Mournful Benediction, Agonofinis and I Write To You, My Darling Decay.

Worst moments of the album: The Unbound.

Released in 2024 Unique Leader Records

Track listing
1. The Maddening 5:37
2. Mournful Benediction 6:20
3. Agony, My Familiar 2:16
4. Agonofinis 4:52
5. And Through The Fog She Spoke 7:12
6. In Whispers 6:54
7. I Write To You, My Darling Decay 7:51
8. The Unbound 6:02
9. Pareidolia 7:03
10. I, The Mournful 6:21

Band members
Adam Mercer – vocals
D’Andre Tyre – guitars, orchestrations, vocals
Jorden Felion – guitars
Jesse Mcenneny – drums

Guest musician
Ben Duer – vocals on “Mournful Benediction”