Interview: Jacob Bannon of Converge

Converge

Axe to Fall has just been getting rave reviews. You guys have certainly cemented yourselves into that hardcore band, surviving about two decades now. What do you have to say about that?

I guess you can say that. I don’t really know. It’s flattering when people say that. It doesn’t effect us as a band. It doesn’t drive us as a band. It doesn’t change the way we perceive our music, and how we write music. We just think of ourselves as four guys from Massachusetts who play music we enjoy…If it’s influential and people appreciate it, that’s cool. If it’s not, that’s okay too. We just want to play stuff that’s truly meaningful to us. That moves us. Songs about our lives and our experiences that challenge us. Anything outside of that is not that important.

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Review: Converge – No Heroes

Converge - No Heroes

This Halloween, just like any other, many people go out looking for something that’ll scare them. They search for something that rattle their bones, haunt their dreams, and leave a lasting impression on their senses. While most people will look for this sensation in the wrong places, such as going to cheesy haunted houses or wasting eight bucks on Saw III, I am here to point you towards something that is truly horrific, brutal and unforgiving. This “something” is nothing but Converge’s latest hardcore offering, the ruthless No Heroes. The longtime Boston outfit – vocalist/madman Jake Bannon, guitarist Kurt Ballou, bassist Nate Newton, and drummer Ben Koller – are back to old habits here, as fans who were disappointed by 2004’s You Fail Me will be happy to notice somewhat of a return back to the style of Petitioning The Empty Sky and When Forever Comes Crashing. Produced by Ballou and guided by Bannon’s artistic vision and meditative lyrics, No Heroes is here to take no prisoners. 

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