Signs of the Swarm steal the night at Electric Brixton

Electric Brixton is no stranger to heavy line-ups, but there was a particular edge in the air as Chelsea Grin arrived in London with a three-band support that truly tested the endurance of the venue, the security team, and anyone above twenty-five.
Across the night, crowd surfers flowed over the barrier in an endless stream, circle pits opened with little warning, and at one point, Chelsea Grin triggered a wall of death that split the entire floor in two. From the moment doors opened it was clear that this would not be a standard metal show. This was deathcore at full capacity.

Crown Magnetar

Colorado’s Crown Magnetar opened the night with a set that wasted no time setting the tone and the pace for everything that followed. Their hyper-precise, blastbeat-driven assault rattled the room immediately, even after an early bout of feedback and a brief mic dropout. Instead of slowing anything down, the issue seemed to raise the tension in the room.

They powered through with the confidence of a band used to much larger stages. Breakdowns hit with huge force, the tempo shifts were razor-tight, and the crowd responded on cue, with circle pits forming within seconds of each track starting. As openers go, Crown Magnetar set a very high bar.

Mugshot

Mugshot followed with a noticeable shift in tone, leaning into metallic hardcore with an energy that felt chaotic yet controlled. They launched across the stage from the first note, their set full of jagged riffs, sharp rhythmic breaks, and an intensity that pushed the crowd into a faster and more frantic mode.
Frontman Ringo Waterman threw himself into every line and transition, commanding the room with sheer stamina. By the halfway point, crowd surfers were coming over the barrier two or three at a time, keeping security constantly busy. Mugshot’s performance was one not to be missed, which, unfortunately, many late arrivals learned the hard way.

Signs of the Swarm

When Signs of the Swarm took the stage, it became clear why so many people in the room were wearing their merch. The Pittsburgh heavyweights delivered a set that felt less like a support slot and more like a co-headliner at full stride.
Their dense, technical, and relentlessly punishing sound was mixed impressively well for a room as lively as Electric Brixton. Every guttural vocal, every gravity-defying kick pattern, and every tectonic riff landed cleanly, which is no small achievement for a genre that often pushes live systems to their limits.

The crowd’s energy rose to meet them. The wave of crowd surfers during their set was staggering, security never catching a moment of rest as bodies poured over the barrier. Two moments stood out. First, the savage delivery of “Natural Selection” early in the set. Second, the eruption that followed “Creator” later on. Both showcased the band at their sharpest, musically cohesive, rhythmically suffocating, and completely in command of the room.

Despite the intensity, the atmosphere stayed controlled and safe. Brixton’s staff were impressively attentive, catching every surfer and keeping the chaos fun rather than dangerous. Signs of the Swarm did not just maintain the night’s momentum. They elevated it and reaffirmed why they are one of the most exciting live bands in modern deathcore.

Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin closed the evening with the kind of presence that only comes from a group more than a decade into their career while still pushing themselves creatively. Their set leaned heavily on fan favourites, delivered with a confidence that felt both commanding and effortless.
The crowd responded with full force. The wall of death they summoned was one of the largest the venue has seen in recent years, splitting the floor before slamming back together on the drop.

Tom Barber’s vocals cut clearly through the mix, and the band’s blend of technical precision and blunt force breakdowns kept the room moving until the final note. The supports challenged the crowd’s stamina all night. Chelsea Grin ensured the show ended at its peak.