Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Converge: All We Love We Leave Behind ALBUM REVIEW

Converge have been around for a while; in fact, they've been making music for the last 22 years on a regular basis. And with 8 albums under their belt, many of them critically acclaimed, and guitarist/ producer extraordinaire, Kurt Ballou; Converge have made quite a legacy for themselves. All We Love We Leave Behind is the 8th studio album Converge has released, and the fourth to be released via Epitaph records. All of which have been produced by Kurt, who is a pretty prominent  figure in modern metal/ hardcore music.

Now up until the release of AWLWLB, I was only ever aware of Converge, and never truly listened to any of their music. But let me tell you, AWLWLB will forever be known as the album that got me hooked on Converge. With it's ruthless aggression and it's incredibly cohesive sound, it's an album that I found incredibly enjoyable form beginning to end.



The album starts with the cutthroat single "Aimless Arrow", a song describing someone who is leaving behind the people that love them the most to live a selfish life. Going further, lead singer Jacob Banon screams out the line "Aimless Arrow/ Lost from the start" driving the sentiment home. The next two tracks "Trespasses" and "Tender Abuse" blend together in a flurry of pounding low-end that is liable to scramble a few brains if listened to loud enough. The following track "Sadness Comes Home" features a great guitar lead during the verses, and like the previous tracks, is unrelenting in it's aggression.



In fact, there are only a couple of spots where Converge see fit to slow things down. And when they do, it's not for long; a great example is the song "Coral Blue" a fantastic track that has the most melodic chorus on the album, and reminds me a lot of early Baroness albums.



Converge have not only proved that they're better than ever, with a slightly less cacophonous sound and a bit more melody to boot. But they also put together one of the finest hardcore punk/ metal albums I've heard in years.

9.3/10



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