Converge ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’

Converge ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ (Epitath/Deathwish 2012)
Art by Jacob Bannon

Produced, mixed & recorded by Kurt Ballou @ Godcity

Mastered by Alan Douches 

Jacob Banon: Vocals, Lyrics & Visuals,

Kurt Ballou: Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards and Percussion

Nate Newton: Bass, Vocals, Ben Koller: Drums, Vocals

At first thought, reviewing this album seems almost pointless. So many reviews have emerged rightly hailing it as a fantastic record, so what’s one more? Naturally there is nothing at all wrong with ramming a point home but, when an album sounds like this one it can seem almost redundant. On the other hand what isn’t redundant is just how this album makes me feel. It makes me feel exhausted, it makes me feel angry, it makes feel euphoric, inspired, not alone and fuck it, it kind of makes me horny too.

The defining thing about this record for me is how much you feel it. It sounds like the band are in the room with you. It’s a close to capturing the live energy of the band they’ve ever gotten. The fact that this is the first Converge record since ‘You Fail Me’ not to feature many collaborators is something special too. Those collaborations were wonderful, but this whole album sounds like four guys in a room playing for their lives. The production techniques that have created this sound enhance not only the band’s impact when they’re delivering the chaotic compositions they’re known for, but when they branch out and experiment with slower tempos and more textures and open instrumental passages as well. Despite the album’s obvious intensity there is a kind of rock ‘n’ roll to some of the parts that give the album a sense of swing and fun. Art is serious there’s no doubt, but it’s seriously fun too. The grooves that dominate ‘Sadness Come Home’ are all sleaze and swagger as much as the likes of ‘Tresspasses’ are full throttle aggression.

Speaking of aggression, time should be spent discussing the impact of Jacob Bannon on this release. His vocals have always been a key feature of Converge’s sound and on ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’ he sounds more ferocious and intense than ever, but also is the most decipherable he’s ever been on any Converge release. As a result, many of his profoundly affecting and acute lyrics are available from the first listen to the last without the need to squint at the linear notes, which adds a new whole level of sincerity and immediacy to many of the tracks. It’s also welcome to hear the most varied away of vocals from Bannon in sometime on a Converge record, from the tortured howl of his clean vocals on ‘Aimless Arrow’ to the guttural fury of ‘Sparrow’s Fall’. Also at this point I’d like to say, if you can pick up a limited edition version of this album like I did with the pages and pages and of his stunning art work then please do so. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.

At this points I’m running out of things to say in support of this album that haven’t been said already. For a Converge record it’s brilliant, surpassed in my eyes only by ‘Jane Doe’. For any other band this would be the album they’re forever known for. At this stage though, Converge are so embedded in my heart, as they are for so many others, that this only serves as the most wonderful reaffirmation as to why they dug so deep in the first place.

I’ll probably never get the chance to thank the band enough for that. Even if I did, I don’t know that I could.

Click here to ‘like’ Converge on Facebook to be kept up to date on future shows and releases.

C.McMillan

New Converge tune is wonderfully heavy

Converge

Our first taste of the upcoming Converge album, ‘All That We Love We Leave Behind’ was the more paced and melodic ‘Aimless Arrow’ and now you can stream the track ‘Shame in the Way’ over at Pitchfork by clicking here. The track is short, sharp, aggressive and pretty ‘metal’ by Converge standards. Also it’s fucking awesome. Converge have never let me down and I don’t see ‘All That We Love We Leave Behind changing that trend.

There’s also a really insightful interview with Converge vocalist, and idol of mine, Jacob Bannon on the Pitchfork page linked in above. Which features possibly my favorite quote of recent times. So far as artists go anyway:

‘I’m not sure how that relates to how others define “hardcore”, but for me personally, hardcore is simply unapologetic music, free of rules. By that definition, we are a hardcore band.’ – J. Banon.

That’s pretty much how I’d define it as well. It’s why most of my tastes in heavy music lie with bands who have those more ‘hardcore’ roots. Or bands with progressive tendencies. It’s nice to see yourself on more or less the same page with your heroes. Even if they are several chapters ahead of you.

Click here to ‘like’ Converge on Facebook to be kept up to date on future shows and releases.

C.McMillan

See You After Hydra Head Records

To me this is pretty heart wrenching. Hydra Head Records have been a stalwart for independent, forward thinking, aggressive and experimental music. But no more. For all there seems to be this misconception that the modern age is only really killing the major label but it is opening the playing field for the indies to make a real impact, this goes to prove that isn’t a universal truth.

The fact is, the illegal downloading and torrent culture has damaged the indies as much as it has the majors. It just so happens that often the fans of artists on indie labels are more willing to actually shell out their hard-earned cash in return for the art that said artists have also worked so hard. But to a certain extent I guess that has changed as well. Hydra Head have been around for nearly 20 years by this point so maybe they just weren’t as well equipped to whether the changing tides as much as the younger breed of independent labels who were born in said tides. Either way I know enough to know  that I don’t know enough to really comment on the situation beyond my own feelings of remorse and from what I can read from the label’s statement which you can read below in full.

Here’s to one of the greatest independent record labels the alternative music scene has ever seen which has played home to artists as diverse as Isis, Cave In, Torche, Neurosis, Converge and Jesu.

See you after guys.

The official statement:

Hydra Head Records has never been a smooth-running operation. We’ve spent the majority of our existence excitedly scrambling from one thing to the next, taking on more than we could ever possibly hope to achieve, and never quite finding solid footing in the midst of our self-induced whirlwind of chaos. Though not every second of doing this label has been enjoyable, it has been a very rewarding and meaningful project for me, and I hope for many of the other lives to which it has been directly connected. The fact that it has lasted close to two decades at this point is astonishing, and much has changed during that time – the lives of those directly involved with running the label, the bands and artists we’ve worked with, and the nature of the music industry itself. Though many of these changes have been positive, or at least illuminating, the impact of our history and current industry  circumstances are culminating into a slow and somewhat painful death for the label. It certainly isn’t an entirely unforeseen event, but we didn’t think it would come quite so abruptly, or (perhaps naively) ever.

The decision to pull the plug has not been an easy one, and in some ways is a not a choice at all.  The simple fact of the matter is we’ve been running on empty for a while now and cannot afford to keep our doors open for much longer. Years of imbalance between creative ideals and financial realities, personal problems amongst the label operators, an unwillingness to compromise our aesthetic standards, a tendency towards releasing challenging (i.e. unmarketable) artists, and the steady decline of the music industry in general, are amongst the chief reasons for our inability to continue. It is a harsh but undeniable reality, and one which we are attempting to confront with as much integrity and grace as is afforded by the circumstances.

For the short term we will continue to operate as we have been, effecting our first step into shutdown this December, at which point we are cutting off new releases from the label. Thereafter, we will be remain operational only in the interest of maintaining our back catalog, with the ultimate aim of repaying our rather sizable debts. Grim though this prospect is, in the midst of it all I still feel an extreme gratitude for everything that has happened and for all the wonderful people with which we’ve been involved over the years. We’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the most unique and provocative artists of the last two decades, many of which have made indelible impressions in the underground, and by extension the larger world of music in general. We’ve also been fortunate to have had the support of a small but loyal following, who’ve constituted the very essence of our life force. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and love to each and every person who contributed to making this label what it is – all the artists who entrusted us as the custodians of their work, all the people that bought or listened to our releases, and all the people who performed the various label duties at various offices (and houses) across the continent. 

…and this brings us to the present moment, where in all honesty we are in need of financial assistance from anyone and everyone who’s willing to throw us a rope. Though it is highly unlikely we’ll be able to resuscitate the label, we do wish to follow through on the final round of releases to which we’re committed and pay off our debts to our artists and manufacturers. In order to do this we are initiating a massive sell-off of everything we can dig up and produce for the next 6-12 months. This will include discounted bundles of CDs/LPs/posters/etc, represses of certain titles for which we still have parts, test pressings, and whatever worthwhile items we can pull together. For anyone that is able and willing to fund our funereal arrangements please visit our direct mailorder or webstore and pick up whatever you can. Any and all support is greatly appreciated by our remaining team, and will be put to the best use possible.

There is no way to sum up nearly 20 years of incredibly important music, experiences, and evolution other than to say a big heart felt “thank you”, and that we hope this closing will provide an opening into other even more positive and rewarding experiences for all of us and all of you who have been a part of our shared experience. For now we bid you all a very fond farewell….

-Aaron Turner
09/10/12

C.McMillan

Absent Hearts ‘August Earth’

Absent Hearts ‘August Earth’ (self-release 2012)

Daniel Tompkins – Vocals, Scott Kay- Guitar, Bass and Keyboards

Leonard Barker -Drums and Percussion

This album is really, really fucking pretty.

It sounds like a waterfall. A gentle waterfall. Somewhere secluded that not that many people know about that sits in the late summer warmth all the time. Just on the edge of Autumn because nothing lasts forever.

I’ll try and temper all that turgid and cliché ridden prose with some actual musical criticism. Just give me a minute to get over the soaring sense of emotion that ‘August Earth’ has created in me.

I hugely enjoy a lot of music. Not as much really connects with me. When it comes to that true emotional impact and connection its taken artists like Tom Waits, Converge, Deftones, Imogen Heap, Nine Inch Nails, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Radiohead. Absent Hearts don’t quite have the same effect as those bands on me. But the textured sound of ‘August Earth’ moves me to a very similar place. And in a much more peaceful way.

To return to the water analogy the album washes over you. Not in the everything sounds the same way but in that flows so easily from one track to the next. The near celestial swirl of ‘Earth’ moving into the warm strumming of ‘Lightning Tree’ in an effortless fashion. Though clearly the release is the work of incredible effort on the part of Daniel Tompkins and Scott Kay, it feels so smooth. Not just because of Daniel’s wonderful sensual and moving melodies. Although they’re certainly a key player in the obvious appeal of these songs. In particular his work on ‘The Essence Between Us’ is something to truly marvel at. It’s also refreshing to hear a release where he doesn’t enter the full power of his incredible six octave range from its ethereal highs to his powerful roars. It’s nice to hear him groove and flow a bit more on the mellow than his best known work in TesseracT and Skyharbor allowed.

The real hidden treasure of this album isn’t the songs, though they are brilliant. It isn’t the instrumentation, though it is so tasteful it almost hurts. It’s not even those phenomenal vocals. It’s the arrangements. Everything sits perfectly next to each other, no part over stays its welcome, in fact a few leave you yearning to hear them again. It’s not an overly vocal heavy album, nor is it drowning beneath waves and waves of instrumentation.

The whole thing feels, and it does feel as opposed to sound like, that same warm secluded waterfall I mentioned earlier. And I struggle to find a better analogy for the whole thing than that.

I could have just written this review like this ‘I fucking love this album. It’s beautiful.’ But writing that would have been far too short and robbed me of an excuse to listen to the whole thing yet again while I write this.

Click here to ‘like’ Absent Hearts on Facebook to kept up to date on future shows and releases.

C.McMillan

New Converge Video Directed by Max Moore

Converge

Words cannot describe my sheer visceral and sexual excitement for the upcoming Converge record ‘All We Love We Leave Behind’. There’s no real reason for this other than it’s a fucking Converge album and they’ll forever be one of my favorite bands, for so many reasons. I’m still contemplating the ‘Jane Doe’ tattoo.

‘Aimless Arrows’ a track from the new record now has a video clip accompanying it directed by Max Moore. It suits the rock ‘n’ roll pace and cathartic nature of the song and is better than the average band video. Also again, because it is Converge.

Click here to ‘like’ Converge on Facebook to be kept up to date with future shows and releases.

C.McMillan

Cyclamen’Memories, Voices’

Cyclamen ‘Memories, Voices’ (Self-release 2012)

1. Memories 2. Voices 3. The Blood Rose 4. If We 5. Saviour

Produced, mixed and mastered by Hayato Imanishi 

Hayato Imanishi – Vocals & Instrumentation 

 Cyclamen has evolved quite a bit from the’ Senjyu’ debut. This time around its much less a tech metal band with obvious post-rock undertones. This mini-album is something akin to some sort of desperate love affair between Converge and Deftones. Which is just as intense and brilliant as it sounds.