Converge Album: “When Forever Comes Crashing”

If I were to have bought this record when it was released in '98 I would have dismissed it as utter shrieking garbage. Of course, back then I thought Pantera and Slayer were the only two effective extreme metal bands. This is the third record that I purchased of from this eclectic act and I was a little hesistant, but I was floored by Jane Doe and You Fail Me so I was willing to take the risk. With excellent career acts, (aka: bands that record more than one masterpiece in their career) I have theorized that the earlier you go in a band's career the more basic and homogenized their sound is. This, their second album is a totally refreshing piece of musical genius.

After purschasing what I thought up until this point was the greatest hardcore record ever, Vision of Disorder's "Imprint" I have been searching for years to find a band which encapsulates that brilliance with every record.

When Forever Comes Crashing is that record. Eclectic, surprising, twisting, and contorted sounds come out of two guitars, bass, and drums and meld in to this sinister mix which forces me to listen. It takes a while to really appreciate the genius of such diverse musical elements all intermingled into one song, but when it does I can honestly say this is the best extreme metal record I own. All these songs would have worked great as insturmentals, though Bannon's shrieks (which I can't follow, even with the lyric sheet) do add a sense of urgency which overlays this record perfectly.

One of the qunitessential metal albums of all times. If youve come here you most likey already know about Converge, and you've probably heard Jane Doe and You Fail Me and think they are horrific slabs of perfect death metal thrash meets hardcore in a pit match. If you agree then you rock. Basically Converge has been my favorite metal band hands down since they released Petitioning the Empty Sky. The Halo in a Haystack (or Caring and Killing) was great but was gently riding the lines between hardcore from that time and metal circa the height of Slayer. Petitioning the Empty Sky found the band growing comfortable with their death metal sounds and one upped Slayer with both speed and technical chops. When Forever Comes Crashing arrived, it was literally the birth of a new kind of metal. They took their styles and formed them into a huge wrecking ball of death metal, hardcore, emo (the original screamy kind) industrial and thrash and took the metal world by storm. No longer much of a hardcore band (other than values, oh and You Fail Me revisits some of their hardcore punk musical styles) this cd just shreds. It takes paint of the walls. It sonically removes earwax buildup in your ears, and if you sit too close to the speakers at high volume, it may make you poop your pants. Tempo changes that are just not human (see The Dillinger Escape Plan for a band that found lots of inspiration in Converge) lead into utter controlled (barely) chaos and then locks in to a most crushing stomping riff. All the while every band member hold on to the reigns and never letting go while Jake Bannon howls the most unearthly screams this side of Hell. He must have a gifted voice box or he gets laryngitis every few weeks. I just cant believe a person can make those sounds and not be hurt by them. On top of all this sonic death and mayhem comes some of the most poetic lyrics you will ever hear in a metal song. From the start, Jake has written great lyrics, lots of talk of angels falling, love crushing you, no hope, no light to be found. All very richly written and sure to make many a an angsty teen feel at home. If you need a preview, check out "Conduit", "My Unsaid Everything" or "Year of the Swine" Though you'd be hard pressed to find a bad song (Not including their emo attempt "Ten Cents" which actually has really nice guitar work reminiscent of their old stuff, but Bannons voice only works good like that when he balances it out with the vocal cord shred that he is so good at.) And if you are new to all of this Converge business, do yourself a flavor and please pick up Jane Doe and Petitioning the Empty Sky and You Fail Me and while youre at it, get their first release Caring and Killing. They even have a few split EPs with other bands where they completely shred, and look for a cover of Black Sabbaths "Snowblind" on Hydrahead Records.....I hope you enjoy...

Abrasive doesn't even begin to describe Converge's blaring output.

I can still remember picking up the LP version of When Forever Comes Crashing at this small "Christian" venue/record shop in Butler, PA of all places. Let's just say, after that needle hit the wax, my undeveloped hardcore mind was greatly altered...in a good way (and I have to say, When Forever sounds so damn good on vinyl).

This reissue of When Forever Comes Crashing comes with an extra track (an unreleased demo version of "Bitter and Then Some"), a video of "When Forever Comes Crashing,"plus the whole album was remixed by Kurt Ballou along with new artwork and photos. Needless to say, if you don't already own this release now's the time to pick it up.

Converge is undeniably one of the most progressive bands in metal/hardcore, and heck, they put on one of the most stirring live shows you'll ever see. I've always gravitated towards When Forever Comes Crashing as one of my favorite Converge releases since it was my first real introduction to the band. It is callused, inventive, eerie, and statically charged, and the nightmarish blend of hardcore and metal found on this release surpassed anything I had heard at the time of its release. When Forever frequently changes from frantic madness to sludgy teeth rattling parts with Jacob's tortured screams ricocheting above the instrumentations, but it never loses that compelling drive that lasts from the first to last track. Probably the softest song to ever come out of the Converge camp is "Ten Cents," but it fits so perfectly on When Forever that it doesn't even feel out of place.

Overall, When Forever is an essential release, and with the extra gems scattered throughout this release, any fan of inventive heavy music shouldn't be missing this record in their collection.

this could very well be hardcore's answer to RIDE THE LIGHTNING, it is just perfect, note for note. what true punk is and what hardcore needed, no boundries, and can not be categorized. it will take alot out of you just to hear it from beginning to end. ALL MY UNSAID EVERYTHINGS, and HIGH PRICE OF PLAYING GOD. enough said. get it. this is an instant masterpiece along with PETITIONING AN EMPTY SKY, and JANE DOE. JUST GET IT.