  We present evidence for a spatially modulated instability within the
deconfined quark-gluon plasma phase of QCD. This evidence is based on robust
predictions from generic holographic models, accurately fitted to lattice data,
where the instability is driven by the Chern-Simons term mandated by the flavor
anomalies of QCD. Such an instability occurs universally across holographic
models at surprisingly low densities, within the crossover region amenable to
lattice and experimental studies, therefore inviting further explorations of
inhomogeneous phases in this region.
