Pittsburgh deathcore heavyweights Signs of the Swarm are marking the one-year anniversary of their sixth studio album, To Rid Myself of Truth, with something considerably louder and far more chaotic than a traditional anniversary celebration.
Released through Century Media Records, the band’s new standalone single, “Dragula,” takes on Rob Zombie’s industrial-metal staple and completely rebuilds it through the crushing lens of Signs of the Swarm. Rather than attempting to simply recreate the original, the band injects the track with downtuned guitars, punishing drums, guttural vocals, and the kind of relentless heaviness that has become synonymous with their sound.
The result feels less like a conventional cover and more like an alternate-universe version of “Dragula” one where Rob Zombie’s iconic groove has been thrown directly into a deathcore pit.
According to drummer Bobby Crow, the idea of covering “Dragula” wasn’t something the band had planned from the beginning. Signs of the Swarm had spent years discussing potential covers, considering artists including The Prodigy, Slayer, and Static-X, before eventually landing on the Rob Zombie classic. The connection was already there. Crow explains that Hellbilly Deluxe had been a regular soundtrack during long drives on tour, with songs like “Living Dead Girl,” “Superbeast,” and “Spookshow Baby” becoming familiar companions for the band.
Then “Dragula” clicked.
“We just started mouthing out ideas for what a SOTS version of ‘Dragula’ would sound like,” Crow recalls. “Immediately, we were like, ‘DAMN! This is THE ONE!’”
Once the concept was chosen, the transformation happened remarkably quickly. Working with producer and engineer Josh Schroeder, the band began experimenting with new rhythmic ideas and beat loops before dropping the guitars into an exceptionally low tuning. According to Crow, the entire arrangement came together within a single day. That speed is reflected in the finished track. “Dragula” wastes little time getting to the point, retaining the recognizable backbone of Zombie’s original while surrounding it with the sheer physicality of modern deathcore.
The band’s recent touring connections helped bring some of the guests into the project. After touring with Lorna Shore, getting Will Ramos involved was an obvious choice. Their longstanding relationship with fellow Pennsylvania band 156/Silence brought Jack Murray into the mix, while time spent with The Last Ten Seconds of Life opened the door for Tyler Beam. The Dying Fetus connection added another layer of absurdity. With tour manager and sound engineer Rhys involved, Trey Williams was brought in and subsequently placed inside a robot costume. Then came August Burns Red.
With the shoot taking place near Lancaster, the band reached out to drummer Matt Greiner, who joined the increasingly bizarre production and got behind the kit. Bobby Crow and Galactic Empire’s Kevin Corkran helped complete the drum-line sequence. But perhaps the most unexpected addition was Bam Margera.
Simonich explains that the band reached out through their friend Vicente, who had previously worked on videos involving both Signs of the Swarm and Margera. Fortunately, Margera happened to be returning to the West Chester area and agreed to participate. He even arrived with fellow professional skateboarder Dalton Dern, who reportedly suggested an ollie off the roof of one of the warehouse rooms used for filming. At that point, the video had officially moved far beyond the original recreation idea.
Signs Of The Swarm online:
https://www.instagram.com/signsoftheswarm
Leave a Reply