Sworn In
ALL SMILES
(Fearless Records)
It’s fitting that ALL SMILES is Sworn In’s first album with their new label home, Fearless Records, since much of the band’s third release marks the sound of a new, more confident group. Sure, much of Sworn In’s now-patented (and, very unfortunately, often imitated) brand of metalcore is largely still intact; however, ALL SMILES bears the sound of a band expanding and improving upon everything that made their past two records good, while mostly leaving behind their lesser-regarded (read: nu-metal) influences behind for good. Sworn In are still bold and not-even-remotely-subtle, but ALL SMILES reveals the group at their most honest and unhinged, resulting in a wonderfully captivating listen.
The record eases into the band’s slight transformation with two songs that could easily serve as a “best of” encapsulation of their first two records: swirling compositions meet up with almost djent-y riffs and brutally dark lyrics; the 90s industrial influence gives these songs an extra dose of welcome groove. That said, once the title track begins, the record really takes off. Tyler Dennen’s vocals and lyrics have taken a big step up on this record, with emotive and haunting melodies coming through much more frequently. Musically, the rest of the band have created their most technically accomplished tunes yet, resulting in a record that’s just as heavy as it is dexterous. The enhanced understanding of groove meshes perfectly with Dennen’s new vocal approach; this makes for Sworn In’s most accomplished and memorable songs yet. We aren’t quite in prog territory, but ALL SMILES has much more in common with Glass Cloud and After the Burial now than they do Sylar or Darke Complex.
Sure, there are parts of the middle of the record that drag, but each song has at least one moment that digs deep in your cranium – whether its a vocal hook, a neck-snapping riff, or the grade-A breakdowns. Sworn In are clearly at their best on ALL SMILES, which explains how they can be so while discussing such dark material. Lyrically fierce and musically sharp, Sworn In’s third record packs quite the malicious bite.
