Converge gets a 10 for their new project 'You Fail Me'.
Rating: 10
You all know who they are by now. Converge's debut album on Epitaph delivers as the band's most emotional and powerful release to date. "You Fail Me" proves to be one of the best releases thus far this year. But that should come as no surprise.
Converge continue to push their own boundaries as well as the boundaries of music and come out with a better release every time, this is a band that has a true rooted passion for everything they do.
The album title says it all, as the listener is thrown into a tirade of deep human emotions. You can't but wonder what spawned such darkness. Everything about the album is more than just another great release in heavy music, it's almost as if it's a beating heart all on its own.
"First Light" is the first track to begin the downward spiral. The track is a calm instrumental beginning to a much greater storm ahead. "Last Light" which is almost a flicker of hope in the midst of overwhelming sadness, the lyrics screaming "Keep living /keep searching/ keep pushing on". But this light quickly dies out and the first assaulting track "Black Cloud" hits and opens the skies with a downpour of rage. The album has a very raw and spacious sound, still very powerful and heavy enough for the fans. The album has something to say about the constant disappointment that people continue to exhibit, and with the title track "You Fail Me", this is very clear. The song is almost a crashing of the mind, a severe collapse with the constant repeated line "living, dying, everyday". After the complete breakdown,"In Her Shadow" is the well placed deep acoustic track on the album which can be seen as the coming down from a brief moment of lost sanity. The music reflects the dark tone of the album perfectly. When you listen to this album nothing is singled out in terms of playing, the band plays as one, each instrument feeding off the other to create a melee of destruction and creation.
Converge have transcended any defining label, and they will continue to amaze people with their talented musicianship through passionate creativity."You Fail Me" will more than please any fan and to anyone who hasn't taken the time to give Converge a listen; this would be the time.
href='http://www.riftrock.com/reviews.php?c=215' target='_blank'>riftrock.com