Converge - Axe to Fall

Converge. Axe to Fall. 2009. 4 stars .

Boston’s Converge has been a mainstay on the hardcore scene for well over a decade, blending mathematically precise riffs with the guttural emotion of extreme metal. Their unique sound is fast, gritty and immolating while still taking measures towards experimentation, be it with post-rock atmosphere or abrasive noise.

Axe to Fall follows the bloody trails of 2006’s No Heroes with short, pummeling tracks that coil tightly around frenetic mathcore guitar work and inhuman percussion. Longer tracks like "Worms Will Feed" and "Wretched World" are chugging, menacing slabs of noise, opening up chasms like the drone-doom metal of Harvey Milk.

With the jarring transitions and time-signature changes, Axe to Fall can be an exhausting listen. It’s a brutal and epic marathon that’s both insanely technical and aggressive. As a showcase for instrumentation, Axe to Fall is monolithic, a high watermark for bands following the hardcore genre (or it’s many hybrids). As a full, artistic work though, it may be apocalyptic but it is not quite the tour de force that 2003’s Jane Doe was. The band seems far more content ripping your eardrums to shreds than diving into the complex emotional wastelands that made that album so compelling.

Overall, this is a highly satisfying effort that is consistently intense and even awe-inspiring in places. While it’s principle aims may be annihilating any sense of hope or self-satisfaction you have, its rawness is nothing short of inspiring.

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