Where to begin? How else can I review such a masterpiece as this? I must do this album full justice somehow. Well, I'll try by starting with the first track...
"Concubine" is an intimidating opener. The breakdown at the beginning beckons a sonic assault that will immediately hit you, hard and mercilessly. The grindcore-esque ferocity of the drums and guitars doesn't let up. Then, after a wonderful slap of the drums, the short-lived intensity of the song comes in full circle. You will immediately notice the inhuman vocal style of Jacob Bannon. He sounds like a really pissed off King Crimson. And with the story of the album in question, rightfully so.
The next track, "Fault and Fracture", doesn't stop to help you gather your wits. Converge is trying to blow you away, and if you were open-minded enough to keep going after the short introductory track, then this will do the exact same thing to you. It's twice as long as "Concubine", but that makes it all the more ferocious. The whole band works like an orchestra from hell, and it makes for stunning effect.
The next several tracks don't change much, but they set you up for a
little breathing room. There are instances of clean vocals that come from Kurt Ballou, as Jacob Bannon is a self-professed "abrasive vocalist." Then a duo of songs come into play, "Phoenix in Flight" and "Phoenix in Flames", respectively. They are, of course, further sonic exploits intended to keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. The aggression is meant to tell a chaotic love story, after all.
And then, after the strange timings present on the 11th track, "Thaw" (which is probably why they have been given the label, "Mathcore"), you are presented with, what is to me, the most emotionally charged song that I've ever heard in my life. I don't want to ruin it with details; you'll have to listen to believe. But, one can only do bare justice to it by describing it as an "emotionally tinged, relentlessly aggressive, sonically delivered opera into the mind of a man recovering from a traumatic and devastating relationship with a woman." The song closes the album quite properly, and you could not ask for anything better.
Now, many fans of Converge are split on this album. It seems to be that this was the turning point for the band, in style and sound. There is the "classic" Converge camp that prefers the sound that led to this album, and there is the "Current" Converge camp that prefers this album and onwards. However, "Axe to Fall", their latest album, is said to be a slight departure from everything they have done (however, they maintain their trademark ferocity in parts of the album). So what do you prefer? This album, or the band in general, is not for everyone. J. Bannon's vocal style is insane and in-your-face, something many people will not be able to stomach. But for those of you who can tolerate such vocals, and even the chaotic nature of their overall sound, or those of you who can put aside the overall insanity that they produce in their sound, then you're up for a thrilling ride either way. It is now one of my favourite albums, and rightfully so.
And look at that artwork by Jacob Bannon...it describes the story of the album (lyrics) perfectly. A woman you've tried so hard to love, but because of the pain and misery you both went through, you only hope to forget. The story in the album tells tale of an anachronism, but the album as a piece of music, should never be treated as such.
9.2/10Breakdown:
- Insane vocal stylings from Jacob Bannon, that are executed appropriately for the tone that the album is meant to portray.
- Wonderful album artwork. It's dark, it's hateful, it's metaphorical, and overall, starkly poetic. It's the creation of a man in touch with all of his emotions, all sparked from a woman he'd rather forget than remember.
- Album is inconsistent, but keeps you on your heels. The lack of consistency actually keeps the album refreshing, which is necessary to keep the listener interested until the very end.
- Standout tracks such as, "Concubine", "Fault and Fracture", "Bitter and then Some", "Phoenix I & II", and the epitomical closer, "Jane Doe", all keep the album interesting.
- Relatively solid musicianship all around.
- Can be overwhelming at times.
- Must be in the mood to be able to handle this brutal, bitter, and intense album to be able to thoroughly enjoy it.
G
