Before you castrate me, I’m not familiar with Converge and their sound. I was just never introduced to them but I know of their reputation and their fans respect and enjoy the band more so than any other band I’ve heard of. With that little tidbit out of the way now I’d like to review Converge’s new album, “All We Love We Leave Behind”. Like I said, this album is the one that popped my Converge “cherry”, so to speak. Well every time I listen to this album I headbang, thrash around and I rock my pants clean off. This album is unexpectedly heavy, vicious, raw emotion and down right just massive. “AWLWLB” is one hell of an album and all 17 songs are magnificent.
With a power sludge blast off, Converge starts off with one of the most explosive first 10 minutes of an album this year! Grindcore albums are usually this aggressive and Converge knows how to channel that energy and musicianship and blast the listener with it in a unique way. Their style isn’t just tremolo riffs, blast beats and screaming oddities…no there is much more to Converge than you might think. They could have released the first 4 songs alone in a 10 minute EP and it would have been the best EP of 2012, easily.
Continuing on their terror, they tear into “Empty on the Inside”, a slower track yet still hungry and out for blood. Straight back into fast and furious mode enters the track “Sparrow’s Fall”, putting the listener back into a violent whirlwind before heading off into epic territory with the song “Glacial Pace”. The song is slower, sludgier and groovier than the rest thus far. A very punk/grind track kicks on and we’re back into breakneck territory for a short one. See the pattern here? A back n forth of furious grind mentality then into a groove sludge anthem we can all enjoy. Converge manages to keep the listener guessing and entertained through the entire album!
“AWLWLB” features some of the most unorthodox styled song writing this side of The Locust. Their ability to perform slower melodies and grooves then rush into riffs of fury and drumming of disarray, yet the final result is some of the most satisfying music to grace my ears this year. The vocals are some of the most pissed off sounding vocals I’ve ever heard, they aren’t guttural, grunted or screamed with such a pitch it’s not taken seriously. You listen in and you hear seriousness, you hear struggle and emotion. These lyrics bleed out of the speakers and Converge makes you live the experience.
When I listen to this album, I think to myself “Oh this sounds like such n such band!” but since Converge have been together for more than 2 decades I truly know that those other bands just sound like Converge. These guys are heavy when they need to be, they are groove when they have to be but all in all they are top notch metal musicians who have released one of the best albums I’ve heard this year. I’m always in the mood for this album. 6 AM, at work, in the shower, 11:30 PM…….pop this album in, turn the volume up and leave it alone. “All We Love We Leave Behind” is a fantastic album and you’re doing yourself a favor if you buy this album, jam it for the rest of your life and shelf this masterpiece for your kids to listen to it later on in life. It’s that good, I can see it being relevant 10+ years from now. I love their style, their attack and their attitude. This album rules.
A must have ladies and gentlemen, you gotta go out and get this album. Close this browser, grab your keys and GO!
5 out of 5
The best thing about falling in love with a band so late is that I now have 20+ years of material to catch up on. Awesome.