Ever since the new album from Converge hit my ears for the very first time, I knew it was something special. In fact, it’s been a total obsession of mine for the past week or two, as I haven’t been able to listen to anything else.
The 14-track masterpiece of mayhem starts out with a piece called “Aimless Arrow,” which can grab the listener’s attention in an instant. Shredding guitars with interesting riffs open it up before singer Jacob Bannon throws down the hardcore vocals he is known for. Three songs really stand out the most to me on this record. Track four, “Sadness Comes Home” is brilliant for its multi-genre attitude. At first you question whether or not it’s actually Converge you are listening to because it involves a very bluesy, stoner rock type of riff. As the release goes on, the songs tend to get deeper.
“Coral Blue” is both epic and passionate in its chorus. There are plenty of harmonies going on between Bannon and bassist Nate Newton. Percussion can be heard most in the beginning of what is probably my favorite piece of the album, the title-track. Newton does things on the bass that I’ve never heard before. The tones are gritty and the licks are simple yet heavy at the same time.
On the whole, this is a very solid release. Bits and pieces are reminiscent of other bands, such as Mastodon, yet at the same time, it carries its own character. With a blend of hardcore, heavy metal and punk, Converge have done yet another fantastic job at putting out a new record.
In A Word: Heavy
