History Music / Swans

* '''''The Glowing Man''''' (2016) - The final installment in the informal trilogy started by ''The Seer''. Features a more meditative, ethereal sound than its immediate predecessor while also making the tracks even longer, with 8 tracks adding up to just under 2 hours of music. Gira has described it as "the musical equivalent of ''Film/BenHur''. Notable guests include Okkyung Lee and Michael Gira's wife Jennifer.

* SillyLoveSongs: Few and far between, though when they do appear, [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments the results are]] [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic pretty impressive]].

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Anna and Maria von Hausswolf fulfill much the same role as Jarboe on ''Leaving Meaning''.

* '''Filth ''' (1983) - The first full-length. Still rooted in no-wave, but takes heavy influence from noise-rock and industrial music, and very well could be considered an UrExample for {{grindcore}}. (For the record, Mick Harris, a drummer for Music/NapalmDeath, was describing the sound of Swans to a friend in 1984 and used the term "grind;" [[TropeNamers therefore, Swans could also be credited for inspiring the term "grindcore."]])
* '''Cop''' (1984) - Takes the style of ''Filth'' and intensifies it. Utilizes slower tempos, more tape loops, and even more abrasive musical textures. Considered the darkest studio album both lyrically and musically.

* '''Greed''' (1986) - Continues to shift away from the brutal noise-rock of the first 3 releases. Certain tracks utilize drum machines. ''Fool'' uses a grand piano, while ''Money is Flesh'' uses a synthesizer. Maynard Jame Keenan of Tool has cited this album as a major influence.
* '''Holy Money''' (1986) - A sort-of sequel to ''Greed''. It was recorded in the same sessions, so it figures.
* ''A Screw'' (EP, 1986) - Sees the band delve the furthest into industrial dance music than they ever have. The title track was the first track they recorded for the Greed/Holy Money sessions, while Blackmail was the first track to feature Jarboe on lead vocals.
* ''[[IntentionallyAwkwardTitle Public Castration is a Good Idea]]'' (Live, 1986) - The first live album, recorded during the tours for the previous 4 releases. Considered the most brutal Swans release '''period'''. Most tracks have been extended to twice their original length, and more abrasive. Quite an accurate reflection of the title though.
* '''Children of God''' (1987) - Marks an even more drastic change in direction than ''Greed'' and ''Holy Money'', and uses acoustic guitars and more melodic vocals. One of their more accessible releases.

* '''The Burning World''' (1989) - The first and only studio album released on Uni. While it features more accessible pop melodies, many of the lyrics continue to deal with depression, death, greed and despair, but with some [[RayOfHopeEnding rays of hope]] added. Also, Gira begins to ''sing'' on a regular basis, as opposed to chanting or shouting the lyrics; his baritone vocals bring to mind a more urbane Music/JohnnyCash.

* '''White Light from the Mouth of Infinity''' (1991) - Their first release on their own record label, Young God, which combined the earlier {{hard rock}} influences and the later pop melodies, mixed with ProgressiveRock influences, making for a rather complex record in comparison to earlier work. Imagine Music/LeonardCohen singing lead on ''Music/InTheCourtOfTheCrimsonKing'', and you'll start to get the idea.
* ''Body to Body, Job to Job (1991, recorded 1982-85) - Series of recordings made during the pre-''Time Is Money'' period. Some are live, some are studio, and some are tape loops.
* '''Love of Life''' (1992) - Sort of a companion to ''White Light'', due to similar cover designs and both of them having [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes been in the same situation up until 2015]].

* '''The Great Annihilator''' (1995) - Described as Gira as a companion to his solo album Drainland. This is definitely Swans at their most accessible, for better or for worse.

* '''Soundtracks for the Blind''' (1996) - Considered to be their magnum opus. It's also very long, clocking in at around 2 hours and 21 minutes spread across 2 CDs. While it's usually classified as post-rock, it's very much more, containing audio colleges, hardcore punk tracks, and even an EDM track. Gira has said that it contains material from Swans' whole career, dating back to '''1981'''. Outside of a live album and two compilations, this was Swans' last studio release until 2010.

* '''My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky''' (2010) - First album after the reformation, funded by Gira's solo album "I Am Not Insane". Sort of a bridge between ''Soundtracks'' and Gira's side project "Angels of Light".

* '''The Seer''' (2012) - The first album in an informal trilogy of epic full-lengths, and likely the darkest of the three. Clocking in at 1:59:13, it's one of the band's longest albums and also one of their darkest. Its sound can best be described as a mixture of post-rock, drone, folk, and noise. Collaborators include [[Music/{{Low}} Alan and Mimi Sparhawk]], Karen O, and Ben Frost. Met with critical acclaim.

* '''To Be Kind''' (2014) - A more heavy, riff-driven post-rock album. Their most commercially successful album to date, peaking at number 37 on the Billboard 200. You can thank [[WebVideo/TheNeedleDrop Anthony Fantano]] for that, as he gave the album a rare 10, making it only one of five albums he gave that rating to, and in the process giving it a '''massive''' ColbertBump.

* ''The Gate'' (Live, 2015) - A live album used to fund ''The Glowing Man''. Limited to 1,000 copies. Notably, each
copy has a unique cover drawn by the band,
* '''The Glowing Man''' (2016) - The final installment in the informal trilogy started by ''The Seer''. Features a more meditative, ethereal sound than its immediate predecessor while also making the tracks even longer, with 8 tracks adding up to just under 2 hours of music. Gira has described it as "the musical equivalent of ''Film/BenHur''.

* '''What Is This?''' (2019) - Another fundraiser album. Unlike the the other 2, however, this is a full-length studio album. Mostly acoustic.
* '''Leaving Meaning''' (2019) - The 15th studio album. Shorter and lighter than its predecessors (at a [[SarcasmMode scant]] 93 minutes), it shows more of a folky, spiritual tone akin to Gira's work with the Angels of Light.

* '''Soundtracks for the Blind''' (1996) - Considered to be their magnum opus. It's also very long, clocking in at around 2 hours and 21 minutes spread across 2 CDs. While it's usually classified as post-rock, it's very much more, containing audio colleges, hardcore punk tracks, and even and EDM track. Gira has said that it contains material from Swans' whole career, dating back to '''1981'''. Outside of a live album and two compilations, this was Swans' last studio release until 2010.

* '''The Seer''' (2012) - A full return to the sound of ''Soundtracks'', while the previous album had more folk elements to it. Met with critical acclaim.

* '''The Glowing Man''' (2016) - Another album with longer songs but otherwise similar to ''To Be Kind''.

* '''TBA''' (Slated for 2019 release) - Nothing is known of this album as it hasn't been released.

* LighterAndSofter: ''The Burning World'', musically if not lyrically.

* MinimalisticCoverArt: Swans often goes for this, especially with the trilogy of ''The Seer'', ''To Be Kind'', and ''The Glowing Man'', each of which features a single image against a blank background (Specifically, a weird creature resembling a fox on ''The Seer'', a crying baby on ''To Be Kind'', and a weird symbol resembling an arm on ''The Glowing Man'').

* '''White Light from the Mouth of Infinity''' (1991) - Their first release on their own record label, Young God. combined the earlier {{hard rock}} influences and the later pop melodies, mixed with ProgressiveRock influences, making for a rather complex record in comparison to earlier work. Imagine Music/LeonardCohen singing lead on ''Music/InTheCourtOfTheCrimsonKing'', and you'll start to get the idea.

* '''Swans''' (EP, 1982) - Where it all started. Heavily rooted in the no-wave scene, with use of saxophone and relatively less brutality than their other early albums. Still remains an intense listen, though, showing the early stages of the style they would become known for.

* ''Not Here/Not Now'' (Live, 2013) - Live album used to fund ''To Be Kind''.

* '''Soundtracks for the Blind''' (1996)

* ''Swans'' (EP, 1982) - Where it all started. Heavily rooted in the no-wave scene, with use of saxophone and relatively less brutality than their other early albums. Still remains an intense listen, though, showing the early stages of the style they would become known for.
* ''Filth '' (1983) - The first full-length. Still rooted in no-wave, but takes heavy influence from noise-rock and industrial music, and very well could be considered an UrExample for {{grindcore}}. (For the record, Mick Harris, a drummer for Music/NapalmDeath, was describing the sound of Swans to a friend in 1984 and used the term "grind;" [[TropeNamers therefore, Swans could also be credited for inspiring the term "grindcore."]])
* ''Cop'' (1984) - Takes the style of ''Filth'' and intensifies it. Utilizes slower tempos, more tape loops, and even more abrasive musical textures. Considered the darkest studio album both lyrically and musically.

* ''Greed'' (1986) - Continues to shift away from the brutal noise-rock of the first 3 releases. Certain tracks utilize drum machines. ''Fool'' uses a grand piano, while ''Money is Flesh'' uses a synthesizer. Maynard Jame Keenan of Tool has cited this album as a major influence.
* ''Holy Money'' (1986) - A sort-of sequel to ''Greed''. It was recorded in the same sessions, so it figures.

* ''Children of God'' (1987) - Marks an even more drastic change in direction than ''Greed'' and ''Holy Money'', and uses acoustic guitars and more melodic vocals. One of their more accessible releases.

* ''The Burning World'' (1989) - The first and only studio album released on Uni. While it features more accessible pop melodies, many of the lyrics continue to deal with depression, death, greed and despair, but with some [[RayOfHopeEnding rays of hope]] added. Also, Gira begins to ''sing'' on a regular basis, as opposed to chanting or shouting the lyrics; his baritone vocals bring to mind a more urbane Music/JohnnyCash.

* ''White Light from the Mouth of Infinity'' (1991) - Their first release on their own record label, Young God. combined the earlier {{hard rock}} influences and the later pop melodies, mixed with ProgressiveRock influences, making for a rather complex record in comparison to earlier work. Imagine Music/LeonardCohen singing lead on ''Music/InTheCourtOfTheCrimsonKing'', and you'll start to get the idea.

They took the offer and released ''The Burning World'' in 1989. While it featured more accessible pop melodies, many of the lyrics continued to deal with depression, death, greed and despair, but with some [[RayOfHopeEnding rays of hope]] added. Also, Gira began to ''sing'' on a regular basis, as opposed to chanting or shouting the lyrics; his baritone vocals bring to mind a more urbane Music/JohnnyCash. Unfortunately, troubles with Uni/MCA led to the band leaving the label and starting their own company, Young God Records. Their first Young God release was 1991's ''White Light from the Mouth of Infinity'', which combined the earlier {{hard rock}} influences and the later pop melodies, mixed with ProgressiveRock influences, making for a rather complex record in comparison to earlier work. Imagine Music/LeonardCohen singing lead on ''Music/InTheCourtOfTheCrimsonKing'', and you'll start to get the idea.

* ''[[IntentionallyAwkwardTitle Public Castration is a Good Idea]]'' (Live, 1986) - The first live album. Considered the most brutal Swans release '''period'''. Most tracks have been extended to twice their original length, and more abrasive. Quite an accurate reflection of the title though.

* ''[[Music/JoyDivision Love Will Tear Us Apart]]'' (EP, 1988) - Contains a LighterAndSofter CoverVersion of [[Music/JoyDivision Joy Division's]] signature song "Love Will Tear Us Apart", and two [[UnpluggedVersion Unplugged Versions]] of songs from ''Children of God''.

* ''A Screw'' (EP, 1986) - Sees the band delve the furthest into industrial dance music than they ever have. The title track was the first track they recorded for the Greed/Holy Money sessions.

They got their start with a [[SelfTitledAlbum self-titled EP]] in 1982, followed by their LP debut ''Filth'' in 1983. The latter is known for its harsh {{noise rock}} and {{industrial}} influences, and very well could be considered an UrExample for {{grindcore}}. (For the record, Mick Harris, a drummer for Music/NapalmDeath, was describing the sound of Swans to a friend in 1984 and used the term "grind;" [[TropeNamers therefore, Swans could also be credited for inspiring the term "grindcore."]])

Once Jarboe joined the band, Swans slowly moved away from the brutal aggression of ''Filth'' and the 1984 releases of ''Cop'' and ''Young God'', opting for slightly softer (but just as insane) music, beginning subtly with the 1985 ''Time is Money'' 12", continuing with the "money" albums (''Greed'' and ''Holy Money'', 1986) and culminating with ''Children of God'' in 1987.

* CarefulWithThatAxe: On occasion.

** "Apostate" is another good example.

* BodyMotifs: Skin and flesh and mentioned a lot throughout their lyrics.

With the surprise hit on US college radio of "Love Will Tear Us Apart", Creator/{{Universal}}/[[Creator/MCAVideoDistributingCorporation MCA]] offered Swans a record deal. Gira described it as this:

* SillyLoveSongs: Few and far between, though when they do appear, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming the results are]] [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome pretty impressive]].

* IndecipherableLyrics: "Young God" is primarily slurred with some yelling. You can't make out more than ten words, even with the lyrics in front of your face... Though comprehension is ultimately irrelevant, [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness given the nature of said lyrics]].
* IntentionallyAwkwardTitle: They like this trope a lot. ''Public Castration is a Good Idea'', "Raping a Slave", "You Fucking People Make Me Sick"...

* WordSaladLyrics: "No Words / No Thoughts" is a borderline example, being based on free association, though certain lines seem to characterise it as a VillainSong of sorts.