However, it was with the release of Petitioning The Empty Sky (Equal Vision, 1997) that Converge’s mix of metallic thrash staples, hardcore/punk-influenced structures and anthemic emotional explorations, coupled with an artistic presentation and unmistakable blackened vocals, truly began to blossom. With their first full-length CD, Caring and Killing (HydraHead, 1996), after a substantial string of seven-inches and compilation appearances, Converge demonstrated considerable glimpses of the musical mayhem and innovation that was to come. A commitment that has made them constants, flag-bearers and leaders during a prolific period of longevity virtually unheard of in the hardcore underground, with a very few exceptions. However, when one contemplates the bands that have driven, defined and revitalized metallic hardcore in the last 12 years, one cannot help but point to the achievements of Converge - a near-legendary act that has transcended the peaks, lulls, trends and ever-shifting attitudes in the underground to emerge as one of its precious few trendsetters.įormed in the winter of 1990 in Boston, MA, by core members/founders Jake Bannon (vocals/design terrorism) and Kurt Ballou (guitar) during the initial height and subsequent collapse of the Boston hardcore scene, and currently rounded out by bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller, Converge’s musical legacy has been indelibly etched in the aggressive music annals by its cannon of constantly progressing, innovative, influential and intelligent albums, all of which hold true to Converge’s unwritten mandate of musical honesty, brutality, beauty, emotion and artistry. When one thinks of aggressive, innovative and inspiring bands that have defined and driven hardcore in the ’80s/early ’90s, one thinks of legendary acts such as the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Black Flag and Sick of It All.

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