Converge: Axe to Fall (Epitaph)
After nearly 20 years together, unconventional Boston hardcore quartet Converge adds to its eminent catalog with an album that will be one of the best heavy discs of the year.
Immediately, Axe to Fall delivers a heaping dose of full-throttle thrash metal, accelerating through push beats, high-string pull-offs, and double-bass blasts to establish a new tone for the band. “Reap What You Sow” continues the assault with palm-muted speed riffs and squealing solos that wouldn’t sound out of place in Metallica’s early catalog.
Guitarist/producer Kurt Ballou is at his absolute peak, creating the aforementioned mania and utilizing his usual armaments of dirge riffs, down-tuned chugging, and morose melodies. Additionally, the group’s stream of one-off guest musicians continues to widen, this time sweeping guitarist Steve Von Till (Neurosis), vocalist Mookie Singerman (Genghis Tron), and three-quarters of Cave In (guitarists Stephen Brodsky and Adam McGrath and drummer JR Conners) into compelling cameos.
Ultimately, Axe to Fall makes its case to be Converge’s best album. But whether or not you agree, it’s another reflection of Converge at the top of its game, crushing listeners will full-bodied hardcore that isn’t afraid to bust out an acoustic guitar, piano, and glockenspiel for a track.
Russian Circles: Geneva (Suicide Squeeze)
Striking a balance between the relentless riffage of Enter (Flameshovel, 2006) and the melodious restraint of Station (Suicide Squeeze, 2008), Geneva showcases a maturity of instrumental rock trio Russian Circles through complete creations — songs that equally call upon sheer beauty, ascending tension, and caustic force.
It’s not as voracious as the band’s debut, but Geneva retains a dynamic vibe through rhythmic heaviness, much of which comes via new bassist Brian Cook. A current member of These Arms are Snakes, Cook makes his “debut” on Geneva, making his presence immediately felt with a worming bass groove on album opener “Fathom.”
Cook is but one key addition to the band’s repertoire; adjunct instruments, generally stringed, augment and guide much the album’s material.
These chordophones accentuate three of the album’s first four tracks, and they lead the first five minutes of “Philos,” a 10-minute epic that closes Geneva in ruminative fashion. Just prior, distant horns utter a wordless lamentation on the album’s penultimate track, “When the Mountain Comes to Muhammad.”
In retrospect, Geneva should mark the pivot point for the band’s career — a moment that marks both the band’s musical maturity and its arrival as a major player in independent rock.
Shrinebuilder: s/t (Neurot)
Consisting of guitarist Scott Kelly (Neurosis), guitarist Scott “Wino” Weinrich (Saint Vitus), bassist Al Cisneros (Om), and drummer Dale Crover (Melvins), this highly anticipated project is a four-piece heavy-psych super group that holds long-lasting intentions.
As one might imagine based on the members’ current and former bands, Shrinebuilder is based on brief, cyclical riffs that are topped with swirling effects. These give way to fuller, meditative breakdowns, which frequently revert back to mid-tempo stoner-metal wizardry.
Each member contributes vocals, which range from semi-spoken to distant, harmonic, and gruff. These different vocal styles help to individualize each track, which might otherwise run together via similarities in style and duration.
“Pyramid of the Moon” combines hymnal harmonies, high-pitched guitar synchronizations, über-echoed vocals, and a warbling synth sound into a dreamy blend. We could proclaim it to be the best selection of this five-tune full-length, but the album’s final track, “Science of Anger,” only comes with the full retail version of the album – available today.
Honorable mentions:
The Black Heart Procession: Six (Temporary Residence)
Fuck Buttons: Tarot Sport (ATP)
OOIOO: Armonico Hewa (Thrill Jockey)
Sufjan Stevens: The BQE (Asthmatic Kitty)
Themselves: CrownsDown (Anticon)
Tags: Adam McGrath, Al Cisneros, Anticon, Asthmatic Kitty, ATP, Brian Cook, Cave In, Converge, Dale Crover, Epitaph, Fuck Buttons, Genghis Tron, JR Conners, Kurt Ballou, Melvins, Metallica, Mookie Singerman, Neurosis, Neurot, Om, OOIOO, Russian Circles, Saint Vitus, Scott "Wino" Weinrich, Scott Kelly, Shrinebuilder, Stephen Brodsky, Steve Von Till, Sufjan Stevens, Suicide Squeeze, Temporary Residence, The Black Heart Procession, Themselves, These Arms are Snakes, Thrill Jockey