Converge Album: “When Forever Comes Crashing”

even though petitioning the empty sky seems to be the favorite of most, my favorite converge album is definitely this one, when forerever comes crashing. noisy yet technical guitarwork ala rorschach, fast drumming, and plenty of psychotic vocals. this album may be hard to get into at first due to the insane vocal stylings of jacob bannon (coupled with the fact that in many songs he has tons of effects added to his voice) but after awhile, they really grow on you, and the aggressive chaotic music is some of the best out there. fewer emotional breakdowns on this album, but there is an all out melodic song (ten cents) to provide some depth. all in all this album is just pure innovative chaos, not for the weak-hearted. and if these guys ever come near you, i highly suggest seeing them. they rock hard live.

fans of converge should check out acme, cave in's older material, and barrit, if they haven't already.

Review by Mike Watson:

The long awaited Converge reissues have FINALLY surfaced, and Converge fanatics nation, and even worldwide are rejoicing as there is even more need to own Converge merchandise. The newly re-done CDs have been given new life through the mastering genius of Godcity Studios and the brilliant art-work of frontman Jacob Bannon. The initial records of both albums, although ground breaking and amazing albums, were both fairly poorly recorded and mastered leaving fans with an unquenched thirst for the clear quality of the music.

Converge has quenched that thirst and more with the newly re-released albums. Both albums have been given complete new life and sound astonishing compared to their original releases. The sound quality on the re-issues is leaps and bounds beyond the original pressings, making the albums far more enjoyable and easily listenable. The most noticeable difference is on Petitioning the Empty Sky. Petitioning was originally recorded fairly empty and powerless, the re-issue however blows the listener away, re-mastered in a way that things in-audible on the original release are now made very apparent.

The Converge re-issues are an absolute must have for any Converge fan.

One of the great things about Converge is that they bring together all the elements of hardcore over the past twenty-five years into one distinct sound. If you listen close enough, you can hear the past, present, and possibly the future of hardcore in most of their recordings.

The golden age of hardcore (`80 - `85) is represented at various places, usually only a section of a song or the guitar sound. Many consider the crossover/ thrash scene (`85 - `90) to be the dominating sound and it certainly does play a large role in their earlier records. Underground grindcore/ death metal (`90 - `94) is also present, but only appears at the peak of their songs. Finally, there is also the post-hardcore sound of the `90's which emphasized eclectic experimentation which really comes through on "When Forever Comes Crashing."

It almost seems like a tradition for Converge to coming out swinging on the first track (until "You Fail Me" came along), which is exactly what they do here. "The Unsaid Everything" comes at you like an army of tanks with all their artillery blazing and the onslaught doesn't let up until the beginning of "In Harms Way," which turns from a dark, pretty song into a horrifying, warped industrial style noisefest.

"Conduit" once again brings together all facets of hardcore and is regarded as one of Converge's finest pieces by many. One of their first attempts at Godflesh influenced sludge metal follows and you can understand why they kept playing with the style by the results they achieved. Then, they release some the most unconventional, yet effective bombs this arsenal of an album has, "Towing Jehovah" and the title track.

Their next experiment with a pure emo sound comes along which turned out to be a sound they wisely wouldn't use again. From there on the album quickly redeems itself with hellish abandon that could only come from Converge.

"When Forever Comes Crashing" has multiple personalities that don't really have a cohesive flow throughout the album. However, they would open the door for more experimentation in their sound which would pay off big time on their next full length album. Also, they would learn how to put all together all their new found styles into a perfect flow over the course of the album. Converge took a risk on this album that paid off tenfold and would end up breathing new life into a genre many had dismissed many years ago.

This is one of the best hardcore albums period. The range of emotions that these guys throw down on this record leave you breathless. Pick up this record NOW.

If you're a Converge fan, and don't own this record, you need to change that. I have a really hard time identifying my favorite Converge record, or the "best" Converge record, but this is up there with their other releases. The remastered version sounds clean as their latest releases, and the content of WFCC is outstanding. Lyrically and musically, it is classic Converge, with all the makings of their best work. WFCC also lacks the signature short tracks - all but one are 3 minutes or longer (excluding the final demo track). I will say that I don't feel the drumming is nearly as amazing as Converge fans have grown accustomed to, although there are some great moments. I also think WFCC isn't as varied as other records, except for the fact that there are a couple of slow, subdued tracks, or parts of tracks, dispersed throughout the record. Standout tracks are My Unsaid Everything, When Forever Comes Crashing, Year of the Swine, and Letter Bomb. The artwork is also impressive - as expected. Bottom line - Converge fans need to grab a copy of this record.