No gay intro this week, just kicking straight into the reviews. Two pretty significant releases (in terms of music that I care about) came out in the past few weeks, so I figure I owe it to you, the reader, to give my opinions on these albums.

Converge – Axe To Fall (October 20th)

Anyone who knows anything about the modern hardcore scene knows that Converge are pretty much THE most influential hardcore band of this decade. Their 2001 album Jane Doe, a concept record about the stages of a relationship falling apart, is widely heralded as one of the greatest hardcore records ever released (It’s also one of my five favorite albums of all time). Their new album, Axe to Fall, could be considered A Beginners Guide to Converge, in a good way of course. It represents all of the trademarks of a great Converge record: throat-searing vocals, devastating guitar riffs, the combined musical intensity of an atomic bomb in a knife fight with the sun, etc. However, it packages these elements together with a greater level of technicality, and a sense of accessibility never before displayed by the band, such as on album opener “Dark Horse”.

Axe to Fall also sees Converge entering into more progressive territory, with interesting results. “Cruel Bloom” plays out almost like a folk song, and seven-minute closer “Wretched World” spends most of its duration building up like a post-rock song. If there’s a flaw with Axe to Fall, it’s that some of the shorter songs in the middle of the album tend to bleed together, and not stand out from the rest. Otherwise, this is a great starting point for those looking to get into the world of Converge.

4/5

Between the Buried and Me – The Great Misdirect (October 27th)

I could basically just say “Between the Buried and Me”, and you’d know if you want to get this or not. The Great Misdirect is basically exactly the record you’d expect from BTBAM; their songwriting formula hasn’t really changed at all. And that’s not a bad thing. BTBAM are still a pretty awesome progressive metal band, and The Great Misdirect is still a pretty awesome album. It’s just a little disappointing that this could have been a really awesome album. “Obfuscation” pretty much sums up everything that’s awesome and not so awesome about the album, and really about the band in general: it’s a bunch of incredible progressive metal moments joined together by a bunch of interchangeable metalcore chugging.

The album’s first half easily outweighs its second, with “Disease, Injury, Madness” being one of the best songs the band has ever written, and “Mirrors” being exactly the song that “Foam Born A” tried to be on Colors, the band’s last album. After that, the album never quite makes it back, with the remaining songs being enjoyable in sequences, but a mixed bag overall. Still, there’s enough quality material here to recommend a listen for anyone interested in the prog metal scene.

3.5/5

(BTW, sorry for the bump Fenix. I found your mask, if that makes it better. :p)