Punknews.orgPunknews.org Logo
Review Navigator

BackForward

Features

 

Contests

 


Reviews



Since solidifying themselves as the champions of underground hardcore over ten years ago, Converge has steadily re-introduced new standards and continuously raised that bar as to what a can be expected from a metal-influenced hardcore band (let along any four-piece making music).

With No Heroes, Converge has accomplished what can be the biggest challenge to any veteran band -- they’ve created an album that will both bring in new fans and give old fans plenty of reasons to call this new work their favorite yet, or at the very least provide a few essentials for any Converge mix-tape.

Converge no longer has to establish themselves as being at the top of the chain when it comes to hardcore -- they already did that with Jane Doe. Through every release between Halo in a Haystack and 2004’s You Fail Me, the Massachusetts quartet has developed their strongest attributes and expanded their sound. Beginning with Jane Doe and nearly perfected on You Fail Me, Converge brought a sense of depth to their songs that was largely unprecedented before them and still unmatched by their peers.

So where does No Heroes fit in? The first five songs on the album don’t give you a chance to even consider such a question. Unlike You Fail Me’s drawn out introduction, "Heartache" has absolute shredding through the speakers in an all-out assault. Things don’t let up through the first five songs, with none reaching over two minutes in length. Jacob Bannon’s scream is as blood-curdling and cringe-inducing as ever. “Rebel or regret who you are and who you claim to be,” screams Bannon on the title track. Such a statement is a somewhat accurate representation of the theme on No Heroes with Bannon often expressing himself with knives drawn. The rest of the band -- most notably guitarist Kurt Ballou -- will leave you wondering how they’ll ever pull these songs off live, or how such structures were construed in the first place. On You Fail Me Converge introduced a sense of doom through wandering guitar notes coming out of nowhere and quickly disappearing. This sound comes up even more so and with more force on No Heroes and is a welcome development.

Things let up slightly through to the nearly ten-minute would-be epic, "Grim Heart / Black Rose." The track will likely have you checking to make sure that you haven’t accidentally hit shuffle and moved on to Black Sabbath. It isn’t all bad, and it certainly picks up towards the end, but the slow tempo and classic metal vocals seem out of place in the middle of the record. That said, if placed at the end it may not be played through its entirety by a listener who’s already been pummeled by the band. It might be better to think of it as more of an intermission that leads to the second half of the album, which features more expansive, but just as violent offerings such as "Trophy Scars" which are a few of the very best songs on No Heroes.

Back in July, Converge posted an introduction to the theme they planned to present on No Heroes: “These days, cowards outnumber the heroes, and the begging souls outweigh the calloused hands of the hardest of workers. Both in life and in art, the lack of passion is sickening, and the lust for complacency is poisonous. This album is the artistic antithesis of that sinking world; a thorn in the side of their beast. It's for those who move mountains one day at a time. It's for those who truly understand sacrifice. In our world of enemies, we will walk alone...” There’s no question the album takes such a stance, and it’s one that’s largely unmovable.



People who liked this also liked:
Converge - Jane DoeRefused - The Shape of Punk to ComeDescendents - Milo Goes To CollegeThe Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!The Loved Ones - Keep Your HeartKid Dynamite - Kid DynamiteAgainst Me! - is Reinventing Axl RoseJawbreaker - Dear YouPropagandhi - Potemkin City LimitsConverge - When Forever Comes Crashing [reissue]



Please login or register to post comments.
What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
  • Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
  • Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
  • Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
  • Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

    Posted by sleepwalker on 2007-11-09 15:19:36

    Converge can do no wrong. No Heroes is perfect. I still cannot understand why so many people had problems with You Fail Me though...

    Posted by thereisnohappyhere on 2007-06-26 17:25:59
    My Score:

    nice review. this album fuckin owns. but i have to disagree with you about grim heart/black rose, i love that song.

    Posted by darwingivingin on 2007-03-28 00:14:37

    they never cease to amaze me. this is the perfect blend of jane doe and you fail me. arguably their best work to date.

    Posted by xFreezyx on 2007-03-05 00:31:13

    Another amazing release from an amazing band. The technicallity of this album is to die for.

    Posted by moneenerd on 2006-12-03 00:28:47

    ORPHANED makes me want to paint my walls black and carve my name in some triflin' motherfuckers chest.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 9, 2006 at 3:19 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    If you think converge sucks you only see the superficiality of music. You can't get past the screams and hard sound. If converge were translated into a softer style you would all love them but it's too complicated for people who listen to My CHemical Romans and Fallout Boy... Fugazi is an amazing band, they've gained more respect for their sound because it's not "hard" like converge hard.

    Posted by Kursk on 2006-11-07 21:42:44

    i just also wanted to mention the song Lonewolves since no one else had and mention the fact that I love it because it reminds me a lot of Suicide Note (who Ballou has produced both of their full lengths) and I love that band almost as much as I love Converge, so yeah. Plagues and Trophy Scars are probably my next favorites just because they're different in their own rights, but the entire album is incredible.

    I really do think is Converge's best and yes I AM familiar with all of their full lengths at the least and that is my final opinion

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 at 8:00 PM (EST)

    great album
    fugazi sucks
    embrace was great!

    -bryan styles

    Posted by Kursk on 2006-11-07 17:09:22
    My Score:

    just got this today and it seriously rips. SOMEHOW, Converge HAS stepped it up since You Fail Me which I didn't think was possible. Possibly the best Converge album overall in my mind. I still haven't spent enough time with it to say that for certain though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 6, 2006 at 7:08 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    doods likethis band is waay too fucking pretentious

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 6, 2006 at 7:04 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    saying converge is our generation's fugazi is problematic to me because I'm not sure I have a 'generation' that gets together for punch and cake, I'm not sure the time difference between the bands really validates a whole new generation, like 'my generation, from 1998 will never understand you 1996 fucks'.

    It's just a dumb thing to say. It's like comparing apples to sudanese genocide.

    I don't even know what it means. Explaining what it means doesn't help because it's forced to begin with.

    why would I even want to have the 2 bands conflict against one another?

    the internet wins again. fuckin tubes.

    wyzo

    Posted by noway on 2006-11-06 14:18:17

    how can you compare FUGAZI with this shitty band.....there is NO way they are even close to being as good as Fugazi.....sorry kids

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 6, 2006 at 11:42 AM (EST)

    ---**The curse of epitaph records**--- It seems that once most bands sign to epitaph records, they begin to make the same album over and over again.

    Posted by JayTee on 2006-11-06 10:52:19

    This album sounds like when you get up in the morning, go to your car, turn the keys, and forgot that you left the radio on with the volume blasted on a blank station. *ignition, STATIC!!! "argh!!! *turns down* What the fuck!!"

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 6, 2006 at 8:58 AM (EST)

    converge make the music that they want to do..this is no mainstream shit..if you understand good for you,if you dont understant you can go home.
    andré

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 6, 2006 at 8:49 AM (EST)

    Fugazi????Fuck Fugazi man..If you say that converge are inside the metalcore scene you better start to listening that kind of music to understand that converge dont take a shit about genres...
    andré

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 6, 2006 at 8:45 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Esta merda É o melhor som que existe.. Mas mesmo!!
    andré

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-11-06 02:27:30
    My Score:

    I think you have a bit of misconception. What part of this music did Converge wholey create? The members of Fugazi were present for (and some of them participated in) the genesis of hardcore. They went on to infuse it with funk and followed that by writing entire albums that sound nothing alike. Converge is a hardcore band with a double kick and some mathy tendencies. They make great strides inside of the metal/hardcore genre, but never outside of it. They are a genre band. Fugazi is not.

    TV on the radio is more like this generations Fugazi to me. They don't play inside one genre and they never sound the same. Of course, they have more of a focus on vocals then instrumentation, but that is neither here nor there.

    Posted by DenBez on 2006-11-06 01:23:11

    Converge are our generation's Fugazi because they created a sound essentially from scratch, and in spite of their growing popularity and consistent cries of "their early shit was better!" they push themselves with each record to create something new and unique, and succeed wholeheartedly.

    I think most of you guys are operating under serious misconceptions of both bands.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 5, 2006 at 12:33 PM (EST)

    chinatown sucks. it always smells funny there.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 5, 2006 at 10:16 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    He was at home cooking dinner after a day at work when he spoke to me. Definition of down to earth.

    Yeah, definitely!!!!!111111

    This band sucks.

    -Chinatown

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 5, 2006 at 8:26 AM (EST)

    I used to like Bane, but it turns out a clothing company owns their guitarist or something. Oh well!

    -William

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-11-05 05:37:08
    My Score:

    Preaching is boring and I have a feeling he means more then just bands when he is talking about the lack of passion in art.

    Just because he is right doesn't mean I have to listen to him preach and enjoy it. I guess I'm just not the overly serious type.

    Still like the band though.

    Posted by TheGhostOfPastMistakes on 2006-11-05 04:10:28
    My Score:

    HAHA. Anyone who tries to pull Converge's card is an utter fuckbean (my word, do NOT steal it). These guys are hardcore. Everything they do fuckin' drips with passion.

    I had the privilege of speaking to Kurt on the phone last week and from the topics we covered, it's bleeding obvious that these guys have their hearts firmly in the right place. They never anticipated being able to make a living from speaking their minds and doing what they love. Every day they get to drive / fly / ski / hang-glide around the U.S and the world and play to people who love their music is a bonus. I hate when people try to class these guys as metalcore. What the fuck? They are hardcore. Punk and metal fused togther.

    Kurt breached the subject of the current slew of bad bands more concerned about moving units and selling shirts, but he doesn't put himself or the band on a pedestal. He was at home cooking dinner after a day at work when he spoke to me. Definition of down to earth. They have total creative control on all their albums. He wanted to quote "Make an album that was better than or at least as good as all the other Converge albums". They did that. There's not much "accessible" about this album. It's just angry noise that has to be listened to a lot to be appreciated. If you do not like Converge, either you are of the 1% of people who have a clue and genuinely just do not dig them, or of the 99% that like listening to bad, heartless music and like hating on bands that do what they do out of love.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 5, 2006 at 1:33 AM (EST)

    The reading comprehension level on this site is severely lacking. No where in that statement is there any reference to a "scene," so the argument that Converge is insulting their contemporaries is completely inane. Furthermore, the statement later reads "It's for those who move mountains one day at a time. It's for those who truly understand sacrifice." Doesn't that indirectly acknowledge that passion in music, especially with their peers, is present? And even if they hadn't have clarified with that above quote, “These days, cowards outnumber the heroes.." quite simply means that the ratio of bands who truly have something to say opposed to bands who don't have anything to say is disheartening. Thanks for playing Converge haters, go find something else to bitch about.

    Posted by kenjamin on 2006-11-04 23:50:02

    primeevil, write another ataris review. This site is missing coverage of bands with passion.

    Posted by jamespastepunk on 2006-11-04 22:49:25

    Again, I think they were possibly referring to the music that's big in the mainstream world right now, the eyeliner/nu-screamo "hardcore" crap, etc. Hell, they've been friends with Bane (one of the bands on your list) for years, so I find it hard to believe they consider that band to be without passion... correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Aaron Dalbec IN Converge at one point? I'm pretty sure he played on Petitioning The Empty Sky and When Forever Comes Crashing. Yeah, again, I find it hard to believe they question Bane's values and heart considering one of their former members has been playing in that band for several years.

    Dalbec was in CONVERGE, no doubt about it. Left in 2001, methinks. Whether BANE and CONVERGE are friends, I don't know, but I doubt it.

    I really would take what that statement Converge made with a grain of salt and not think of it as a "put-down" to those bands on your list, or any other passionate or heartfelt band active in this music scene today. Until they start naming specific bands, I consider it more of a knock at stuff like From First To Last, Atreyu, MCR, Aiden, etc.

    I'm not so sure I agree, but maybe I'm just too reactionary, stubborn and iconoclastic to see you're right.

    Posted by colin on 2006-11-04 22:09:15

    comparing converge and fugazi is comparing apples and oranges.

    also, maybe converge is doing something new and good (i don't like them a whole lot, except you fail me is good), but at least fugazi bred really good punk rock bands while converge bred a whole bunch of shitty metalcore acts.

    Posted by kenjamin on 2006-11-04 21:46:54

    Haha Greenvandal, nice response.

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-11-04 21:42:42

    While I disagree with your understanding of how the english language works, I agree with...well I don't really agree with anything.

    Nice effort though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 9:27 PM (EST)

    "C. Converge is nowhere near as good as Fugazi on any level."

    Exactly. They are nowhere nearly as good as Fugazi...because they are way better. I totally agree with you on that last point.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 9:17 PM (EST)

    Converge and Fugazi are both legendary bands. I dunno. Different genres too, difficult to compare.

    When I said there wouldn't be a couple of those bands if Converge didn't exist - you listed, This Is Hell. This Is Hell is on Bannon's label, he even did the cover art for that CD. Imo, that CD was total crap, but a lot of other people liked it.

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-11-04 20:56:54

    younger was what i wanted to say. younger then fugazi.

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-11-04 20:56:29
    My Score:

    Converge is a great band but calling them this generations Fugazi is fucking hilarious.

    A. They aren't that much older that Fugazi

    B. Fugazi hasn't officially called it quits yet. Everyone thought they were done after 'End Hits' as well, yet they came back with arguably their best album after that. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I think they have one more album in the tank before they end forever.

    C. Converge is nowhere near as good as Fugazi on any level.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 8:39 PM (EST)

    one obvious observation regarding Mr.Bannon's statement about the passionless world, and certain rebuttals citing bands.

    Bands aren't that important.

    call me crazy.

    Being in a band, and bands existing aren't what I would call the benchmark for whether the world is lacking passion, heroes, or hope.

    When bands are like lawyers and there are more of them than people not in them, we're in trouble.

    Most of the world in need of passion aren't looking for a new CD. Just throwing that out there.

    Maybe step into the real world.

    wyzo

    Posted by ben_conoley on 2006-11-04 19:29:38

    Person below me - very well said

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 6:08 PM (EST)

    to the poster below me, EXACTLY. i doubt converge would consider the bands on jacob bannon's own label to be passionless. and i doubt they'd find any of the bands on labels like hydra head, or a few who have been on equal vision who they've toured with, to be without passion. but we forget that all us folks who check out punknews.org live in a fairly small microcosm of the larger music scene. joe or sally middle america living out in say, wyoming or iowa, who are just barely getting out of the slipknot/linkin park/shitty corporate whine-rock era even now, probably have very little idea of who Converge, or for that matter, Bane, Modern Life Is War, This Is Hell, Crime In Stereo, Blacklisted, etc. etc. etc. are.

    yeah yeah, "modern life is war are from iowa, douche." i know, i know...but still, keep in mind that all of us here consider a band like Converge to be gods of the scene on a large indie label. but the majority of people in the US are still stuck with listening to Nickelback on Clear Channel radio stations, because that's all they have. let alone the trendy mascara-core shit like From First To Last, Atreyu, et al.

    Posted by onegirlarmy on 2006-11-04 17:45:03

    Truth is, CONVERGE probably just wanted to distance themselves from what's going on now and that's understandable, they do things differently and that's to be commended. However. When they start putting honest bands down to give themselves props, that's where I draw the line.

    Again, I think they were possibly referring to the music that's big in the mainstream world right now, the eyeliner/nu-screamo "hardcore" crap, etc. Hell, they've been friends with Bane (one of the bands on your list) for years, so I find it hard to believe they consider that band to be without passion... correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Aaron Dalbec IN Converge at one point? I'm pretty sure he played on Petitioning The Empty Sky and When Forever Comes Crashing. Yeah, again, I find it hard to believe they question Bane's values and heart considering one of their former members has been playing in that band for several years.

    I really would take what that statement Converge made with a grain of salt and not think of it as a "put-down" to those bands on your list, or any other passionate or heartfelt band active in this music scene today. Until they start naming specific bands, I consider it more of a knock at stuff like From First To Last, Atreyu, MCR, Aiden, etc.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 5:25 PM (EST)

    -This is our generation's Fugazi.-

    I always thought Fugazi was our generation's Fugazi.

    Posted by jamespastepunk on 2006-11-04 16:01:36

    Without Converge, most of the bands he listed wouldn't even exist. Most of them, from what I've heard, are the same re-hashed garbage that people have been doing for years and that a lot of other bands do better. Shit, most of them are even in a different genre, and of those genres they are generally regarded as not being the top tier bands.

    The point is not what genre the bands are in or whether CONVERGE writes better or more complicated songs, but the passion and the emotion those bands put into their songs. CONVERGE, by putting themselves on a pedestal is conveniently ignoring all the bands I listed whether knowingly or not, painting the scene, and therefore those bands, as passionless and heartless. Anyone who has listened to those groups can tell you those groups have passion and heart in spades.

    Truth is, CONVERGE probably just wanted to distance themselves from what's going on now and that's understandable, they do things differently and that's to be commended. However. When they start putting honest bands down to give themselves props, that's where I draw the line.

    Also, I don't really see that many bands that wouldn't exist without CONVERGE in that list, but I'm willing to listen to arguments to the contrary.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 2:45 PM (EST)

    When I want technical hardcore, I'll listen to the Formaldehyde Junkies, thanks.

    -Will

    Posted by DenBez on 2006-11-04 14:03:56

    I like Planes Mistaken For Stars (love?), but they don't even compare to Converge. This is our generation's Fugazi.

    Posted by ben_conoley on 2006-11-04 12:55:29

    Having Sinc do all the art for Hot Water Music turned out alright. They were all different, but had the same traits. I mean, you can tell a Picasso is a Picasso and a monet is a monet.

    Posted by threechordsandthetruth on 2006-11-04 12:33:19

    True, there is that aspect to it, but I still think it's good to show variety. Everyone here rips Pennywise for sounding the same; just saying "at least you know it's Pennywise" doesn't make their music amazing.

    Posted by piratasmuertas on 2006-11-04 10:53:22

    "Generic Converge"

    That sounds like an oxymoron.

    When you hear Converge, you know its Converge, right?

    When you see Bannon's art, it's pretty apparent it's his. They could have had someone else design the cover, but I think it's part of the package of having a great visual artist in a band. This sounds dumb, but I bought Jane Doe based on the album art. I then marveled at what I found inside.

    Posted by Maks on 2006-11-04 10:46:38

    planes mistaken for stars>converge

    Posted by threechordsandthetruth on 2006-11-04 09:35:27

    I know Jake does all the artwork himself, but man, this cover looks so generic Converge, you know? I guess it's good to have a recognisable style and everything but he just does the same thing all the time. Well, actually, You Fail Me's looked pretty cool, but this is just (cover wise) Jane Doe II.

    That said, this album is fucking amazing.

    Posted by wearestillalive on 2006-11-04 08:34:54

    you fail me was pretty much cock/

    Posted by wyzo on 2006-11-04 05:51:21

    planes mistaken for stars or converge.

    That's like your girlfriend asking you to pick between her or your friends. It's a lose-lose situation. Clearly, whoever could even ask that kind of question is a sick person who wants to spread disorder and chaos. I can't choose, I won't choose. I will keep seeing both without the others knowledge. We will each stick to certain restaraunts, and I will shower after each sexual act so as to give proper respect to the other band.

    I have urges, I'm not a one band man anymore.

    wyzo

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 3:34 AM (EST)

    I have heard of most of those bands. The only one that has talent is Planes Mistaken For Stars, and to be honest, Converge is better than them.

    Without Converge, most of the bands he listed wouldn't even exist. Most of them, from what I've heard, are the same re-hashed garbage that people have been doing for years and that a lot of other bands do better. Shit, most of them are even in a different genre, and of those genres they are generally regarded as not being the top tier bands.

    Posted by BizzleBrizzle on 2006-11-04 02:23:44

    Cave In is not and was not a hardcore band.

    Posted by onegirlarmy on 2006-11-03 23:22:47

    ditto on converge being better than all the bands that guy listed, by far.

    Have you people even heard ALL of those bands? That's kind of a sound judgement to make considering there were a lot of examples given... there's got to be some you haven't heard.

    I wouldn't necessarily say Converge is better than all those bands, a lot of those bands listed are fucking awesome. But Converge's press release or writer or whoever probably was referring to the crap that's on Fuse and MTV these days, not the active other scene. Remember, a lot of older bands aren't aware of newer bands that exist nowadays.

    Posted by ILOVESCOTT on 2006-11-03 22:51:08

    Someone needs to talk to CONVERGE about their messiah complex, it's getting ridiculous now.

    "Both in life and in art, the lack of passion is sickening"

    Huh? It's as though CONVERGE is living in some Bizzaro world without SINKING SHIPS, SHOOK ONES, MODERN LIFE IS WAR, KILLING THE DREAM, THIS IS HELL, CRIME IN STEREO, AMBITIONS, BANE, IGNITE, WESTERN ADDICTION, NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD, HAVE HEART, OUTBREAK, ANOTHER BREATH, SHAI HULUD, DEAD HEARTS, PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS, SICK OF IT ALL, THE POLAR BEAR CLUB, HOW WE ARE, MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PAINT IT BLACK, VERSE, and THE CARRIER.

    "This album is the artistic antithesis of that sinking world; a thorn in the side of their beast."

    Whoever writes their press releases has an ego that could fill stadiums.

    P.S.Admittedly, No Heroes isn't my cup of tea, but I can see why other people would like it..

    primeevil, although i don't agree with all of your band examples, you hit the nail right on the head.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 10:38 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    You Fail Me was one of the greatest EP's ever. After the first killer 6 tracks ending with the title track, the rest of the album seemed like b-sides tacked on to it.

    This is a much better effort, feeling like a whole album.

    This will sate me quite well until the next one. Met my expectations by much.

    wyzo

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 9:25 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    no one should have even taken the time to review this shit.

    Posted by tenwestchaser on 2006-11-03 20:17:29

    ""'and classic metal vocals seem out of place in the middle of the record'

    what the fuck? have you ever heard metal at all? the vocals sound nothing like classic metal vocals at all. really, what the fuck?"

    Dude - don't even try to tell me that you don't listen to that and think anything but Sabbath."

    hmm....you are nuts. If you guys are talking about Grim Hearts/Black Rose then I don't know where that is coming from. I thought Cave In. And that is far from classic metal...even their hardcore stuff.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 7:59 PM (EST)

    ditto on converge being better than all the bands that guy listed, by far.

    I can't say this is my favorite converge record, but at the same time, there's some sick shit on here. Orphaned, the first five tracks, etc. Sometimes I missed the high-pitched screams, but the screaming on Orphaned really makes up for it. There's that one peak where he sounds like a dog squealing, it's really painful to hear.

    To be honest, it's no Jane Doe. It's not even Petitioning the Empty Sky. It's better than You Fail Me, and it's better than When Forever Comes Crashing. Which leaves it right in the middle.

    But, considering this is Converge, and that their worst album is better than 90% of music being released today, middle is good.

    Posted by ben_conoley on 2006-11-03 19:18:15

    "'and classic metal vocals seem out of place in the middle of the record'

    what the fuck? have you ever heard metal at all? the vocals sound nothing like classic metal vocals at all. really, what the fuck?"

    Dude - don't even try to tell me that you don't listen to that and think anything but Sabbath.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 7:12 PM (EST)

    converge>all those bands that dude listed. combined.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 5:28 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    "and classic metal vocals seem out of place in the middle of the record"

    what the fuck? have you ever heard metal at all? the vocals sound nothing like classic metal vocals at all. really, what the fuck?

    i was disappointed with you fail me (still thought it was good though), but i think i just might like this even better than jane doe.

    Posted by benz on 2006-11-03 17:04:32
    My Score:

    Converge again proves why they are the world's best metalcore band.

    Posted by mcgregor107 on 2006-11-03 16:52:40
    My Score:

    this is your album of the year?!
    blehhhh..

    Posted by jamespastepunk on 2006-11-03 16:32:16

    Someone needs to talk to CONVERGE about their messiah complex, it's getting ridiculous now.

    "Both in life and in art, the lack of passion is sickening"

    Huh? It's as though CONVERGE is living in some Bizzaro world without SINKING SHIPS, SHOOK ONES, MODERN LIFE IS WAR, KILLING THE DREAM, THIS IS HELL, CRIME IN STEREO, AMBITIONS, BANE, IGNITE, WESTERN ADDICTION, NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD, HAVE HEART, OUTBREAK, ANOTHER BREATH, SHAI HULUD, DEAD HEARTS, PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS, SICK OF IT ALL, THE POLAR BEAR CLUB, HOW WE ARE, MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, PAINT IT BLACK, VERSE, and THE CARRIER.

    "This album is the artistic antithesis of that sinking world; a thorn in the side of their beast."

    Whoever writes their press releases has an ego that could fill stadiums.

    P.S.Admittedly, No Heroes isn't my cup of tea, but I can see why other people would like it..

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 4:19 PM (EST)

    I think this is one of those albums that as I listen to it more (and not just on the mySpace), I'll find a lot of stuff I like about it.

    My only gripe is the vocals. Don't sound as good as the ones on their previous albums.

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-11-03 15:51:50
    My Score:

    I love this band and all, but that description of what the album is about makes me chuckle everytime I read it. "This album is THE antithesis...", quite the claim!

    Still good though, so I can ignore it.

    Decent coverart. I liked You Fail Me's better.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 3:18 PM (EST)

    Propagandhi>Converge

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 2:33 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    album of the year

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 1:38 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    fucking great album. "Vengeance" is one of my favorite converge songs of all time now.

    "I AM VENGEANCE, PREPARED FOR WAR"

    holy shit.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 1:29 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I agree that this is probably their most accessible album to date and will hopefully draw in new fans, but I don't agree with Ben's thoughts on "Grim Heart/ Black Rose." I think its the centerpiece of the album and gives listeners a much needed break from the audio beating they'd been getting before it. Its one of my favorite Converge songs.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 1:15 PM (EST)

    Overrated. Good but not worthy of all the cock stroking.

    Posted by minus_20_scene_points on 2006-11-03 12:53:05

    jane doe is stilll my favorite, but this album owns.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 12:31 PM (EST)

    this sounds like a wet fart

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 12:30 PM (EST)

    also, contrary to what that guy thinks below, i thought they reined in the "noodley guitars" a little more in this album. the album was very tight.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 12:29 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    definitely better than you fail me, still not as hard-hitting as jane doe. definitely approaching that level of greatness again though. i would've thought they'd move further into the ambient/experimental realm, but goddamn. right out of the gate this album punched me in the gut. that guitar line in the title track, fucking heroic. it's good to see them finding a more harmonious balance between the more experimental shit and the really crushing riff-heavy stuff from When Forever Comes Crashing.

    Posted by drinktea on 2006-11-03 11:40:48

    At first I thought this album might dissapoint me, but after listening to the whole thing and not judging the album entirely on the first few songs that zip into the album like a 40 yr old seamstress zips scissors into fabric, it honestly came to me that this work is one of their best. I honestly treasure all of their music as I would treasure a work of art done by Picasso. They are truly amazing.

    Posted by brentmills on 2006-11-03 10:29:02
    My Score:

    incredible album.

    Posted by DiscoFucker on 2006-11-03 10:05:08
    My Score:

    Amazing. Grim Heart/ Black Rose is fucking amazing. I really like the creepy feeling tp Plagues. All around, this album is magnificent.

    Posted by BizzleBrizzle on 2006-11-03 09:57:03

    This record is so tight.

    Posted by Anchors on 2006-11-03 09:49:21

    Posted by sickboi on 2006-11-03 00:30:39
    Ben is becoming the Anchors of reviews lately....


    Hey hey, I may be slacking lately, but I'm a busy guy. I'm still the Anchors of reviews.. and I do not care that that doesn't make sense.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 8:54 AM (EST)

    now this is great. from the first time some homeless guy gave me a compilation for a homeless charity w/ some crazy fucked up hardcore song by someone called converge (like 10 years ago) to this very day. converge is what hardcore should be in the year 2007. metal this, punk that....it all means nothing when the almighty mother fucking converge step up to shred a new disc. long live converge......(and joan of arc....hahahaha).

    Posted by crazytoledo on 2006-11-03 08:00:59

    Album of the year so far.

    "Grim Heart / Black Rose" and "Heartache" are awesome.

    Posted by ben_conoley on 2006-11-03 06:42:10

    "wheres the converg review?

    and you are now staff congradulations super ben"

    Thanks a lots.

    Posted by ben_conoley on 2006-11-03 06:41:14

    "Ben is becoming the Anchors of reviews lately...." - Is this good? High five. Is this bad? I'll fight you.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 4:09 AM (EST)

    against me in a foreign land. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsW-QQM4BY8

    Posted by theonetruebill on 2006-11-03 02:46:48

    The first five songs of this hit you harder than any opening sequence of any other recent record I can think of. Goddamnit it's good.

    Posted by Benjasauruss on 2006-11-03 02:33:52

    It was all downhill after Jane Doe
    This sounds like You Fail Me part two
    The same rehashed noodley metal riffs
    Jane Doe fucking changed my life and You Fail Me was ok but this doesn't cut it
    Saw Converge tonight in Harrisonburg and they were fucking amazing . They played 8 new songs (Not "Grim Heart/Black Rose" which is the best song on the album in my opinion) and then a few old ones.
    They have such an amazing back catalogue and you will see only a tiny fraction of that if you go see them unfortunately.
    Yes this band can do wrong. This album isn't that great. Not terrible. It has cool moments. But it is the worst Converge album to date.

    Posted by Laurier on 2006-11-03 02:00:20
    My Score:

    incredible...

    Posted by Archangel on 2006-11-03 01:45:16

    Can this band do any wrong?

    Posted by DenBez on 2006-11-03 01:24:09
    My Score:

    Good review, but... Grim Heart/Black Rose is fucking incredible, and the entire album revolves around it. It's the centerpiece of the record, and it balances out the front-loaded aspect of the album. You can't give it any lip.

    Posted by fuckfatmike on 2006-11-03 01:15:07
    My Score:

    :)

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 1:05 AM (EST)

    I keep trying to get into these guys and I just can't.

    The same thing with the Blood Brothers. I respect their talents but it just sounds like a bunch of noise.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 1:03 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Where's the Brand New review ? ! ? !

    Posted by youwinalemon on 2006-11-03 00:58:35

    So...where's the Exploding Hearts review?

    Posted by Phantom_Maggot on 2006-11-03 00:43:41

    Where's the Converge review? Ha Ha...I am so fucking funny and original...man I am probably the funniest person that I know...

    Posted by sickboi on 2006-11-03 00:30:39

    Ben is becoming the Anchors of reviews lately....

    Posted by ozmanx on 2006-11-03 00:22:19
    My Score:

    Score is for the album cover, fuckin' awesome.

    Posted by Ianw on 2006-11-03 00:21:35

    Their singer was a cool bro though. Nice guy.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 12:21 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Crazy good album. Lolz controversial arguments about what real hardcore is

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2006-11-03 00:19:18

    um. does that mean superdude is staff?

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by Ianw on 2006-11-03 00:18:53

    I saw theese guys live. It was meh. Too much guitar looping and boring vocals. I really liked their drummer though. He had bitchen' cut-off shorts, a neon blue tank-top, long hair, and a metal band baseball cap. Hell yeah.

    P.S. This is hardcore nowendays?

    Posted by JTravolta on 2006-11-03 00:17:18
    My Score:

    Heaviest cd I've ever heard. I love it.

    Posted by SloaneDaley on 2006-11-03 00:07:22

    wheres the converg review?

    and you are now staff congradulations super ben

    Posted by tenwestchaser on 2006-11-03 00:04:37

    hoooray this album fucking owns