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| ConvergeJane Doe2001 Equal Vision 
 Review by: deepfrybonanza See others by this writer Equal Vision Records (link) Only registered users can post comments 
 
Published on November 5th 2001
At this point Converge has become a hardcore institution; over the course of dozens of releases and countless live shows, the band has emerged as the center of the Northeastern (and perhaps national) hardcore/metal scene. One of the first shows I ever attended featured Converge headlining, playing to about 50 kids in a Norfolk, Virginia basement, many of whom had traveled from as far away as Ohio to see the band. The experience was one that, in many ways, defined hardcore for me; the singer had been sick for the entire tour, and he invited the crowd to help out with vocals as possible, and everyone readily complied. The communal spirit of that show really appealed to me, and it's quite possible that had I not attended this show I wouldn't be writing this right now. So, here is Converge's third full-length studio album (fourth if you count the LP version of their 7" Petitioning the Empty Sky, sixth if you count split full-lengths with Agorophobic Nosebleed and Hellchild), and thankfully things haven't changed all that much. The discriminating metalhead is still treated to heavy, technical riffing, epic song structures, and screams that sound as if they're being beamed straight from the innermost circles of the inferno. However, upon close inspection we find that certain aspects of the album have been updated in some respects. First of all, the production on Jane Doe shows a considerable amount of restraint compared to Converge's past two records on Equal Vision. I clearly remember putting When Forever Comes Crashing into my '84 Chrystler LeBaron's CD player just after I finished installing a new set of 10-inch speakers. As tracks like the blistering "Conduit" raged through the system, I repeatedly checked behind me to see if I had lost the entire rear end of my car. Whereas on that record the bass was mixed so loud that on most stereos it came out as a distorted mess (which was actually a perfect compliment to the vocals), the mix on Jane Doe, while still very much in the red, won't permanently damage any of your stereo equipment. With the emphasis taken away from producing a near-constant sonic pummeling, the band is free to experiment with a few small variations in style. While Converge records have almost always featured one or two quieter, spacey-sounding tracks, on Jane Doe the band breaks from the hardcore assault with "Hell To Pay," which features a slow, funky bass line that is even more grooving than most vintage Sabbath tracks. Similarly, the haunting backing vocals of "The Broken Vow" and the Bonhamesque drum rolls in "Phoenix In Flames" also break new ground, albeit subtly, for the band. Despite all of these varied and interesting features, the clear climax of Jane Doe is the epic, 12-minute long title track that closes the album. Converge's songwriting is perfectly suited to these types of epic compositions (after all, what other rock band's most popular song is seven minutes long and composed of more different parts than most bands' entire albums?), and this track is no exception. The song flails about like a newly decapitated chicken, and miraculously every single section seems more punishing, technical, and downright disturbed than the last. While Jane Doe isn't really a groundbreaking album for the world or for that matter Converge, this will slide seamlessly into your collection of all-time greatest metallic hardcore records. Appreciate this now, because one day Converge will break up, and it will be the end of an era. Here's hoping that I'm long gone by then. This and more reviews @ deepfrybonanza.com People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
ski-unit, Converge is in no way at ALL grindcore. I wish all metalcore can sound this good. This is Converge at their best, in my opinion. i just cant seem to get into converge. bannon and crew can do whatever they want,not converge's greatest but still pretty fucking good. a. MrAwesome you are lame-core for hatin on GWAR a. MrAwesome you are lame-core for hatin on GWAR wow gwar fuckin sucks hairy cock. who ever wrote that review can get gangbanged. queer this album is so fucking bad ass. if u cant handle screaming then youre a total homo and u should commit suicide like some emo fag. converge rules. metalcore rules. end of story. this albums fucken kickass. some of you are the stupidest people ive ever seen Forget about genres, just rate the album... pretty much the greatest metalcore album ever. Good CD. I like the insanity thrown in. Jane Doe is a migraine waiting to happen. But in this case, I can't say that its a good thing. This was the first Converge full length I've ever gotten, and I was suprised to hear all that incessant monotone screaming. That shit got real OLD real FAST. Its hard to put an exclaimation point on a certain lyric or verse when you are constantly screaming like your puking up broken glass. Truthfully I wouldn't normally object to screamo/metal/hardcore, but this CD was just way to... "experimental" for my liking. Plus the intricate liner notes! Wow! I heard the LP sleeve is pretty wild too. My question is: where the fuck did Equal Vision get all that money! They've come a long way since the first Shelter 7"!! dont forget the creater of emo: GWAR !!!! some other good emo bands are KoRn.. Limp Bizkit.. and Crass. you bitches are bitches.. emo is the shit.. emo like The Exploited and GBH... that's some good emo shit. Eh, the screaming is a bit too much. Not that bad, but there is much better stuff out there than this. How can you say they are horribly overrated if you don't understand the genre? god forbid signed to MCA? i know a lot more about converge than any of you because i'm a pirate. Hey Winnie, go suck an orange. Fat head get an account i wanna email ya and shut up with sum-41 you finaly stoped making comments on there CD but ur still talking about em god... You can dance to this? I'd like to see that. Dont even talk about bashing sabbath im not metal but sabbath is awsome. I dislike all their other records, but this one actually appealed to me. Mainly, cause I read the lyric sheet first. sum 41 isn't punk, they fucking suck. converge isn't punk, but they seem to have a little talent. winnie makes me laugh.- fathead mmmm... Swedish Death metal... I'll take In Flames over Pennywise just about any day. I just have to laugh at some of the comments made by Winnie. As beautiful as stomping daiseys? Sorry, but this is PUNKnew.org, not metalhead.net, swedishdeathmetal.com or wherever the hell you get your info. Listen to Converge, I could care less, but don't bash punk in general. Go stomp your flowers elsewhere. Converge rocks all you lame punk rockers' asses. When are you gonna wake up and realize that PUNK IS DEAD!! METAL/HARDCORE/GRIND/POWERVIOLENCE is the only TRUE music still around. Why don't you little TRL junkees get off the internet and go wait in line for your damn SUM 41 tickets you mindless drones. Oh, yeah, and power chords are for the weak-minded. Next time i go to one of your stupid little punk rock poser-parties i'm gonna set you f-ckers in the pit straight. Quit bobbing around like you're at a Pearl Jam concert, grow some f-cking hair on your balls, and try a minute in a hardcore pit. CONVERGE IS BEAUTIFUL!! Like stomping on daisies, and laughing as you scrape the flower-bits off your shoes. This album gets my bloody seal of aproval. Converge..ahh well this album dissapointed me...you CAN overdo screaming you know. But I have to say Petitioning the empty sky was very good. i personally have been into converge for as long as i can remember (this album is no exception)... and their live show is beyond comprehension. but hey, maybe it's just me. converge always seemed sucko to me. they did have a split with agoraphobic nosebleed but they still managed to suck it up. Converge is always classified as hardcore but they seem more scremo to me. No thanks. |
