UMUR "Halo in a Haystack" is the debut full-length studio album by US post-hardcore act Converge. The album was released in 1994 in a limited number of vinyl copies by Earthmaker Records and is now out of print. However 8 out of the 10 tracks on the 34:00 minutes long album also appear on the "Caring and Killing (1995)" compilation. The compilation is easier to find as it was released on slightly more prolific labels in Lost And Found Records in Europe and Hydra Head Records in the US.

Converge are widely considered a pioneering act in post-hardcore and right off the bat it´s audible why when listening to "Halo in a Haystack". The band play a very unconventional hardcore style where they combine fast-paced and aggressive hardcore punk sections, with heavier groovy sections and atmospheric clean guitar sections. The band obviously aim at twisting conventions and that goes for song structures too. I´d actually go as far as to call some of the tracks on "Halo in a Haystack" progressively structured. Very intriguing indeed. The vocals are even more unconventional though and they are pretty sure to be an aquired taste. High pitched, whiny, distorted, aggressive and melancholic are some of the words I´d use to describe the vocals by Jacob Bannon. His vocal style can be a bit much at times but it´s certainly original.

Besides a few production flaws, "Halo in a Haystack" is a very impressive debut album by Converge. High level musicianship and a songwriting approach that´s adventurous to say the least. They would go on to release more mature albums later on in their career but still a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is deserved.

Xaxaar Jane Doe really took me by surprise. As someone who's opinion of "core" has been contaminated by bands such as Bring Me The Horizon and Emmure, this album was sort of "Well, let's give the best of this genre a shot and see if it can redeem itself." And it has. Jane Doe is a whirlwind of emotion and technicality that never ceases and makes you longing for more when it does finally fade out. Every song is a cohesive experience, you're not going to "get it" by just listening to Homewrecker or Concubine by itself; it needs the context of the album to fully appreciate. Every song is absolutely essential, feeling like a mad house until the last track fills you with some sense of closure, but still longing for more.

The lyrics have no real structure to them and instead every song feels like a poem, but with hXe screams. Most people are put-off from the vocal style, but I think if you can get over that fact you can find some really meaningful stuff. Jane Doe's lyrics were written from Jacob Bannon's heart and I really do think it blends very well. He takes you on a journey where you feel everything from: shock, to denial, to depression, to hatred, defeat, self-loathing, loneliness, and hope. When all our roads have been travelled and all have come to a most bitter end: Today I thaw.

And of course there are the instruments. There are nothing short of being some of the most creative I've heard in a while. There is no question that this is also a masterpiece regarding technicality. Right away within the first 30 seconds of the album, it throws you into odd time signatures, crazy riffing, blast beats, and screaming. Concubine sure kicks off the album with haste. And it really doesn't slow down with Fault and Fracture, continuing on with Concubine's crazy theme. But what I like about this song so much is the outro. The drums crashing in and then speeding up the song is just great. After that is Distance and Meaning which actually utilizes clean vocals. And yes, I have to say it has calmed down a bit here, although that riff in the beginning still sounds pretty clustered. Now, Hell to Pay is when it really calms down. No doubt the calmest song on the album, and it has a very climatic song structure. It also has some great lyrics and how they're presented are great:

"That night, I think he cried himself to sleep Just maybe, he felt more than we could ever know And I think he pulled that trigger to empty that memory I think he cut the weight to end the floods of you Let him soar, let him ride as budding gravestones do Just sleep, girl, just dream well"

Then it goes into Homewrecker, which is kind of a 'rocking' song, believe it or not...at least I think so. It's still mathcore, don't get me wrong, but it has a certain drive to it that kinda makes it feel like that. Maybe it's the cowbell. Then there's The Broken Vow which is a pleasant little 2 minute'r. Starts off sounding like hardcore punk, but then quickly switches to a more mellow song until it finally hits you with the outro. And then it hits you with an even shorter song. This one just has a very punk-y tone through-out, I think. Heaven In Her Arms is when the album starts to take a turn. It's pretty fast the first half, but then it quickly goes into a more heavy sounding riff and then slows down until it fades off into Phoenix in Flight. Phoenix in Flight is like any other song on here, as it's just kinda slow and has an epic (forgive me for using that word) feel to it. It just sort of builds on itself instrumentally and then brings it home with a driving outro. And then there Phoenix in Flames which is just nuts. Just screaming and drums and the production turns kinda shotty. It serves as an excellent transition to Thaw, which is one of my favorites. It just never gets dull; it starts off with an awesome riff, and then just erupts with, yes you guessed it, an awesome outro. I know I kinda used that phrase a lot, but it's true: a lot of these songs' finishes are just golden. And I have to say, the best outro, and reward for the best song on the album, goes to Jane Doe: the epic to end it all. This song practically makes the album. I don't like to throw around the word 'perfect' a lot, but this song may just be. It's not as chaotic as you would think, but the song is driven by such emotion that it can be easily forgiven and in fact you wouldn't want it either way.

Jane Doe has went far beyond my expectations and deserves a 5 star for how much it enlightened me on other genres. It gives me hope for all of those other genres I disregarded. Maybe they will have a Jane Doe of their own.

Run on girl, run on.

Wilytank So this here "mathcore" stuff is supposed to be somewhat weird right? It kinda is. From what I've heard from Converge so far is some punkish/crossover sounding metal with some grindcore appeal.

So what makes 'Jane Doe' stand out by critics and fans alike? Well, the way I see it, their genre of music is executed. 'Halo in a Haystack' seemed like the band was drifting between punk and metal sound not knowing which one to play. 'Petition the Empty Sky' was the first album to feature the mathcore approach and some cool tracks were featured such as "The Saddest Day", but it wasn't totally interesting. 'When Forever Comes Crashing' came next and was much more mundane. With 'Jane Doe' though, Converge manages to at least not make the music sound overly pretentious or boring. Unlike the previous three albums, I didn't feel any need to stop the album prematurely and pass my judgement. And the production makes it sound like Mastodon's 'Leviathan' (which came out three years later).

I feel like saying something about at least one of the individual songs here, so I think I'll talk about the 11 minute title track "Jane Doe". It's a slower song and the only song on the album that features any clean vocals. It provides a nice ending and a break from the mathcore chaos. Of course, I'm a sucker for long songs; and it builds up to a notable climax beginning at the nine and a half minute mark.

I'm quite pleased with this album. Though my listening experience with Converge got off to a rocky start, this album helped change my attitude. I only hope that the rest of their albums are at least somewhat as good as this one.

UMUR "Axe to Fall" is the 7th full-length studio album by US post-hardcore act Converge. The album was released by Epitaph Records in October 2009.

The music on the album are at its roots hardcore, but Converge are not your "regular" hardcore act and that becomes apparent already in the ultra energetic and powerful opener "Dark Horse". Fast technical playing, raw aggressive vocals and power, power and power. Just this one song is so packed with little details that I´m not only banging my head like a madman but also feel challenged musically. The first four tracks on the album are in this vein. Short, aggressive and challenging. That part of the album is almost over before it began and while I really enjoy this powerful opening to the album it´s not until the sludgy mid-paced "Worms Will Feed / Rats Will Feast" kicks in, that it becomes fully apparent that Converge have more tricks up their sleeve than most of their contemporaries. The 7th track "Damages" is also in this vein and along with "Worms Will Feed / Rats Will Feast" bring variation to the album. But the variation doesn´t stop here. After "Damages" there are four more short and aggressive hardcore outbursts but track 12 "Cruel Bloom" suddenly turns things upside down with its mellow clean vocals and laid back post-rock/ metal nature. The closing track "Wretched World" continues this laid back and melancholic style and adds keyboards/ synths to the mix which adds a progressive edge to the sound.

It´s pure genious how the tracklist is composed IMO. You´re taken on a roller coaster ride in the 42:10 minutes that the album lasts, but "Axe to Fall" never feels inconsistent or like some of the songs don´t fit. It´s obvious that a lot of thought has been given to the placement of the various tracks and this is one of the cases where it really pays off. This album reeks sophistication and intelligence but never at the expense of raw energetic power.

"Axe to Fall" is produced by the band´s guitarist Kurt Ballou and it´s safe to say that he succeeds in bringing out the best in the songs. The sound is raw and distorted yet detailed and powerful. An absolutely wonderful production IMO.

I´ve read countless reviews about Converge releases throughout the years and they´ve been on my "I really ought to take some time out and listen to" list for a very long time. I´ve heard a song here and there but never gave one of their albums a full listen before now. After listening to "Axe to Fall" I can only regret that I haven´t wholeheartedly given Converge a chance before because "Axe to Fall" is an absolutely fantastic album and if the rest of their releases are just close to being as fantastic as this one I´ve been missing out on some real treats. "Axe to Fall" just about has it all. Great production, excellent musicianship and powerful, intelligent and adventurous songwriting. I´ll say no more and let a 4.5 star rating speak for itself.