Converge has unleashed fury upon the metal and hardcore scene once again, as the release of their latest album “All We Love We Leave Behind” is set to shatter any and all expectations the band has made for themselves in the past.
This is the first album Converge has put out since their widely-liked 2009 album “Axe to Fall.” Fans will be able to see the meshing of both albums, which both have a similar sound. What sets “All We Love We Leave Behind” apart from “Axe to Fall” is that this album is a bit more riff-oriented.
Long-time fans of Converge will notice the abrasiveness of older albums like the masterpiece “Jane Doe” is not as prevalent on this album, but the essence of what makes Converge so great is still there. Jake Bannon and Kurt Ballou once again organized the chaos that is their music with creative time-signatures, industrial sound and an uneasy feeling amongst their album which will be sure to hold fans over for quite some time.
The album opens with their single that was released a month ago entitled “Aimless Arrow,” which sets the tone for the rest of the album. “Aimless Arrow” follow the signature formula of a Converge song with its unorthodox organization. The drums constantly blare throughout the song, the guitar transitions from powerful chords to a trance-like verse seamlessly and Bannon’s poetic vocals describing a feeling of being without direction make this a signature Converge song.
Some of the best songs off of this album are slower-paced songs that display up Converge versatility. Nowadays, bands who sound the same in every song are a dime a dozen. With songs like “Sadness Comes Home,” “Coral Blue” and “Predatory Glow,” it is clear Converge is trying to push the boundaries of who they are as musicians in their genre. “Predatory Glow,” the final song of the album, caps off the relentlessness of the album perfectly. The slower, riff-heavy songs mentioned earlier don’t serve as a sign of regression from heavier Converge songs of the past, instead showing how good they are at making songs that can still be abrasive without being unintelligible.
Converge has once again broken down the barriers of what they can accomplish as musicians with “All We Love We Leave Behind.” With the fantastic track record of studio albums on their resume, Converge will continue to carry on that record with this album. It satisfies the needs and wants of fans of old without sounding like the same cookie-cutter hardcore band. Converge prides themselves on being a band who isn’t afraid to stray from the path, and on this album they continued their great run, striking gold once again.
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fdapolit@ramapo.edu
