Converge. The name ruptures through the hardcore genre like a bloodied arrow, splintering the ribcage of the victim on a crowded battlefield. The septic metal of the arrow flows into the blood, poisoning and diseasing the victim until the stranglehold of infection takes over and theres no way out. Even with the arrow prised away from the chest, the impact still remains within the victim, coursing through their veins with every beat of the heart. This is the impact Converge has on the listener; once experienced, the effects last forever: haunting you, hounding you, whilst at the same time maintaining a stranglehold of infection, an infection better known as dedication. Being a Converge fan is like being part of a cult. In a way, live by Converge, die by Converge. The band was first formed in 1990 by vocalist, Jacob Bannon and guitarist, Kurt Ballou. Ballou, himself, has said that the bands first album was a bunch of hardcore kids playing leftover Slayer riffs but over time, and with members coming and going, and with now 8 albums placed firmly under their belt, the bands sound has evolved into the gargantuan sounding-monster that it is today. They are, first and foremost, a hardcore band but elements of progressive metal, doom, crust and punk are clear within their sound. Many Converge fans joined the cult after the release of Jane Doe the bands fourth album and what many would class as the bands most important album; even one of the most important albums in the history of hardcore but Converge fans can be placed into two categories. Those who live by everything up to the release of Jane Doe and those who worship Jane Doe and the following releases. One thing is common in those two groups, though. And that is the arrow of Converge soars high. Their last album, Axe To Fall, was released in 2009 and is the bands most commercially successful to date, reaching number 74 on the Billboard 200. Its also been regarded as the bands most accessible release, and has even been compared to Jane Doe. Many fans saw Axe To Fall as a more progressive direction for the band, but the intensity and emotion was still a prominent point within the album, ensuring Converge didnt lose any sense of the footholds theyve created for themselves. The album saw many musicians collaborate on certain songs, such as Steve Brodsky (Cave In), Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Brad Fickeisen (The Red Chord) and Hamilton Jordan (Genghis Tron). Bannon has said: "For a very long time, we've wanted to do a collaboration album where we could include people we're close with or friends with and who we gel with musically and socially. Now, we did that and it's pretty seamless. [Axe to Fall] doesn't feel like a big rock record where the guest vocalists come out and a spotlight is being thrown on them. It's much more involved than that. It's much more refined." But now, three years later, Converge has recorded a new album All We Love We Leave Behind. The wait is over, the patience has been sewn back into place and the eardrums are preparing themselves. It goes like this: The album begins with Aimless Arrow: a melodic, jangled guitar riff dives in and out, high and low, beside a scattered, drilled drumbeat which makes for an intense, yet pared-down listen. The song could be compared to Cutter, which was featured on Axe To Fall. The melodic riff transgresses away to end the song, though, with the drums smashing the melody like some demented cannibals kicking down a door which leads to a room full of human flesh, while the guitars edge closer and closer to the sharpest point of the cliff with faster melody and high-ends while the cannibals hunt them down. Its interesting to hear Bannons vocals on this track, as for the majority his style is a far shot from the frenzied barks and shrieks which were used to. Its almost a weary version of his old style, but this adds to the creepy, sinister essence that elements of the track hold. http://youtu.be/CrcY9I-BbjM Empty On The Inside opens with a riff thatll tear your head off in its downtempo, drawn-out feel. Bannons snarled, possessed vocals allow a winding, encroaching guitar to peel in and a rolling, military-type drumbeat holds steady while Bannon speaks to us in an almost first-person narrative style underneath the wall of sound. The track ends on a hardcore aspect with the guitars shoving feedback down our throats and the vocals bringing images of a sweat-drenched Bannon on one knee in live gigs, an image iconic to every Converge fan. Shame In The Way is a ferocious, urgent track thatll grab your attention like a jar full of smelling salts. The guitar grooves its way through the track, thundering alongside Bannons aggressive, almost frightening vocals. The drums are non-stop, beating through everything in their path. The track ends on a pit-inducing note; the guitars again thump in and the drums collide and clatter like some angry bull on the streets of Spain. Predatory Glow ends the album. The riff is measured and nasty, shredding the periphery of the tracks apart, while Bannon brings his trademark barked vocals to the fore, allowing the drums to wreak havoc and add a structured, channelled rhythm. The track is possibly the most aggressive we hear the band, and its going to be a definite favourite when played live. Heads will be nodding, and bodies will get thrown in venues across the world. These tracks are a election from an excellent album. Converge have upped the ante yet again with this, and leaves others wallowing in the shadows. Destined to be an album of the year and a leading album in the hardcore genre for many, many years to come. http://youtu.be/t-vZRGK4FbI