LIVE FROM THE PIT: Chelsea Grin, Signs Of The Swarm, Mugshot and Crown Magnetar

On December 7th, The Electric in Bristol became a forge of sound and fury. The moment the doors opened, the air buzzed with anticipation, thick with sweat, adrenaline, and the electric tension of a crowd ready to surrender to chaos. This was not a night for casual listening — it was a full immersion into deathcore at its most punishing. From start to finish, four bands unleashed a relentless barrage of sound, each carving its own brutal path through the night, leaving the audience battered, breathless, and exhilarated.

CROWN MAGNETAR set the tone, hitting the stage with predatory precision. From the first snarling chords of Barbed Wire Noose the room was plunged into a storm of sound. Blistering riffs and hammering blast beats collided with the crowd’s energy, igniting circle pits and walls of death that seemed to shake the venue’s foundations. Tracks like The Level Beneath and the newer Desecrate Infinite flowed seamlessly, each a testament to the band’s ability to manipulate tempo and tension. By the time Black Lotus closed their set, the audience was not just warmed up — they were ignited, buzzing with the thrill of a night that had begun in full force.

Following them, MUGSHOT stormed onto the stage, bringing raw, unbridled energy that turned The Electric into a riotous pit of motion. Their hybrid of death metal and hardcore was an unrelenting assault, each song a summons to the floor. From the opening salvo of Die In Fear, bodies flew, collided, and tumbled, responding to every breakdown with instinctive violence. The band’s chemistry was palpable — every riff landed like a hammer blow, every rhythm a call to chaos. When Next To Your Idols closed their set, the pit was a whirlwind of bruised exhilaration, primed for the next level of devastation.

SIGNS OF TH SWARM elevated the intensity to near-apocalyptic levels. From the thunderous opening of HELLMUSTFEARME to the punishing drive of IWONTLETYOUDIE, the Pittsburgh quartet transformed the venue into a battlefield. Drummer BOBBY CROW’s kit became a relentless engine of destruction, while CARL SCHULZ’s eight-string guitar cut through the air with chugging brutality and piercing solos. Frontman DAVID SIMONICH prowled the stage like a predator, baiting the pit into frenzy. Mid-set, Sarkazein struck like a controlled storm, dragging the audience deeper into chaos before the set culminated in the devastating finale of Amongst the Low & Empty. By the end, The Electric was a sea of sweat and adrenaline, every audience member fully immersed in the maelstrom the band had orchestrated.

CHELSEA GRIN closed the night with the confidence of a band that has long claimed deathcore royalty. Following the devastation of the previous acts, they took the stage with dominance and composure. Recreant and Cheyne Stokes tore through the room instantly, Stokes commanding the pit with guttural roars while trading banter with the crowd. Guitarists weaved intricate patterns of destruction, and the rhythm section grounded each breakdown in punishing force. Mid-set tracks like Suffer and Bleeding Sun showcased the band’s ability to traverse their discography while keeping the audience on a knife-edge of adrenaline-fueled excitement. Bodies collided, leapt, and soared in every direction, the pit tightening with each passing track. The apex arrived with Hostage, a finale so monumental that it left the venue trembling, hearts racing, and ears ringing long after the last note.

The night as a whole was a masterclass in extreme live performance. CROWN MAGNETAR ignited the stage with raw aggression, MUGSHOT escalated the chaos with wild energy, SIGNS OF THE SWARM demonstrated technical precision and ferocity, and CHELSEA GRIN delivered a polished, devastating conclusion. Each breakdown threatened to collapse the floor, every riff seemed poised to rip through walls, and every guttural roar reminded the audience why they were there: to be consumed. The Electric became more than a venue — it was a crucible where sound and fury fused into an unforgettable shared experience.

By the end, limbs were bruised, voices shredded, and adrenaline spent, yet the audience carried with them the indelible memory of a night where deathcore’s fiercest acts coalesced in violent harmony. It was a night of calculated chaos, relentless intensity, and pure, uncompromising power — a reminder that some shows do not just entertain; they consume, leaving both band and audience transformed in the crucible of music.

Words: Mia Gailey

Photos: Nick Howells