The Catharsis of Truth: An Interview with Bobby Crow of Signs of The Swarm

In the relentlessly evolving landscape of modern deathcore, few bands command the same level of respect and visceral intensity as Pittsburgh's Signs of The Swarm. With each release, they have dug deeper, pushed farther, and hit harder, cementing themselves as architects of sonic devastation. Now, with the band’s brand new album, To Rid Myself of Truth, the band stands on the precipice of their most definitive statement yet. The singles have offered a tantalizing glimpse into a world of profound lyrical honesty and meticulously crafted chaos. We had the privilege of sitting down with the band’s drummer Bobby Crow to dissect the creative process behind the new album and explore what lies beyond this monumental release.

FMP: There is a bit of hype and buzz around your new album so let’s dive right in. To Rid Myself of Truth. It suggests a profound internal conflict. What is the core “truth” that this album is trying to confront or escape if I may ask?

Crow: I can’t say that there is “One Specific Truth” to tackle, but the way Dave (Simonich, the band’s vocalist) has described this record from his perspective is that looking back on his previous work, he was typically writing about things that he was too uncomfortable to speak about in regular conversation. He often found somewhat convoluted ways to express his ideas, whereas with “TRMOT”, he wanted to try to be more direct and wear his heart on his sleeve, while finding interesting ways to make the topic of each song be thought of in multiple angles. 

FMP: So looking at your central theme of this album, how did it end up influencing the musical direction and the sonic palette that you chose for this album?

Crow: In general, our goal has always been to just make fun music that you can constantly move along with, that’s the feeling that we are always searching for. But, to complement Dave’s theme, we tried to give him a lot of space to make his impact. It’s something we considered more this time around than ever before, just trying to be deliberate in the instrumentation in a way that gives him the opportunity to speak about more personal things without stepping on the toes of the “vocal space” sonically. Some of the songs are definitely still all out, balls to the wall with riffs and drums, but we tried to be aware of those moments.

FMP: You worked with producer Josh Schroeder, a name synonymous with some of modern metal's biggest sounds. What did he bring to the Signs of The Swarm formula, and how did he challenge you in the studio?

Crow: Josh has an amazing talent for getting to know people and using that both for and against you. It’s a very interesting relationship we have with him, because he has to know when to be the good guy, and when to be the “bad guy”, but at the end of the day it’s all about helping us to make the most informed decisions. He has taught us so much that I wouldn’t even know where to begin making a list, but I think ultimately he has helped us become more confident in ourselves as writers and that is invaluable. What I appreciate most about him is that he always has the best intentions for the song and an album as a whole, rather than serving a single moment , and as a band who prides ourselves in making diverse and exciting records, it means a lot.

FMP: How has your collaborative songwriting process evolved from your last album, Amongst The Low & Empty to To Rid Myself of Truth?

Crow: We had quite a bit more time to work on “TRMOT” leading up to our studio time, as with “ATL&E” we wrote the majority of the record in the studio over the course of about 3 weeks. So we definitely had a lot more opportunity to come together on the songs this time around. Particularly on a song like “Forcing to Forget”, musically I started working on that track 3+ years ago, but I wasn't able to wrap it up until we all got together with help from the rest of the guys. And I really enjoy that process so much more, it makes the band feel like a BAND.

FMP: Was To Rid Myself of Truth always the clear choice to be the title track and the first taste you gave the world?

Crow: We didn’t make the decision to open the album with the title track until pretty late into the process, but we love the idea of someone putting on a SOTS album and it’s just like, “BOOM”, it immediately smacks you in the face. I personally have a ton of fun arranging the album flow near the end of the recording process and seeing how the songs flow together to make an album feel like an album.

FMP: Then you have "HELLMUSTFEARME", a punishing track that is "all gas, no brakes." How important is it to still create those straight-up, relentless deathcore anthems for the long-time fans?

Crow: That’s always our main focus for an album, we strive to be an absurdly heavy band above all else. Alongside that we always want to do something a little different than before and explore new sounds. But ultimately, we are a heavy band and we always come back to that, not only for the fans but for what the band stands for at its core.

FMP: This album features a "who's who" of guest vocalists—Will Ramos (Lorna Shore), Phil Bozeman (Whitechapel), Jack Murray (156/Silence), and Johnny Crowder (Prison). How did you approach these collaborations to ensure they felt like integral parts of the songs rather than just add-ons?

Crow: We are very fortunate and grateful to call each of them our friends, and each song was a very collaborative process. We wrote each section musically specifically for the guest spots this time around, so it was really special to be able to tailor each song in advance to their voices. Every one of them blew us away, and Phil being down to hop on was an absolute honor.

FMP: For the instrumental, how did you balance the immense technicality this album displays with the need to convey raw, primal emotion?

Crow: It’s truly more of a “feeling” for us than a sound. We chase a groove and try to write around it. A lot of the energy from part to part is laid out extensively by the drums, and the guitar/bass either floats over them or locks in to make that impact. Primal is a great word for it, we love using industrial sounds and tribal drums to make huge grooves and bouncy vibes, but honestly it’s not something I focus on too much in the moment, it’s more about just trusting our guts and knowing when it works and when it doesn’t.

FMP: The album art is striking and bleak. How does that visual component tie into the overall narrative of To Rid Myself of Truth?

Crow: Circling around to your first question here, the album art represents that mantra with the skeletons chipping away at the main figure to reveal gold underneath the destruction. It’s more about the “positive and negative” experiences that make you who you are, and less “good and evil”. We also like tying some of the song names into the album art when we can, like the three headed dogs represent the song “Sarkazein”, which translates to “to tear flesh like a dog”. 

FMP: Your lyrical themes are profoundly personal, touching on everything from family and addiction to your own physical health struggles. Is the process of writing these lyrics a form of catharsis, or is it emotionally taxing to dig into those places?

Crow: Speaking on Dave’s behalf here, I can confidently say that it’s a bit of both. He definitely reached deep inside of himself for some of these songs like “Scars Upon Scars” and “Clouded Retinas”, but I believe it helps him to get these things out of his head and “onto paper” as well. And I know that it makes it extra special when a song sort of takes a life of its own and people can get something of substance out of it that may help them on their journey as well. And a song like “Chariot” for example, is heavily influenced by our life on tour, it’s a bit of a “road warrior” song that on the surface can be interpreted a myriad of ways, but it’s kind of like, if you know, you know.

FMP: The guitar and bass work is a dense wall of sound, yet it's layered with intricate detail. How do you approach songwriting to ensure both the crushing weight and the technical nuances can coexist without overpowering one another, especially with the added electronic layers?

Crow: I come from a background of drumline, concert band, orchestra, etc. and I always loved how in more traditional music there’s a focus on atmosphere and intentionally making space for each instrument to breathe or have its own moment to speak. I also love movie scores and soundscaping, and it’s one of my favorite aspects of writing music. Some amazing bands, like Gojira, are really great at this and it has always been a massive inspiration for me to have this wall of sound and yet everything has its own purpose.

FMP: The drumming is a masterclass in controlled chaos. How do you approach writing your drum parts? Do you focus on serving the riff first, or do you sometimes build a song's foundation from a particularly complex beat or rhythmic idea?

Crow: A bit of both actually! Most of our songs start with guitar or a sample, and I really do try my best to serve the song first and foremost as a drummer. But, occasionally I start with an insane kick drum pattern and fill in the gaps from there. It’s a tough job with SOTS but also really gratifying to try to make something really bombastic and over the top, but also to make space for the vocals and guitars.

FMP: Having seen you live now a few times, I can attest to this. Your live shows are renowned for their raw energy and intensity. What is the one feeling or message you want an audience member to walk away with after experiencing a Signs of the Swarm set for the first time?

Crow: Our goal with a Signs show is that when it’s over, you walk away thinking “Holy shit, what just happened!?” Above all else we are just on that stage to have fun and make people move from front to back, if we do that, we’ve done our job.

FMP: You've toured extensively with a diverse range of bands across the heavy music spectrum. What is the most valuable lesson you've learned from your time on the road, either creatively or professionally?

Crow: Professionally, if we are in a headline position, we strive to be hospitable and just make sure everyone’s having a good time and playing great shows. As a support band, we’ve learned to just show up, rip the fuck out of our set, and get out of the way. But creatively, it’s a very unique opportunity to get to see so many shows and performances from different bands all across the world. We’ve learned a lot from our peers and it really is a community that we are just thankful to be a part of. At the end of the day, the thing that I’ve learned more than anything, is to just simply be kind to people. Life can be tough on the road, no reason to make it any harder.

FMP: Looking back at your entire discography, from the raw aggression of The Disfigurement of Existence to now, what has been the single biggest lesson you've learned about your own identity as a band?

Crow: Above all else, I’ve learned to just be myself, and to trust our instincts. If you have a feeling, it’s probably for a reason. We’ve always kind of been the underdogs and we’ve worked day in and day out for everything that we do have, be confident in who you are and wear it on your sleeve.

FMP: Has your definition of the word "heavy" changed over the years? Is it still about pure sonic force, or has it become more about emotional weight and atmosphere for you

Crow: This is an amazing question and it’s something that we talk about a lot actually. I do believe that “heavy” can be displayed in so many ways, whether it's the riff, the drums, the vocals, or even the atmosphere. Sometimes silence is heavier than any breakdown. It’s definitely more of a feeling for me these days than a sound, it’s like you feel the weight on your shoulders and it drags you down before it lifts you back up again.

FMP: With David's vocal range being so incredibly diverse—from guttural lows to piercing highs and everything in between—does that freedom open up new avenues for the band's instrumental direction during the songwriting process?

Crow: Absolutely. To a certain extent, it’s given me SO much more freedom as a songwriter, because I’m confident that as long as I give him something powerful and exciting, his voice will ultimately make it sound undoubtedly like Signs of The Swarm. His range is vast and compliments just about anything. And with the addition of Carl Schulz, we’ve found some really sick ways in which their voices compliment each other, and it’s opened up a whole new horizon for us.

FMP: Finally, with the Amongst The Low & Empty cycle having been so impactful, what's on the horizon for Signs of the Swarm? Are you already experimenting with new sonic territories or concepts for what comes next?

Crow: We are always looking to the future, and we are grateful to be a band that stays busy and is always working towards the next goalpost. We are always, always experimenting with new ideas and new sounds. But right now we are focusing on our upcoming tours around the US and EU for the rest of 2025, and are already booked through most of 2026, so keep your eyes on our Socials and make sure to come see it for yourself!

You can purchase To Rid Myself of Truth on the band’s Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify. The band will embark on a fall North American headlining tour. With support from Mental Cruelty, ten56, Carcosa and Face Yourself. Check out tour dates below and purchase tickets HERE.