Converge (band)

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Converge
Singer Jacob Bannon on stage
Background information
Origin	Salem, Massachusetts, USA
Genre(s)	Metalcore Metal Hardcore
Years active	1990–present
Label(s)	Epitaph Records Deathwish Inc. Hydrahead Relapse Equal Vision
Associated acts	Old Man Gloom Doomriders
Website	http://www.convergecult.com/
Members
Jacob Bannon Kurt Ballou Nate Newton Ben Koller
Former members
Aaron Dalbec Jon DiGiorgio Damon Bellorado Stephen Brodsky Jeff Feinburg Erik Ralston

Converge is a four-piece band based out of Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and extreme metal since 1990, this pioneering punk/metal outfit helped define many of the necessities for the metalcore genre's development.

1 Description
2 History
3 Side projects
4 Members
- 4.1 Current
- 4.2 Former
5 Discography
6 Trivia
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Description

Converge's influences range from hardcore punk bands, such as Black Flag, Negative Approach, and Born Against, to metal bands like Starkweather, Godflesh, Slayer, and Entombed. Jacob Bannon's lyrics tend to deal almost exclusively with romantic relationships gone awry, based on a male's perspective, until the release of their 2006 album No Heroes, in which topics vary. Bannon usually uses a harsh vocal style of shouts and screams, although there are exceptions, such as in the song "Albatross." The group's musical style consists of complex guitar work and off-time polyrhythmic drumming, which leads some to classify them as math metal, which is best exemplified on their album Jane Doe.

There is much debate over where exactly Converge fall, genre-wise, due to their wide musical range, breaking of conventional boundaries, and willingness to try and push in new directions. Converge themselves eschew classification into hardcore or metal, the genres they are closest to, and simply define their music as "aggressive music".

[edit] History

Converge formed in the winter of 1990. They first started by playing covers of hardcore punk, punk rock and heavy metal songs, being self-confessed "hardcore kids with leftover Slayer riffs". The band soon graduated to playing live performances in 1991, after recording some demos on a 4-track recorder.

In recent years, Converge have enjoyed relatively high levels of popularity, despite the esoteric feel of their music and the lack of media attention they receive. Their records have gradually become more expensively and extensively produced, having moved from the independent label Equal Vision Records to the much larger and more mainstream punk label, Epitaph Records.

Their much anticipated new album, No Heroes, was released on October 24, 2006.

Cover art to Converge's album, "Jane Doe."

[edit] Side projects

Aside from their primary focus with Converge, Jacob Bannon and Kurt Ballou compose stark, ambient music under the moniker Supermachiner, with Daltonic drummer, Seth Bannon. Bannon also has a solo side-project entitled Dear Lover and continues to run the record label he founded, Deathwish Inc., with his longtime friend and business associate, Tré McCarthy.

In addition to keeping himself busy with recording bands in his studio, GodCity, guitarist Kurt Ballou has participated in an array of other lesser-known bands, such as Blue/Green Heart with fellow Converge alumnus Ben Koller. Koller performed in this band with Ballou well before he joined Converge. Ballou also played guitar for the bands Kid Kilowatt, Seven Percent Solution, and The Huguenots.

In late 2005, Ben briefly assumed the drum chores for Cave In, replacing previous drummer, John-Robert Connors.

Alongside Converge, bassist Nate Newton is also a constituent of the bands Old Man Gloom and Doomriders. He plays guitar in both bands. Newton also played guitar in the band Jesuit, and was a member of the Virginia Beach, VA bands Lift and Channel.

[edit] Members

[edit] Current

Image:Convergep2Ad.jpg

Converge's peta2 vegetarian ad.

Jacob Bannon - Vocals, Lyrics, Visuals
Kurt Ballou - Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion, Theremin
Nate Newton - Bass, Vocals
Ben Koller - Drums, Percussion

[edit] Former

Aaron Dalbec - Guitar (1994-2001)
Jon DiGiorgio - Drums (1999)
Damon Bellorado - Drums (1991-1999)
Stephen Brodsky - Bass (1997-1998)
Jeff Feinburg - Guitar, Bass (1991-1997)
Erik Ralston - Bass (1993)
Ryan Beitz - Lights / Tech (1995-1998)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Demos

Gravel (4-song demo, independently released, 1991)
Self-titled (FAR/Exchange Records, 1991)
Where Have All the Flowers Gone (independently released, 1992)
Dog Days (Demo, independently released, 1993)
Unloved & Weeded Out (Collection of Demos and unreleased songs, Deathwish Inc, 2002)

[edit] Full lengths

Halo in a Haystack, (Earthmaker/Stolnacke, 1994)
Caring And Killing, (Hydra Head Records, 1997)
Petitioning the Empty Sky (Equal Vision Records, 1997)
When Forever Comes Crashing (Equal Vision Records, 1998)
Jane Doe (Equal Vision Records, 2001)
You Fail Me (Epitaph Records, 2004)
No Heroes (Epitaph Records, 2006)

[edit] Splits

Among the Dead We Pray for Light Split 7" with Coalesce (Edison Recordings/Life Records, 1997)
The Poacher Diaries Split with Agoraphobic Nosebleed (Relapse Records, 1999)
Deeper the Wound (split album with Hellchild) (Deathwish Inc., 2001)
In These Black Days: Volume 2 Split 7" with Brutal Truth (Hydra Head Records, 1997) (Black Sabbath tribute)

[edit] DVDs

The Long Road Home (Deathwish Inc., 2003)

[edit] Trivia

Drummer Ben Koller's former band is Force Fed Glass, a grind outfit.

Original drummer Damon Bellorado now works for a retailer who solicits men's suits.

Bassist Nate Newton's previous band was Jesuit, which also featured Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist, Brian Benoit.

Former guitarist Aaron Dalbec now plays guitar full-time in what was originally his side-project band, Bane.

Former bassist Stephen Brodsky is an original member of Cave In.

Some members identify with straight edge culture, but the group itself is not a straight edge band. They may have originally been a sXe band though considering their demo has the words "boston straight edge hardcore" on it.

Singer Jacob Bannon, Bassist Nate Newton, and Drummer Ben Koller are vegetarian while Guitarist Kurt Ballou is vegan.

Despite many biblical references (such as the song "Towing Jehovah") the band stresses that they are not Christian.

For a time, Converge and Avenged Sevenfold had a feud with each other. [1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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