Converge- "No Heroes" review

There are thousands of metal bands out there, and although a lot of them try to make scary, disturbing music, most of them just end up sounding ridiculous. So you can imagine my surprise when I first listened to Converge, and found that this was a band with a sound that was genuinely unsettling. Their muddy, howling guitar riffs flail madly, often on top of a thundering, doomy bass line. Then there's Jacob Bannon's ghastly, terrifying roar that tears through the band's unholy din. Though "metalcore" is pretty much a derogatory term these days, Converge is one of the rare few that truly and effectively meld the speed and anger of hardcore with the technical precision and brutality of metal. With such outstanding albums as Jane Doe and You Fail Me already under their belt, it's hard to imagine Converge coming out with something even heavier, faster, and more devastating, but they found a way.

The way that No Heroes starts off is a good indication of just how relentless this record is. None of the first five songs break the two minute mark, and "Vengeance" clocks in at under a minute. This is easily the fastest record of their career, and only the instrumental "Weight of the World" gives you a chance to catch your breath before the thrash-tinged "No Heroes" knocks the wind right back out of you. The band stretches its dark wings a little on the epic nine minute "Grim Heart/Black Rose," which features outstanding guest vocals from Cave In's Stephen Brodsky, who sings with a sad melancholy which contrasts perfectly with the rest of the album's stark aggression. "Orphaned" features some excellent melodic guitar riffs, and the eerie refrain of "Trophy Scars" will likely remain buried in your head for days. You'd think that the pace would start to slow down as the album comes to a close, but they saved possibly the most paint-peeling track, "To the Lions," for last, just to remind you that they're not done pummeling you yet.

2006 has been an outstanding year for new metal releases, and with such company as new Maiden and Mastodon records, it's hard to stand out above the crowd, but Converge once again proves why they're underground legends by releasing what's easily the most punishing, unforgiving album of the year.

Rating: 9.5/10