Giants of the hardcore genre, Converge have yet again refused to slow down with their eighth album, and instead have branched out into their diverse range of ambitions to deliver a balls-to-the-wall record of chaotic hardcore that embraces the genre’s roots in thrash metal, yet addresses it’s many artistic divergences throughout its evolution.
Opening the album with ‘Aimless Arrow’, Converge displays a light touch as they veer away from the heavier side of things, preferring a more intricately layered track as guitars dance around each other in dissonance and the tumultuous drums stutter in disarray. Presenting more post-hardcore influence than we’ve heard in the past, the quartet are cleverly yet to reveal their full hand and instead, they are simply concealing the upcoming sucker punch.
Upon the conclusion of the track, the listener is barely given the chance to catch their breath before the barrage of ‘Trespasses’ pulls the rug out from underneath. An exercise in crossover-thrash that feels absolutely pummeling standing next to ‘Aimless Arrows’, it is perhaps the record’s most immediate track.
However, that’s not to say the rest of the record does not have immediate impact. Despite the pandemonium of the crashing drums and the disharmony of guitars this record is not exactly inaccessible to fans of the genre. Rather, All We Love We Leave Behind maintains a balance between immediacy and depth that few manage to achieve.
If anything, this is a testament to Converge’s craftsmanship, as there is limited studio trickery to sink your teeth into on this LP, rather it is pure and untouched hardcore.
One of the finest balancing acts they’ve managed to pull off over the years is sitting on the fine line between metal and hardcore. The trend continues on this record, with enough technicality and showmanship to impress the tech-heads, while retaining enough passion and vitality to keep the mosh warriors from losing interest. To call it metalcore would be a disservice; it transcends such limits.
The best example of this equilibrium comes in ‘Sadness Comes Home’, as an intricate tap lead, disassembles into squealing dissonance. The transition from scrupulous to visceral is organic as the band feeds from their influences and spits out an amalgamation unlike no other. And that’s exactly the appeal of this album.
Converge really are a band like no other. Continuously on the fringe of two worlds, they have yet again produced another record that flirts with both camps, yet broad enough to attract members from both.
