Axe to Fall

Converge | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Epitaph
• ASIN: B002N1AE8W
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,446 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

With classic metal enjoying resurgence as bands like Mastodon introduce a new generation to the majestic riffage of Sabbath and Zeppelin, it is only right that one of the bands responsible for that resurgence, Converge, should offer up their most accessible album to date.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OVERHYPED FOR A REASON, October 20, 2009

By 

moogs (pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Axe to Fall (Audio CD)

I don't think that Axe to Fall needs an eon-length review to prove that it is Converge's best work since Jane Doe. There are plenty of other professional reviewers out there that can write a song by song analysis of this album, but I am going to keep this straightforward: Converge haven't sounded this pissed-off in a long long time. Converge have found new ways of being extremely heavy and abrasive while still maintaining their signature frantic sound, as shown in Kurt's blisteringly technical leads and Ben's jawdropping drumming on this album. But even amidst the breakneck speed of most of the tracks on this album, they still manage to collaborate with several of their peers in the hardcore/metal scene (Steve Von Till from Neurosis, Mookie Singerman from Genghis Tron, to name a few) and sound unmistakably like Converge.

Axe to Fall is Converge's most accessible album yet, and I mean this in the best way possible; everything about this album is flawless, the musicianship, the art, the lyrics, and the production. If you don't listen to this band, now is the time to start listening to them. If you do, you already know that anything Converge puts out is guaranteed to be quality, and this is no exception. There is nothing more to say other than it is easily the best album I have heard in a long time. What are you waiting for? Support this hard-working band and buy this masterpiece already.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one and only Converge return with the same results, October 22, 2009

By 

General Zombie (the West) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Axe to Fall (Audio CD)

With "Axe to Fall," Massachusetts metallic hardcore stalwarts Converge wrap up a truly extraordinary decade. 2001 saw "Jane Doe," then a career, nay, genre-defining highlight, a release so good you could be forgiven for expecting a letdown in the near future. Instead Converge returned 3 years later with the even better "You Fail Me" (though I know I'm in the minority in this respect) and then with "No Heroes," another punishingly good slice of mayhem which, if not quite as good as its predecessors, nevertheless laid the competition to waste. It's 2009 now and, unsurprisingly, Converge has done it again with their most recent full length. While "Axe to Fall" doesn't display an enormous leap forward in style, Converge's finely tuned songwriting abilities and nearly unparalleled intensity remain in tact, and the sound is as fresh as ever. While the imitators grow more and more generic, Converge just become more extraordinary and distinct.

The most superficially noteworthy aspect of "Axe to Fall" is the extensive use of guest musicians from bands like Cave In, Neurosis, Genghis Tron and others. Most tracks contain at least one guest, but, apart from during the closers, none make too huge of an impact on the sound. At their best, these guests help Converge extend their palette slightly, adding in a few distinct guitar lines and some more shading to the atmospheric tracks. This remains a Converge album through and through, and Bannon, Ballou, Newton and Koller display their distinct talents fully. Moreover, they continue to be impressively multi-talented, with Bannon again providing artwork and Ballou returning as producer and engineer. As with all of their recent material, "Axe to Fall" has a truly ferocious sound. The guitar and bass are not quite as explosive on "No Heroes," but Koller's drums come through even better in his most manic performance yet, and the overall production has that necessary mix of rawness and clarity.

Like Converge's other recent works, "Axe to Fall" consists primarily of short, vicious tracks mixed in with a few longer, slower oddballs. The opener "Dark Horse" is the strongest track. This is classic Converge, moving from a frenetic, odd-timed-riff-plus-drum-fills-on-every-bar combo in the verses to a brutally straightforward chorus, all culminating in a monstrous breakdown. This is hardly a new pattern, but they do it better than anyone. The next few are similarly devastating and further emphasize the intricate, squalling guitarwork, while the later short tracks are a bit less brutally metallic and better display Converge's noise and punk stylings. "Dead Beat" is probably the best of the latter examples, mixing noisy washes of guitar sound with some slightly melodic vox and a pounding chorus. I think these under three minute tracks are a bit front heavy (the first three are the best), but the overall quality is high.

Though the shorter tracks remain as fierce as ever, Converge continue to experiment with slower and moodier material. Best is the enjoyably dirge-like "Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast" which recalls "Plagues," while "Damages" is more mechanistic and midpaced. Most atypical are the atmospheric closers "Cruel Bloom" and "Wretched World," two atmospheric, guest-vox intensive comps. They differ a bit (Cruel Bloom is acoustic guitar and piano driven, while Wretched World has a more electronic vibe courtesy of Genghis Tron), and are both enjoyable, but ought not to have been placed next to one another. As it stands they function as a rather bizarre coda to the album, one that doesn't entirely fit. Again, I'm not opposed to the material, but how they place it. (For some reason, I'm usually not in love with how Converge orders and paces their albums. Needless to say, this is a pretty minor complaint.)

Taken all together, "Axe to Fall" is another first rate addition to Converge's catalog. As always, it's impossible to say now if it will have as much lasting power as their last few, but it surely impresses early on. Check it out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BY FAR Converge's best, October 20, 2009

By 

Byron Ridenour (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Axe to Fall (Audio CD)

Wow, that's the only word to describe this phenomenal album. Axe to Fall is unlike any other Converge to date. First, lets start with the music aspect. Kurt Ballou is (and always has been) a unique and accomplished guitarist. But his talents TRULY shine on Axe to Fall, an absolute roller coaster ride of odd wammy bars and jumbled time signatures, especially on the shorter, more brutal songs. Ballou is without a doubt unparalled. Also, drummer Ben Koller somehow keeps up with Ballou, and even surpassing him in his own way, especially with his incredible stamina. And don't worry, Nate holds his own on bass. Now to Jacob Bannon. Nothing brand new in this department, but he still has his patented, disgusting growls and his strange punk yelling.

This album is truly a masterpiece, surpassing every other converge album. You won;t skip a single track. I can hardly describe this music. At times I would look at my cd player, scratch my head until it bled, and stutterd ????. To the untrained ear, this will sound like plain noise, but to us fans, its audio heaven. Defintely pick this album up, if you are a new or old fan, Axe to Fall will not dissapoint.

P.S. - Bannons artwork is truly stunning. From his use of spray paint, to his unique drawings, Bannon creates an oddly beautiful and almost industrial look to accompany this fine music.

LONG LIVE CONVERGE