Downswing rising!
If you aren’t listening to the new drop “And Everything Was Dark” by Downswing, well you are doing it wrong.
Downswing is hard-hitting Albany, NY outfit blending hardcore bite with modern metalcore hooks; since 2017 and signed to MNRK Heavy.
On October 24th, 2025 Downswing dropped their newest LP “And Everything Was Dark.” Well it absolutely rips! This is an album you listen to a few times as you soak in the breakdowns and powerful vocals. The themes are easy to vibe into and get in the grind. There is great flow to the tracks and they exercise their abilities to bring power and blend it melodically. The hardcore blend with metalcore is brilliant.
The singles off the album ar “Too Little Too Late” (feat. Chris Roetter) and “For What It’s Worth” (feat. Travis Moseley). Both were strong choices for singles and I don’t question their choice. For me though the tracks that catch me are “Serpent,” “Emptiness Remains,” and “Letting Go".
Vocalist Harrison Seanor, drives with vicious vocals with the ability to bring it back down to a slick melodic vibe. Anthony Salvaggio (guitar), Brandon Jared (bass), and Chris Arnold (guitar) just drive the breakdowns with crushing riffs. Then Nick Manzella (drums) just pounds the beat, almost feeling like a AK-47 in the chest.
I have been noticing a lot more Downswing shirts on people at the various shows I shoot. I usually ask them “Did you catch them at Chapel of Bones for the He is Legend show?”(09.26.2025 - Raleigh, NC) Surprisingly the answer has been “no” each time, which is a good thing. Hear me out, usually people buy merch at the show but it takes more effort to go out and buy merch for a band you have never seen before. That means you have listened to them and are committed on repping them and you go out and find a shirt. What this all tells me is that Downswing is building a fanbase from more than just their live shows which is clutch for them.
Now if you do have an opportunity to see them live, get your ass to the show! No excuses! I got to shoot them at Chapel of Bones in Raleigh in September and they brought it hard! Love that energy and you could feel that Albany, NY grit. IYKYK.
Downswing being out of Albany may make me partial as Arbor Hill and late nights at the Elbow Room back in the day make me always love my CNY roots. To have a band like this coming out of there is wicked. They carry that gritty upstate vibe with them on stage and in their tracks. Downswing is RISING!
Some official band details for and recommendations:
Genre: Metalcore/Hardcore
Origin: Albany, New York
Discography (highlights)
And Everything Was Dark (LP, 2025) — MNRK Heavy. Singles include “Too Little Too Late” (feat. Chris Roetter) and “For What It’s Worth” (feat. Travis Moseley). 
Let This Life Devour You (EP, 2024). 
Good Intentions (Album/LP, 2020). 
Earlier material incl. Dark Side of the Mind EP (2017). 
Essential picks
Album: And Everything Was Dark (2025) — current definitive statement. 
Starter tracks: “No God to Me,” “Emptiness Remains,” “Thanks For Nothing,” “Too Little Too Late.” 
Record label: MNRK Heavy. 
Social
Instagram: @downswingstyle (official) 
Facebook: /downswingstyle 
YouTube: @downswingstyle 
Streaming
Bandcamp: downswing.bandcamp.com (also lists upcoming shows & origin). 
Spotify artist page + new album/EP pages. 
Apple Music artist page. 
