Review

Instagram: @converge Twitter: @convergecult Facebook: /converge

Get ready (seriously ready) for some god-level shreds and squealing riffs

Hot damn, Converge. You’ve done it again. You’ve shaken me to my core and left me hungry for more. This band is, without a shadow of a doubt, metalcore’s true leader and has been adding their own inflection to the genre for the last 25+ years. Their ninth album is no exception.

Converge continues to grow and experiment their technically dizzying musicianship, while reinforcing their dominance in the genre. Through surprisingly pacific existential lyrics (“It’s the wars that we don’t fight that keep love alive”, “Don’t need a helmet if I have my heart”, “You have to bury the gun to finally make sense of it”) and thundering shrieking + bashing, Jacob Bannon shows once again his thirst for pushing boundaries and structural complexity.

Some of the best songs the band has ever written

The Dusk in Us is a huge achievement filled with fresh, sleek, and surprisingly succinct sounds. Put driving bass, ultra-tricky drumming patterns, and every one of Jacob's unpolished howls into a blender, and you have The Dusk in Us.

25+ years in, you can’t mistake Converge for anyone else

The Boston band convincingly interlocks explosive depths and implosive movements. For example, “Eye of the Quarrel” perfectly blends dark goth punk and old-school hardcore. “Arkiphov Calm” shuffles staccato screamo and churned rock power chords. “I Can Tell You About Pain”'s intro plunges us into its pounding extensions of sprawling psychedelic jams. It is impossible not to hit repeat.

I’m still not over Jane Doe. Thanks guys <3

P.S. If you’ve never seen them live, … well, GO SEE THEM LIVE.

Try and not break your neck while headbanging to these tracks:

  • “A Single Tear”: voracious guitar and high-pitched screaming across the board
  • “Under Duress” (personal fave!): track about rising above our foes through solidarity
  • “The Dusk in Us”: the album’s best hooks
  • “Trigger”: into rhythmic complexity that’ll make your brain itch? Scratch away with this one
  • “Reptilian”: an insightful exploration on rejecting our animal instincts

Stingray Music’s Vibes channels has got tons of sharp and viciously fast songs for you:

Download the app and start a mosh pit ;-) 

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