ALBUM REVIEW: Swarmculture – Weirds

Previously pretty much unheard of, WEIRDS storm onto the grunge scene with their debut album Swarmculture. Containing a plethora of layers within their music which almost feels like staring down a tunnel of smog.
The name of the band WEIRDS encapsulates their sound in that direct one word. By no means meant in a negative light, the sound they create is unique and fantastic while still holding a candle to what makes great grunge music. Swarmculture is their first album release following on from their 2016 EP Weird sun (which is in fact featured on the album) and is a ferocious way to mark this band on the map.

Initially, Swarmculture opens with a very DEFTONES style vibe to it. In fact, a lot of the sound within the album stylistically seems to stick to this theme but when combining these techniques with the recipe of a grunge track, it makes something truly magical. In this opening track Things that crawl WEIRDS have crafted a sound which creates a feeling of transcendence, especially towards the closing of the song when the vocals collide with the screechy pitch of the guitar that comes together for something that can only be described as sublime.

Something special happens when this album reaches the third track. Titled Old World Blues it was still somehow unexpected to hear the blues style guitar accompaniments that on paper sounds crazy and it won’t work, but it does.
This song has a very gritty opening riff which envelops the classic grungy feeling and just takes over the senses making the body move with a mind of its own. What is very noticeable about the trademark sound that WEIRDS are producing is that they sound distinctively British, show this album to anybody in the world and they without a doubt will know they are an English band staying strong to their roots.

Old World Blues developed an almost dystopian like feeling to the track which created a sense of danger and uncertainty, WEIRDS stick to this feeling of uncertainty throughout the record, since it’s never apparent what is going to happen next, be it within the same song or the next track on the album. They combine their soothing, melodic guitar pieces which switch in and out between the sheer, sludgy,  grunge grittiness and steady paced drum beats which wraps it all together; while also introducing synthesised sound to create this psychedelic, chaotic atmosphere which is unique and fantastic. These techniques are specifically apparent within the song Phantom, when the synthetic sounds hit it creates a sound which would not be out of place in an old school horror movie.

Overall Swarmculture has a sound which creates a sense of dangerous urgency in its unity of different techniques. WEIRDS have created a fantastical and mesmerising experience throughout and an album that is truly unforgettable with far too many unique songs to pinpoint a single, standalone incredible track as they are all strong within their own rights. 100% an album that must be checked out, no matter who you are. But if you have previously had a strong appreciation for grunge in the past then it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will enjoy this album.
Swarmculture is sure to be widely accepted into the music world and WEIRDS may find themselves with some overwhelming success with this debut album which can be summed up as simply fantastic.

Rating: 9/10

Swarmculture is set for release on May 26th via Alcopop! Records.

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