After tearing through a sold-out U.S. tour that moved over 35,000 tickets earlier this year, Switzerland’s heaviest export Paleface Swiss reunite with tour mates, Stick To Your Guns for the release of brand new banger, “Instrument of War”, a fierce, unflinching anthem born in green rooms and tour buses, now fully realized as both a sonic statement and a rallying cry. Watch the official music video Below and stream the track HERE.
Written mid-tour during rare moments of quiet, the song captures the visceral connection between Stick To Your Guns vocalist, Jesse Barnett and Paleface Swiss frontman Marc “Zelli” Zellweger, who bonded over shared convictions, distorted guitars, and the Pablo Picasso quote that gave the track its name. “No, painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war,” the quote begins—“for attack and defense against the enemy.” That sentiment—art as weapon, art as armor—became the foundation for both the track and its video, directed by artistic director and co-manager Kriss Jakob, and produced by co-manager Marco Bayati with a crushing final mix from longtime collaborator Florent Salfati (Landmvrks).
In a joint statement, Zelli and Jesse share
“No, painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war for attack and defense against the enemy. I felt like we both relate to this. Our music isn’t just some shit to put on in the background. It’s something real that comes from a real place and it’s meant to attack the things that divide us and defend all the things that bring us together.”
In keeping with the ethos of the track's inspiration, 100% of proceeds from “Instrument of War” will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, supporting their emergency medical work in conflict zones around the world. A limited edition Instrument of War charity shirt is also available now at Palefaceswiss.com, with all profits going directly to the organization.
Zelli and Jesse continue
“Paleface Swiss has generally avoided taking explicit political positions—especially given how complex things are today. But Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides care to people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural and human-made disasters, and mental health crises. That kind of direct, human-first action is something we deeply respect.”
“That said, both Stick To Your Guns and Paleface Swiss share clear values. As we mentioned, we stand for what’s right—whether that means supporting mental health (a core focus for Paleface Swiss) or speaking out against oppression and violence. For those who know our bands, this song already carries those messages. That’s why it felt like the right vehicle for something bigger—and why it made sense to use it to give back.”
Known for their incomparable live performances and fearless approach to intense and vulnerable topics, Paleface Swiss has built a reputation as one of the most vital, unfiltered, and rapidly rising forces in the world of modern metal today. With their latest album, Cursed, Paleface Swiss took listeners into their darkest, most intricate, and artistically diverse chapter yet, combining their trademark Nu-Core heaviness with raw vulnerability, a rare and special combination for a band within their genre. The album charted at #17 globally on Spotify, #3 in the U.S., and #1 in the UK—quickly followed by Cursed: The Complete Edition.
The album's success kicked off a year of career-defining momentum for Paleface Swiss that included back-to-back sellout tours across Europe & the UK, North America, multiple festival performances and their first ever tour of Australia. Refusing to rest on their laurels, Paleface Swiss will begin 2026 with their biggest tour of Europe and the UK yet and will be heading back to the US in May to play Sonic Temple Festival.
Whether “Instrument of War” makes its way into the Paleface Swiss live set at their upcoming shows remains to be seen, but with Stick To Your Guns and Static Dress joining them across Europe and the UK next year, every night promises to be a masterclass in the future of modern metal.
ABOUT PALEFACE SWISS
Since their debut Chapter 3: The Last Selection in 2020, Paleface Swiss have risen from underground darlings to global heavyweights in the world of metal. With explosive riffs, punishing beatdowns, a brutally heavy rhythm section, and frontman Zelli’s signature vocal savagery, the band quickly gained momentum—landing four breakout tracks on Spotify’s Heavy Beatdown playlist Their 2022 follow-up Fear & Dagger pushed even further, earning praise for its emotional weight and unflinching heaviness, with standout reviews from Metal Injection, New Transcendence, and Wall of Sound. Singles like “The Orphan,” “Dead Man’s Diary” (feat. LANDMVRKS' Florent Salfati), and “My Grave / Lay with Me” solidified their place among the new wave of deathcore’s most innovative acts.
In the years that followed, Paleface Swiss took their chaos on the road—touring with Body Snatcher, Counterparts, and The Ghost Inside, and leveling festival stages from Sick New World to Hellfest. Their live reputation exploded, converting crowds with a show that fuses unrelenting brutality and raw vulnerability. Between headline tours and viral fan demand, they released standalone anthems “Best Before: Death,” “Please End Me,” and “The Gallow”—each now included on their latest offering Cursed: The Complete Edition, the most ambitious and complete chapter of their journey so far. To date, the band have amassed over 110 million streams, 21 million YouTube views, with their Spotify Monthly listeners recently peaking at over 1 million. Their recent, sold-out Cursed Tour across Europe, the UK, and North America sold over 60,000 tickets.
PALEFACE SWISS are:
Vox: Marc “Zelli” Zellweger
Guitar: Yannick Lehmann
Bass: Tommy-Lee Abt
Drums: Cassiano 'Cassi' Toma