Sworn In

Oftentimes, a smile just might be hiding the most devilish of intentions.

Think of that black pointy smirk on Eric Draven’s face in The Crow or Heath Ledger’s immortal scarred and blood-stained visage as The Joker. The sneer can reflect a marvelous malevolence like an image turned upside down in a hall of mirrors. That brings us to Sworn In’s aptly titled third full-length album and first for Fearless Records, ALL SMILES. It serves as the apex of the group’s indefinable assault thus far, gleefully stitching together a ragdoll of heavy metal, hardcore, goth, punk, and alternative best described as Slipknot covering The Black Parade. The Illinois quartet—Tyler Dennen [vocals], Chris George [drums], Eugene Kamlyuk [guitar, backing vocals], and Derek Bolman [bass]—emerged from a two-year period of darkness with a blackened eleven-song grin.