Review: “Here Comes the Swarm” by Quiescent Mantis

One glance at the cover art is all it takes to know that Tennessee Metal heads Quiescent Mantis are a Thrash trio with ideas above their station who have been inspired by old science fiction movies. Scientists left their own devices during the great plague years, the band emerged from those tumultuous times having inadvertently opening a doorway to the Mantis home world during a particle collision experiment, exposing themselves to a mind-altering pheromone. That gave rise to their 2021 demo “Chapter 1“, the precursor for their debut album “Here Comes the Swarm” that features the original versions of no less than five cuts brought across to it under the cover of darkness. Produced by Yanic Bercier (Quo Vadis, Gone In April, Summoner’s Circle) at WaveTransform Recording Studio, drummer Johnny Mejia, bassist and vocalist Jordan McKenzie and guitarist Chris Trainor invite you to their laboratory…

The decision to re-record their demo rather than cut if off as standalone and release an EP of new tracks three years down the line is an intriguing one but it has been done elsewhere before. The superior quality of the new recordings which have been chemically altered after countless live performances makes that worth the while, as opening cut “Open The Gates” proves. While the cover art might have you thinking Death Thrash, in point of fact while this one has some Death Metal styled harsh vocals, the overall sound is pure unadulterated Thrash from a powerful rhythm section designed to get the adrenaline pumping. The twist in the tale is the clean chorus which have an air of Pop Punk to them, so the feel is as if you’ve been trapped in the long running Fearless Records compilation “Punk Goes Pop” and gives it a surprise fun quality. Biting down on a stick the trio then get anvil heavy with groove laden “Here Comes The Swarm“, an intense tune with a cool bass solo and the kind of vocal brutality that might make you think this was another band entirely. Dirty, dirge laden riffs dredge the lake in search of corpses and the result is a headbangable mosh pit filler than is absolutely delicious.

Perpetual forward motion means that “Apex Predator” is a nasty Death Thrash cut with some powerhouse blasting from Mejia and dense riffing that brings bands like Carcass or Strangle Wire to mind. Old school but with a contemporary twist, to packs plenty of punch. Then comes “P.R.E.Y.“, an instrumental tune which immediately brings to mind “From Ember To Inferno” era Trivium with its main riff having the Florida natives trade mark stylings. McKenzie’s bass has been allowed to bleed into the mix and sounds clanky, adding textural dimension as the leads fly in all directions. Why put an instrumental four tracks in? Who cares. It sounds great and that is all that matters as it serves to set the stage for the brilliance that is “Shake The Cage“. Bringing back the clean vocal but in a style more in keeping with the bands overall sound as well as laying down a gauntlet with a couple of face melting solo ensures that this one captures the imagination. If it’s the blueprint for the shape of punk to come then this band have got an exceptional future ahead of them because it gets the balance right. Fortunately “Breed. Feed. Repeat.” isn’t a reference to the first Slipknot album “Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.” and instead finds the trio returning to sounds of the opening cut with some lush clean vocals wrapped in swirling riffs delivered at breakneck pace. Alternating between singing and screaming might not work all the time or for everyone but here their persistence in attempting to do it pays off.

A Doom Metal sized riff of gargantuan proportions ushers in “Primal Form of Aggression” before things get rowdy, stepping up into Death Thrash with staccato riff breaks of menacing power before approaching Metallic Hardcore in the final third. It’s a brutal combination that works incredibly well by maintaining the high energy levels as it becomes more primitive. We can all spot to the obvious joke in the song title of “Killer Bee, Killed” but the track itself has no form of humour in it, instead having some throat splitting uncleans as the band drive home the coffin nails with an evil grin. A whammy bar lead solo adds to the intensity and you can picture the band sharing stages with the likes of Electrocutioner or Sadistic Force with their approach. Another powerhouse instrumental, “Fight!” also has the air of Trivium about it with the style of the leads and the discerning listener loses nothing by not having vocals. Adrenaline laced and performed by calloused hands, this one maintains the energy of the record nicely rather than being a deviation like so many are. The air raid sirens sound for “This Is The End!” as death becomes clearer through bloodshot eyes and a wave of paranoia. Lyrically reminiscent of Megadeth but having so much more aggression behind it, this one is not only a fitting way to complete the record but a lethal dose of American hatred [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Open The Gates
2. Here Comes The Swarm
3. Apex Predator
4. P.R.E.Y.
5. Shake The Cage
6. Breed. Feed. Repeat.
7. Primal Form of Aggression
8. Killer Bee, Killed
9. Fight!
10. This Is The End!

“Here Comes the Swarm” by Quiescent Mantis is out 19th July 2024