No one puts as much effort into their artwork than Converge. This album is no exception. This would be worth buying just for the packaging, it's that nice. Same with "Jane Doe." Same with "When Forever Comes Crashing." Artistic, strange, conceptual, rage-inspired, and brilliant...that's Converge's artwork.
Converge is a band you definitely have to be in the mood for. The raw aggression, rage, and power of the band is definitely too much for just a casual listen.
Many people’s response to this is “It’s no Jane Doe.” I wonder if those people made it past the second song. The scene which this band has embraced is the hardcore scene and sadly that is run by people more concerned about their looks than the music. It sort of makes one wonder…Converge do a great job of making limited edition pressings of records, shirts, posters, etc. Is that to “put their art out” or is to exploit the materialistic fools that must have every pressing of every record? My guess is a little from column A and a little from column B. The gripe of course is that the same people who are whining that this is “no Jane Doe” were the same who were whining a few years back that “Jane Doe” was not “Petitioning the Empty Sky.” Those same people are complaining that this is no “Petitioning the Empty Sky” as well, that it’s too heavy and too noisy. I’m sorry, “PTES” has maybe three good songs and the rest of it is crap. “When Forever Comes Crashing” was a step up. But the band did not achieve greatness until later.
So...let’s get this out of the way. The band should really cut the headlining hardcore shows bit and try to get on some major tours. There are all sorts of metal bands that this band would tour with…for one, just about anything on Relapse…but really any metal that is a bit “off” would be a great show for these guys to get on…I’m thinking of say, anything Mike Patton project, or even The Melvins. Even Ozzfest would treat these guys well I would guess. I don’t know…it’s a shame when you have a great band that takes more influence from Carcass than just about anything else and it’s being labeled just as “hardcore.”
Converge has been around for a long time and didn’t really get recognition (dare I say, didn’t really deserve the recognition) until their last album “Jane Doe” which is a masterpiece. The band is spastic (a bit of Dillinger), grindy (a bit of Carcass), emotional (a bit of Shai Hulud), artsy (a hint of John Zorn), and just brutal (add some Napalm Death). The vocalist has an insane, pissed off snarl/growl that sounds like later day Jeff Walker and Barney Greenway. Musically, the band is too complex to really be categorized. They are all over the board…insanely heavy, yet with mellow parts that are haunting and creepy, strange time changes, amazing drumming, and schizophrenic screams.
The songs are chaotic…but it is controlled. There are songs on here that are blasts, crazy, time changes up the ass, with no sense of any cohesion…then you get a song that while still nuts has a hint of form, a verse here, a bridge, and another verse…the music is wild and spazzy but it’s put together logically and that’s why it works. Many times band try too damn hard to create crazy music…that is the downfall of this genre and the reason why just about every Converge copy band sucks. They don’t put it all together as this band does.
If you are into heavy, loud, and abrasive music then you owe it to yourself to check out Converge.
