Converge
Axe to Fall
Epitaph Records
8/10
This isn’t really up my alley, but I gotta say, these guys shred. The drummer is a beast and the guitars keep up with some insane picking and fingerwork. Like most hardcore/metal, I have no clue what vocalist Jacob Bannon is singing…er, I mean screaming, but that’s no big deal. Opener “Dark Horse” is my favorite on the album, which blows through its first four songs at a blistering pace, but things slow down for “Worms Will Feed.” “Wishing Well” has a killer intro with drums that swell up and unleash a hellstorm on your ears. In fact, drummer Ben Koller pretty much makes this album for me. Dude is insane. Not to take away from the rest of the band, they tear it up too, but Koller’s control of his kit just stands out. There are some guest stars from bands such as Disfear, Neurosis and Cave In on a few tracks, but I’m too lazy to go into details. That’s Google’s job. Overall, it’s a really solid album for fans of the genre.
–Luke Toney