Ahead of To Rid Myself of You, out August 22nd, Signs of the Swarm drummer Bobby Crow sat down with Capital Chaos TV to discuss sonic evolution, emotional vulnerability, and how to maintain identity in a genre known for extremity. From banjos to blast beats, here’s the full conversation.
Photo credit: Alberto Villalobos
Capital Chaos TV: You scrapped a lot of material just two months before entering the studio for To Rid Myself of You. What triggered that decision, and how did it reshape your approach to writing this time around?
Bobby Crow (Signs of the Swarm drummer):
Yeah. Um, we didn’t scrap a whole lot, really. We were just kind of going on one path, and we hit a bit of a wall with it. We still kept most of the songs — we just had a bit of a change of heart after we finished a couple of them, so we reworked things a bit.
We just wanted to go a little heavier. That’s really it. We started trying some new things, kept most of them, but also wanted to write some ridiculously heavy songs. So we took some time to dive deeper into that, like we usually do. We were experimenting a lot, and once we went so far in one direction, we were like, “Ah, you know, we need to come back to what we’re comfortable with.”
With David being so open about addiction and degenerative eye disease on this record, how do you — as a bandmate and producer — support creating a safe space for vulnerability during such an intense creative process?
That’s a really great question. I think we all trust each other very strongly. We pretty much, for the most part, let him say whatever he wants to say, whenever he wants to say it. That’s his voice — he has to live with what ends up on the record for the rest of his life, with people yelling it back at him on stage and whatnot.
We’re pretty much open to whatever, as long as it feels good, feels heavy, and makes sense. It’s more about what he’s feeling. Like you said, the eye disease — Stargardt disease — has really ramped up over the last couple years, especially with touring. Stage lighting is really hard on him and stuff like that.
So it’s nice for him to get to speak about something personal. We usually write a lot about the state of the world, good and evil, that sort of grandiose songwriting. But he got to speak a lot more personally on this record, and he was just in a good place to do it. It sounded really cool, and we were all about it.
The addiction thing, even more than just addiction itself, is about growing up in a household like that — and a lot of us have had those shared experiences. So even though it’s very personal to him, it was kind of cathartic for all of us. It’s relatable on a pretty personal level. Again, I think it comes down to trust.
The new album leans more toward a serrated death metal edge than previous records. What influenced that sonic shift, and how did it challenge you behind the kit?
Yeah — like I said earlier, we just wanted to do some heavier stuff. Our first three albums were really just balls-to-the-wall fast. There were a lot more death metal influences on those, especially our third record, compared to the last two.
The last album, we tried a bunch of new stuff — more groove-oriented — and people responded really well. But some fans were like, “I either really like this record or that one.” Some liked both, but people often lean one way or the other. So we’re always trying to mix those sounds and still sound like us.
As for drums, it definitely pushed me quite a bit. I try to write drums that serve the song. I do a lot of guitar writing too, so I usually don’t overthink the drums at first — it’s more of a blueprint. Then in the studio, I have fun experimenting with our producer, Josh. That’s where I really push myself — trying new things, dialing stuff back if it’s too much to play live, or sometimes pushing harder.
You mentioned there’s less focus on standout parts this time around and more on overall intensity. How did you channel that all-encompassing rage in the drum compositions without relying on viral-ready breakdowns?
Yeah, that’s another great question. We’ve had a couple viral moments here and there, and it’s easy to chase that — trying to recreate it. But a lot of the time, when you’re trying too hard, it shows. People pick up on that. You can back yourself into a corner, doing something that doesn’t really feel like you just to chase a moment.
Honestly, the “rage” thing is funny, because that’s not really me. But I think we just intuitively know what feels heavy and sounds like the band. We’re fortunate to have that dialed in.
We don’t second-guess our writing too much. We do with vocals and patterns because Dave has such a wide range and we want to really hone in the big moments.
On this record, I tried less to create those viral moments. It was more about having fun and writing cool stuff. I’m really into the full-album experience. I don’t love singles as much — I like putting on an album and going on a journey.
So I think about the ups and downs — extreme moments and more chilled-out stuff. That’s what makes music last. Not just a wall of sound the whole time, even though that’s cool too.
Signs of the Swarm have shared stages with genre giants — Lorna Shore, Whitechapel, Fit For An Autopsy, and more. At this point in your career, how do you maintain your identity while evolving among such heavy-hitting peers?
We always try to do something a little different. We never want to make the same album twice. That’s both good and bad — repetition can help fans latch onto your sound, but experimenting and still keeping your fanbase is special.
Sometimes when I’m stuck, or trying to figure something out, I think about what everyone else is doing — and then do the opposite. It still has to be heavy, but I want to go in a totally different direction.
We work closely with our producer — and yeah, Lorna Shore is huge — and we actually share the same producer. It’s great because we can say, “We want to do something different than that,” and he gets excited too. It gives him a chance to explore other sounds in the same box of heavy music. I like taking sounds and messing with them, seeing what comes out, then working it into a song.
How did the addition of Carl Schulz (guitarist and backing vocalist) reshape your writing dynamic and rhythmic choices behind the drums?
It opened up a lot of doors — especially his voice. Being able to stack him and Dave, having them do call-and-response in songs — it adds a really cool dynamic and new layer of inspiration. Some parts that don’t feel right for Dave fit perfectly with Carl, and vice versa.
He’s really thoughtful with space and ambiance, and helps me dial back when I go too crazy with parts. We do that for each other. He’ll send me a demo, and I’ll say, “This is awesome, but just repeat that part — don’t overcomplicate it.”
He brings a different metal perspective than I do. It’s about balance. He gives me riffs that make me think differently, and that’s really cool.
Ozzy Osbourne recently passed, leaving a massive hole in the metal world. As a drummer in a genre that thrives on extremity, how do you reflect on Ozzy’s legacy and the impact of his era on your journey in heavy music?
Man, first of all — rest in peace. It’s crazy to think about a world without someone like that.
Everybody owes a debt of gratitude to those guys. Anyone who listens to or plays heavy music — whether you’re in your room playing guitar or on stage — all of us were influenced by them in some way.
I’m 30, so I came in near the end of Ozzfest. I never got to see it, but it was amazing to see a band like that bring out so many intense bands for the time — like Hatebreed, Machine Head, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot.
Ozzy’s camp had such a keen eye for talent — and they helped expose new generations to heavy music. They were kind and accepting to newer bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit, too. It goes so much deeper than just a few albums. Like you said, a massive hole in the industry.
Your double bass work, especially on tracks like Hell Must Fear Me, is a defining element of your sound. Can you walk us through your current drum setup and specific gear that helped bring the album’s pissed-off energy to life?
Yeah — I’m a big fan of fast, heavy drums. I use Pearl drums and hardware, Pearl double pedals, and Zildjian cymbals.
I’m lucky to have access to a wide array of gear now. Josh (our producer) has a bunch of stuff in his studio, so sometimes he’ll throw something in my hands and say, “Try this.”
I spent about 15 years just trying to play as fast as possible. In the last couple years, I feel like I hit a cap — so I’ve been trying new things and learning different styles.
Gear-wise, honestly, the gear doesn’t matter that much. I might get my ass beat for saying that — but I’ve seen kids absolutely ripping on garbage kits, playing better than I ever could.
That said, there is something about having gear that inspires you. An instrument you love will make you want to play. Different instruments can bring out different sides of your creativity.
Personally, I love deep, loud, big drums. I love the tribal feel. There’s something primal about hitting a drum — I think we’re all born with that.
Finally, if Signs of the Swarm were forced to do a full acoustic unplugged set — no distortion, no blast beats — what ridiculously non-metal instrument would you play, and which song would actually weirdly slap in that format?
Oh man, that’s so hard. That’s a really cool question — you’re on one!
If it’s acoustic, I probably wouldn’t even need drums. We’ve got guitar, so maybe a banjo or mandolin. I think mandolin is really cool.
Or piano. Honestly, I’d love that — a piano and guitar combo. That’s probably the only way we could pull off a lot of our melodic background stuff and still make it make sense.
We joke about this all the time — like, what if we had to actually do this?
Dreamkiller could be fun — that’s a pretty song, I think we could get away with it. There’s some on the new record that aren’t out yet, like Forcing to Forget, that might work, too.
But yeah — that would probably be the one situation where I’d go on stage and actually be nervous. I don’t really get scared anymore, but that would make me s— my pants.
Well, on that final note… your pants. Thank you for your time. What’s the rest of 2025 looking like for you?
Yeah! We’ve got a couple U.S. tours coming up in October and November. Europe again at some point later in the year — I can’t even remember the exact dates. And our new album drops August 22nd. We’ve been working really, really hard on it, and we’re just trying to stay busy. So if you want to check that out — that would mean a lot.
With To Rid Myself of Truth, Signs of the Swarm have fully transcended their slamming deathcore origins. Reuniting with producer Josh Schroeder and welcoming guitarist/vocalist Carl Schulz into the fold, the band has crafted their most aggressive, expansive, and emotionally charged record yet.
Channeling the mechanical precision of Fear Factory, the weight of Gojira, and the chaos of Meshuggah, this sixth LP is less about trends and more about truth — no matter how brutal. Serrated, pissed, and undeniably personal, To Rid Myself of Truth is Signs of the Swarm at their sharpest and most self-assured.
Out August 22 via Century Media Records.
Signs Of The Swarm online:
https://www.instagram.com/signsoftheswarm/
https://www.facebook.com/signsoftheswarm/
https://www.youtube.com/@signsoftheswarmband/
https://twitter.com/signsoftheswarm
#SignsOfTheSwarm #ToRidMyselfOfTruth #Deathcore #NewMetal #Metal2025 #CenturyMedia #WillRamos #PhilBozeman #JoshSchroeder #HeavyMusic #MetalRelease
Categories: Interviews, Music, Signs of the Swarm
Capital Chaos TV 
Leave a comment