Converge (band)

Converge

Converge in France in 2007. From left to right: Jacob Bannon, Nate Newton, and Kurt Ballou.
Background information
Origin Salem, Massachusetts, United States
Genres
Years active 1990–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website www.convergecult.com
Members
Past members

Converge is an American metalcore band from Salem, Massachusetts. Formed in 1990, the group is composed of vocalist Jacob Bannon, guitarist Kurt Ballou, bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller. Their style blends hardcore punk with heavy metal, and they are considered pioneers of both metalcore and its subgenre mathcore. According to AllMusic, Converge are "regarded as one of the most original and innovative bands to emerge from the punk underground".[1]

History

Converge was formed in the winter of 1990 by Jacob Bannon and Kurt Ballou. They started by playing covers of hardcore punk, punk rock and heavy metal songs. The band soon graduated to playing live performances in 1991, after recording some demos on a 4-track recorder and eventually releasing full lengths including When Forever Comes Crashing and splits with bands like Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

In recent years, Converge have enjoyed a relatively high level of recognition. Their popularity began to rise with the release of breakthrough album, Jane Doe, which was number 1 on Sputnikmusic's "Top 100 Albums of the Decade". During the recording of Jane Doe, longtime member Aaron Dalbec (who was then involved in a side project called Bane), was asked to leave the group. This reduced Converge to a four-piece line up, which has been intact to the present day.

Converge vocalist Bannon performing in Germany, 2014

Converge's records have gradually become more elaborate and expensive to produce, This progression began with their move from a small independent label (Equal Vision Records) to a considerably larger one (Epitaph Records). Special releases have traditionally been handled by Bannon's record label, Deathwish Inc.

Converge released Axe to Fall on October 20, 2009. The album was very well-received, with Decibel Magazine hailing it as the band's best work since Jane Doe and scoring it 10/10. Pitchfork gave the album a rating of 8.5/10, praising Converge as "this generation's Black Flag."[2] Jane Doe was inducted into the Rock Sound's Hall of Fame.[3]

On January 1, 2012, Converge announced that they had completed writing for their eighth studio album,[4] titled All We Love We Leave Behind.[5] The following day, Kurt Ballou announced plans via his Facebook page to begin recording with the band in January 2012. The album was released on October 19, 2012 to widespread praise, currently holding an aggregate score of 88 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim."[6][7]

Musical style

Converge's style is rooted in both hardcore punk and heavy metal.[8] It has been described as metalcore[9][10][11][12] and mathcore,[13][14][15][16][8] or simply as hardcore.[17][18][19] They are considered one of the earliest and most influential metalcore bands.[10][11] Guitarist Kurt Ballou described Converge's first album Halo in a Haystack as "a bunch of hardcore kids playing leftover Slayer riffs." Their 2001 album Jane Doe, which has become their most acclaimed work, introduced an experimental approach and an emphasis on rhythmical complexity, which are the defining features of mathcore. However, vocalist Jacob Bannon stated: "I really don't know what mathcore is. Converge is an aggressive band. We have elements of hardcore, punk, and metal for sure. But I think trying to define our efforts and other bands with a generic subgenre name is counter productive. We all have something unique to offer and should be celebrated for those qualities rather than having them generalized for easy consumption."[20] Some of Converge's songs feature parts that lack their typical fast tempos and overall aggression; such songs include "Jane Doe", "Hell to Pay", "You Fail Me", "In Her Shadow", "Grim Heart/Black Rose", "Cruel Bloom", "Ten Cents", and "Wretched World".

Influences

Converge's influences range from hardcore punk bands, such as Black Flag, The Accüsed,[21] and Born Against;[21] metal bands like Black Sabbath, Godflesh,[21] Slayer,[22] and Entombed;[21] and bands like Starkweather[21] and Rorschach.[21] Jacob Bannon has also discussed an appreciation for and inspiration from grindcore on Earache Records; post-hardcore on Dischord Records; thrash metal, such as Suicidal Tendencies, Vio-lence, and Death Angel; and post-punk groups, such as Depeche Mode and The Cure (Both of whom have been covered by the band).[23]

Collaborations

The "Verge-In" sessions

After touring together in 2004, every member of Cave In and Converge entered Kurt Ballou's God City studio to lay in the foundation for what was intended to become a full-length collaborative album between the two bands. Tentatively dubbed the "Verge-In" sessions (an amalgamation of both band's names), the project was described as sounding "like this freaky mix of Ride the Lightning-era Metallica meets Mars Volta meets the Allman Brothers."[24] Due to both groups growing busier with their primary bands while also citing creative differences and there being "too many cooks in the kitchen," the project eventually fizzled out.[24][25] Steven Brodsky described the sessions as being "bigger project than anyone had anticipated taking on" and elaborated: "The idea was to put out some sort of release at some point. But as with anything that has too many cooks in the kitchen, the project got delayed, and certain people felt one way or another about the pieces we came up with, and in the end, there was a very small portion of material that everyone could agree on."[24]

Tracks from the abandoned Verge-In sessions were reworked and transformed years later into the Converge songs "Plagues" from No Heroes and "Effigy," "Cruel Bloom" and "Wretched World" from Axe to Fall — the latter of which was heavily reworked by members of Genghis Tron.[26] Jacob Bannon said he believes there are only two unused and half-finished tracks from these sessions that could end up being reworked into new Cave In songs down the road.[27] Brodsky said what became "Effigy" was some of the best material from the sessions and expressed interest in going back and finishing the remaining unreleased tracks at some point.[24]

The positive collaborative experience of these sessions was partly responsible for the formation of Ben Koller and Stephen Brodsky's band Mutoid Man in 2013.[28]

Blood Moon

In April 2016, all four members of Converge in addition to special guests Steven Brodsky (Cave In, Mutoid Man), Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Chelsea Wolfe and Ben Chisholm (Chelsea Wolfe) collaborated together under the name Blood Moon. Limited to four European performances, the collective performed "ambient/post-rock interpretations"[29] of various tracks from Converge's entire discography, particularly songs of their "lesser-heard and slower work."[30] In Kim Kelly of Noisey's review of Blood Moon's Roadburn Festival performance, she said: "I hadn't realized Converge's Jacob Bannon had such a powerful clean voice, or just how well it would mesh with Chelsea Wolfe's; I stood rooted to the spot for a good half hour if not more, totally sucked in by what was happening onstage. It was obvious that the musicians involved had put a lot of thought into what they were presenting up there."[29] In Tom Hartley of NME's review of their London performance, he said: "As one of only four European cities visited by Converge on this tour, it felt truly fortunate to witness such a unique show and once again reaffirmed they are crushingly brilliant with whatever they choose to do."[30]

Side projects

Outside Converge, singer Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou have composed stark, ambient music under the moniker Supermachiner, with Daltonic bass player Ryan Parker. Ballou has participated in an array of other lesser-known bands, such as Blue/Green Heart with drummer Ben Koller. Bannon also records under his own name, releasing solo records.

In late 2005, Ben Koller briefly drummed for Cave In. He also drums in Mutoid Man, Acid Tiger, United Nations and All Pigs Must Die. Ben Koller got his start in the punk and metal scene by playing drums for bands such as Forcefedglass.

Bassist Nate Newton also plays guitar in Old Man Gloom and Doomriders. Nate formerly played in Jesuit with former Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Brian Benoit.

Aaron Dalbec, former guitarist, and Damon Bellorado, former drummer, created a side project in 1995 called "Gateway", later renamed Bane.

Members

Current
Former
  • Jeff Feinburg – bass guitar, guitar (1991–1997)
  • Damon Bellorado – drums (1991–1999)
  • Aaron Dalbec – guitar (1994–2001)
  • Stephen Brodsky – bass guitar (1997–1998)
  • John DiGiorgio – drums (1999)
Session musicians
  • Erik Ralston – bass guitar (1993)

Timeline

Discography

For a more comprehensive list, see Converge discography.

References

  1. ↑ Stacia Proefrock. Converge Biography. AllMusic
  2. ↑ Lee, Cosmo (October 29, 2009). "Converge > Axe to Fall".
  3. ↑ "Converge’s ‘Jane Doe’ Inducted Into Rock Sound Hall Of Fame | News | Rock Sound". Rocksound.tv. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  4. ↑ "Converge Finishing Up Writing New Album | Theprp.com – Metal, Hardcore And Rock News, Reviews And More". Theprp.com. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  5. ↑ Rod, Smith (February 2012). "The Top 25 Most Anticipated Albums of Two Thousand Twelve". Decibel (Philadelphia: Red Flag Media Inc.) (88): 40. ISSN 1557-2137.
  6. ↑ "Converge All We Love We Leave Behind October 9". Lambgoat. 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  7. ↑ "All We Love We Leave Behind". Metacritic. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
  8. 1 2 "Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved February 23, 2016. As far as thematic intent and sonic structures are concerned, the band continues to integrate a rich tapestry of hardcore punk, metal, and mathcore
  9. ↑ "Converge - 'All We Love We Leave Behind'". NME. October 5, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2016. [T]he hybrid sub-genre [sic] 'metalcore' is punk played with the cartoonish evil of metal, crossed with metal played by punk delinquents. It’s the best of both worlds, and a squalid creation dreamt up by Converge...
  10. 1 2 Heaney, Gregory. "Converge - Caring and Killing; 1991 Through 1994". Allmusic. Retrieved February 23, 2016. Perhaps one of the most influential forces in the metalcore genre, Converge changed the face of underground metal with their fusion of hardcore punk and thrash, creating a perfect blend of raw aggression and astounding technicality.
  11. 1 2 Rauf, Raziq. "Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind Review". BBC. Retrieved February 23, 2016. Though they’re now in their third decade as a group, Massachusetts metalcore pioneers Converge find themselves as influential as ever.
  12. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (June 9, 2011). "Convergent Chaos". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  13. ↑ Leak, Brian (October 3, 2012). "Stream Converge's 'All We Love We Leave Behind' LP In Full". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Converge biography". Rockdetector.com. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Sum of the Score". The Daily Orange. Retrieved February 23, 2016. Mathcore, a genre of music that requires heavy concentration, puts a new spin on hardcore music
  16. ↑ "Amsterdam Weekly - Vol.5 - Issue 26 - 3 July". Issuu.com. 2008-07-02. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  17. ↑ Heller, Jason (October 9, 2012). "Converge: All We Love We Leave Behind". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 23, 2016. [All We Love We Leave Behind] solidifies Converge's position as one of hardcore's most progressive yet soulful stalwarts.
  18. ↑ Stosuy, Brandon (October 12, 2012). "Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Time apart helps Converge". Metro.co.uk. 2008-07-13. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  20. ↑ Huval, Rebecca (October 28, 2009). "Axe to Grind: Four Tense Questions with Converge". New York Press. Press Play (blog). Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Converge". Convergecult.com. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  22. ↑ Ramirez, Carlos (2008-02-19). "Converge: 'The Best Way To Learn Is Just Start Doing It'". UltimateGuitar.com. Retrieved 2008-05-27. I learned to play guitar by listening to Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies, and Metallica
  23. ↑ The groups listed in this sentence are taken from an interview with Jacob Bannon from Smother Magazine. . Access date: June 14, 2008.
  24. 1 2 3 4 Teitelman, Bram (December 3, 2009). "Cave In and Converge Collaboration Sees Light of Day on 'Axe to Fall'". Noisecreep. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  25. ↑ Slevin, Patrick (November 18, 2009). "Interview with Adam McGrath: Cave In According To Cave In". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  26. ↑ Bennett, J. (December 2009). "A Cut Above". Decibel. No. 62 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Red Flag Media Inc.). pp. 69–74. ISSN 1557-2137.
  27. ↑ Phillips, Michael (2009). "Interview: Converge". ScenePointBlank. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  28. ↑ Schreurs, Jason (November 27, 2013). "Stephen Brodsky Talks Mutoid Man's Rise to 'Helium Head'". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  29. 1 2 Kelley, Kim (April 17, 2016). "Roadburn Day III: Blood Ceremony Soars, Tau Cross Roars, and Converge Goes Goth". Noisey. Vice. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  30. 1 2 Hartley, Tom (April 14, 2016). "Converge 'Blood Moon': The Hardcore Heavyweights Bring Their Tour To London". NME. Retrieved April 17, 2016.

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