Reviews

Converge have hit such a solid stride at this point in their career that I can’t imagine them putting out a poor release. Ever since Jane Doe came out, these Boston behemoths have been churning out hardcore and grind infused metal of alarmingly high quality. Axe to Fall is another stellar entry into the band’s catalog and marks their third release on indie giant Epitaph. While their live show is also rather amazing, their recent studio efforts have seen more and more experimentation with production and even some good ole fashioned melody.

Opener “Dark Horse” rips along at a galloping pace reminiscent of some older Mastodon tracks; guess all that touring together has rubbed off. There are even some killer guitar solos littered throughout the record. Some would say that Axe to Fall is the band’s attempt at mainstream success but I’m not buying it; they’re still abrasive and heavy as fuck, they’ve just gotten better at putting all the pieces together. It’s almost effortless how these guys change time signatures and riffs; everything feels amazingly organic while still maintaining a deadly edge.

There are some other great moments here. The stoner explosion in the title track is downright epic and “Wishing Well” begins with a nice homage to Motorhead. The album also concludes with a haunting piece that sounds like Godspeed! You Black Emperor mixed with Jake Bannon’s solo material. One wonders if it is any indication of what to expect from Bannon’s solo record in 2010. My only criticism here would have to be with the pacing of the album; the slower or riffier songs seem to come in bunches as opposed to being properly spaced out. On No Heroes, the band was relentless for the first five tracks and it set up the rest of the album perfectly. Here, they sound a bit inconsistent in mood shifts, though certainly not in quality. Of course, as I said, another Converge record is reason enough to celebrate and this one minor gripe is nothing short of ridiculous nit-picking. Seriously, go pick up Axe