“Thaw” is my favorite “Jane Doe” track, too! So many critic reviews don’t even mention it. The last minute is so intense and emotional, I still get chills when I hear it. Great video, and great taste in music!
For sure. Thaw is incredible. Start to finish, it’s just brutal. And, like you said about the ending..that shit gives me chills too. It makes me want to cry honestly. For its emotion for sure. And just that it’s so incredibly amazing. It’s moving.
You did a phenomenal job with these album reviews. It’s kind of funny though, to see all of Converge’s albums discussed by someone who’s not exactly an obvious hardcore/metal fan at first glance. I mean that in a good way. 🔥
As a huge Converge fan, I thoroughly enjoyed your video and how you broke down each album and noticed the differences in them even though the differences between them can seem to be extremely slight to most people. My rankings would be very very similar to yours, especially with Jane Doe (one of my top 10 albums of all time) being #1, All We Love We Leave Behind at #2 and The Dusk In Us being at #3. Have you ever heard any Dillinger Escape Plan? I highly, highly recommend them. They have the ferocity of Converge but with even more technicality and a bit more variety in sounds. Always happy to see people on YT that truly love music and are willing to give bands and artists they had never heard before a fair shot by listening to literally all of their releases. :D
Thanks, I appreciate that! Converge is amazing and I'm so glad I've gotten even more into their music. Dillinger Escape Plan is definitely on my list of bands to check out, a lot of others have been suggesting them to me. Sounds like I'd really enjoy their stuff!
Petitioning the empty sky changed my direction in life for music when I was 12 years old, for it to see go to a rank of D I had to stop watching the rest of the video.
Top class video Molly. New viewer here. After 'When Forever Comes Crashing' the split EP 'The Poacher diaries' with Agoraphobic Nosebleed, pretty much defined that sound that was to come, and has some of the most brutal Converge songs (and my favourite). Recommendations related to Converge; Wretched World collaboration with the band Genghis Tron, a terrific band that has just recently put out a new album that is very good. Converge's Bostonian brothers Cave In, a truly spectacular band that has worked with Converge through their whole career (Stephen Brodsky lending his guitar and vocals on Bloodmoon: 1). Cheers for the content.
Highly agree with all points made, especially when reviewing You Fail Me. Jane Doe is their magnum opus and the song "Phoenix In Flames" does something to my brain I cannot articulate into words but I love it. Guitarist Kurt Ballu produced Modern Life is War's "Witness" album and if you like You Fail Me / Jane Doe, I think you'll really enjoy that one. I can see your musical taste is pretty refined so you probably already know about them, but BOTCH - WE ARE THE ROMANS is crucial listening as well. Great video!
Vibing with this! The only ratings I would personally change is Axe gets an A and Dusk gets an A plus. Wretched world is such an emotional experience for me and cuts like Axe to Fall and Dark Horse are, in my opinion, among their best. Then you have Dusk where every cut is an absolute bopper, but in a completely different way than All We Love. I will listen to All We Love all the way through every day, but I will listen to individual cuts on Dusk 100 times a day. They all have this kind of self contained hit single quality. But anyway great video!
I’ve loved Converge since I was introduced to them by No Heroes. I find it almost impossible to pick a favourite but I love how Dusk In Us and Bloodmoon point to continued evolution and experimentation and consistent quality.
I first discovered Converge when "Jane Doe" came out. I was browsing the music section at Best Buy (it's not there anymore) after listening to the Music Choice channel on TV (it's gone, too). I had never heard vocals so intense! Listening to that album is like being inside of a washing machine on heavy mode! Anyway, I kinda fell off the Converge train semi recently, but now I'll be checking out more of their albums thanks to your video! Maybe I'll get back into them with "AWLWLB." Keep up the good work, I look forward to what's next!
Your description of Jane Doe like being inside a washing machine is spot on, haha! It's pure chaotic beauty, that's for sure. Hope you enjoy All We Love We Leave Behind, it's a little less heavy than Jane Doe in my opinion. I really love the more optimistic, almost playful tone it has at points.
I'm thrilled when you put "All We Love We Leave Behind" equally impressive level, paired with "Jane Doe" because it does and it did, it stands off from other records yet it doesn't want to replicate "Jane Doe" success, instead, the album gave us incredible experiences just like "Jane Doe"... every explanation you've made is precisely as the same as me for all the records, especially for both "Jane Doe" and "All We Love We Leave Behind".
Great video! Converge is my favorite heavy band (Mars Volta is my favorite band overall, so you can see why I like your channel so much!). It's insane how consistently awesome Converge has been over 30 years of music. They're living legends in this style of music.
it's a good ranking. I started loving converge this year only. Jane Doe and AWLWLB are absolutely mindblowing, I agree with you there. I have not put enough effort into the other albums, maybe ATF. I was hoping You Fail Me might be on par with the first two, I've heard great things about it, but that would be a little too good to be true! Only thing that dissappointed me was you did not mention A Glacial Place, that song is a masterpiece. BTW, Jacob Bannon created a painting for every song off AWLWLB. It's pretty awesome.
Great ranking! I think Jane Doe and All We Love We Leave Behind are my personal favorites too, but it's really hard for me to say what I like more than the other because Converge is just such an awesome band. I haven't been this obsessed with a band since I got into Swans. I'm not sure if you've done of a ranking of Swans yet but if you haven't, you totally should! They take a lot of time to get into and they're not for everyone, but they've made some just amazing, mesmerizing stuff.
@@mollyesanborn Please, Molly, please! I recommend to start from the beginning or with "Soundtracks For The Blind" (that's the on right in the middle and has almost all Swanssounds in 2 hours). Writing this, I think you should to "Filth" and "SFTB" in one session ... :-D
As you can tell I’m a huge Converge fan so I’m super happy to see someone really get sucked into their stunning trip of a discography. I don’t know if anyone cares but here’s my personal ranking of their records you have here from least to most favourite: Halo In A Haystack Petitioning The Empty Sky Bloodmoon One When Forever Comes Crashing All We Love We Leave Behind Axe To Fall The Dusk In Us You Fail Me No Heroes Jane Doe (obviously)
Saw these guys at Download Festival 2019, I'd heard about Kurt Ballou beforehand through his work with Nails and Dillinger Escape Plan, but when I saw them play live I knew they were the shit and full of integrity. I only knew some songs from Jane Doe, but their performance was amazing! A Single Tear makes me love and appreciate my young nieces so much, which I can't believe an intense and brutal song could do. I don't need a tattoo for this band, they're tattooed on my soul. \m/
Converge is definitely one of my top picks for bands I want to see live one day, their albums are all incredible and I'm sure they'd absolutely kill it live!
The way you talk about their songs "Wretched World", "Precipice", "All We Love We Leave Behind", "You Fail Me", and "Grim Heart/Black Rose" I'm not surprised you have Bloodmoon so high. Those songs listed are all their dark, moody, sludgey songs and that's what Bloodmoon is all about.
@@mollyesanborn If you haven't you should check out the Converge songs "Clean" which is a cover of the Depeche Mode song, and "Disintegration" which is a cover of The Cure. Very much a similar style and Steve Brodsky who does Guitar/Backing vocals on Bloodmoon is also featured on "Disintegration".
did a review for my college's newspaper on Axe to Fall when it came out. been hooked on Converge ever since. Jane Doe, hands down, one of the most intense musical experiences out there. for those of you about to check it out: buckle up.
Absolute love everything they've put out since Jane Doe, their previous ones not so much. Definitively digging the more sludgey side on the dusk in us and the blood moon collab. The rank I didn't knew I wanted lol
Glad to provide a ranking, haha! I agree that their work from Jane Doe onward certainly takes on a more mature, well developed sound, although their first three albums certainly have some great qualities as well. It's cool to listen to their early stuff and really hear how their sound developed.
Jane Doe, You Fail Me and Axe To Fall are all A+ for me. Petitioning and When Forever are C, No Heroes between C and B, All We Love and Dusk between B and A. Haven't listened to Halo yet
Axe to Fall is one of my favourites, alongside Jane Doe and All We Love We Leave Behind. The Blood Moon collab still hasn't sunken into my system to be honest, I'll need to spend some more time listening to it but I certainly do hope they do more stuff with Chelsea.
Yeah, Chelsea Wolfe and Converge are such a great collaboration. They really suit each others different styles so well. I'd love to hear more from them too!
Good video! I found converge ike two years ago and now they're one of my favourite bands, honestly, I think you should listen to "We Are the Romans" by Botch, one of the most underrated albums of 1999, not as aggressive as Converge but just as interesting and fun, cheers :)
I literally would have but the same ranking 😁maybe only swap Axe to Fall with Blood Moon. I love these dudes, they have been such a Tour de Force in hardcore and extreme music and pour everything into their art. It took my a while to get used to Jake's vocals at first but they are so important to what makes Converge be Converge. Also, their art style and production is so distinct, they really have their own identity, sound and aesthetic in a way few bands can actually achieve. You cannot mistake them for anyone else. I like their gloomy, doomy epics but also their faster songs with punk energy. It's impossible to name a favourite song but their title tracks always seem to draw me in the most. Jane Doe, You Fail Me and All we Love We Leave Behind in particular!
Yes, well said! Really a unique band that you can tell just puts everything into each and every one of their albums. As much as their sound can change from one album to the next (I mean just compare Halo with Bloodmoon, quite different!) both are still so distinctly Converge.
1. Jane Doe 2. Axe to fall 3. You fail me 4. Bloodmoon 5. The dusk in us 6. All we love we leave behind 7. No heroes 8. When forever comes crashing 9. Petitioning the empty sky 10. Halo in a haystack
Yeah I mostly agree. Albatross and dead from petitioning are really good. Each album has a few tracks that stand above the rest for me usually. Like dark horse, aimless arrow, coral blue, grim heart/black rose, heaven in her arms. I dont know if you're into the project Jesu, but that might be some fun videos if so. Pretty great discography
Yes, Jane Doe is my favorite Converge album. Another one of those bands that’s been a staple in my life since junior high that I somehow haven’t seen live yet.
I'd definitely like to see what you think about the band Cave In's discography since it's so varied, or if you haven't given them a listen, an album reaction of theirs.
Converge is such a good band. I agree with the placing of the top and bottom albums, I'd just rearrange some of the records in the middle. I definitely recommend Neurosis (Steve Von Till sings "Cruel Bloom"), Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Keep up the good work!! Your videos rule!!
I actually read that Cruel Bloom has a different vocalist on it, I realized that after filming this video haha. No wonder the vocals sounded different on that track! I'll totally have to check out those other bands you mentioned, I know a lot of people have been suggesting Dillinger Escape Plan.
Hey, Molly! Been watching your videos for a bit now and I’ve really enjoyed them. My recommendation is Down The Upside by Soundgarden if you haven’t already heard it
Thanks, I'll have to give that album a listen. I know that Soundgarden has been recommended by some others in the comments before. Glad you're enjoying the videos!
Curl Up And Die are worth checking out. Once labeled “poor man’s CONVERGE” but actually prefer them if I had to choose. deep lyrically but spastic and crunchy hooks on every album
love the demo mixes on Unloved and Weeded Out more than the masters. What a band. Axe To Fall is becoming my favorite but changes. love that you know your CONVERGE.
@@mollyesanborn Dude!! The live version of Locust Reign towards the end of the album is insane lol! Yea, the demo of When Forever Comes Crashing (track) is so much better imo. First track Downpour? gotta watch that video also. Great job
@@mollyesanborn CUAD are great. most known for their are mathy LP “Unfortunately We’re Not Robots” but their last LP in 05 is super slow and very emotional between the chaos
I can mostly agree with this list, I'd just place You Fail Me & Axe to Fall above The Dusk in Us & Blood Moon. Converge has been one of my favorite bands for the last 2 years or so, because there is just almost no other band in metal and hardcore with an equally consistently great discography + Kurt Ballou basically produced 75% of the best metal records of the past 10 years or so.
Recommend checking out Zao's latest album "The Crimson Corridor". The album is quite reminiscent of "The Dusk in Us"/"All we love we leave behind" sound that you seem to have a preference for, albeit with more of a sludgy, post-metal influence.
Nice ranking. Personally I would have put You fail me on par with Jane Doe. This record is just pure madness with a nice melodic break with In her shadows.
An underrated quality of converge are the lyrics In particilar on albums like all we love we live behind. Its almost a shame that you can t really understand them when you listen for the forst few times but the manic screams are the perfect way to comunicate to the listener the extreme emotions of distress and lonliness. Give them a shot if you get the chance!
yes, yes, yes! Their lyricism really is amazing, as you said it definitely takes some extra listening to understand what is being said but the emotion is very palpable in their music.
You know your stuff for sure, however I would put when forever came crashing as an A but maybe I'm looking at things with rose tinted glasses because it was the first converge album I listened to.
Converge is one of my favorite bands (along with Cult of Luna & Katatonia). Cool ranking, I only disagree with Petitioning ranked so low because it has "The Saddest Day" which is the best Converge's song. I think we all agree that Jane Doe is their best album but my personal favorite is Axe to Fall. This album has an interesting structure, 11 songs of pure madness and the last 2 are sludge and slow long songs. As for Halo, I think of the compilation Caring and Killing as their first álbum and the complete version of this one but still their weakest. Also an honorable mention would be the split with Agoraphobic Nosebleed which is brilliant as well.
one suggestion that you may not get much is the ‘black parade by my chemical romance’, it is normally written off as a cringey emo album along with the rest of their discography but its actually not that emo, its more of a rock opra that is amazingly polished and all the tracks flow perfectly and make sense for the context of the album. and if you want a louder based sound then try ‘three cheers for sweet revenge’ the concept is not as strong but it thrashes you with fast paced riffs and amazing singing not to mention the incredible instrumentation on both albums. anyways, both great reaction material but understood if you are too busy to get too it anytime soon. :)
Thanks for the album suggestions! I know My Chemical Romance has been mentioned by some others in the comments as well, so I'll definitely have to give their music a listen soon.
Is it Shadows & Light? I love that track! It balances out the really smooth and melodic verses with the punchy chorus that brings that wave of intensity.
Halo In A Haystack is the only Converge "game changer" album. Period. Ranking albums by a band out of their time context is worthless IMO. Of course the band is getting better, better sounding, better recording, in the process. Does that make a new record more important? Do Converge repeats its own gimmick since day one? What was Converge's primal scream? there you got it. The debut one is the one that matters. That idea you can repeat on most punk bands, unless they change style i.e. Neurosis : debut album, then (close) repeat and try and improve.
Wretched World is one of my favorite converge songs and funny enough it’s basically not even their song it’s mostly members of the band Genghis Tron which are a underrated band other than their new album which kinda sucked
I've never really gotten around to listening to anything before Jane Doe. I like Converge but I have to be in the mood for them and I haven't been in a really long time. Probably why I haven't gotten around to listening to the new one yet. My tier would be: Jane Doe Axe to Fall No Heroes All We Love We Leave Behind The Dusk in Us You Fail Me
I hope in the future you'll get around To reacting to Zeal & Ardor They just drop their new album And they just mix everything they can Lo fi chill with metal, like what lol Other songs are straight up metal But man what an album It honestly my favorite album from them Also hoping for some twelve foot ninja 🤘
@@mollyesanborn that's just one of the songs BTW should been more clear on that one But I feel like you'll like the album Like Wikipedia puts it "the band mixes African American spirituals with black metal"
You know a band is amazing when they have 10 albums and you can say "even my least favorite is an absolute killer". I think I would have moved Axe to Fall up. For me Jane Doe and Axe To Fall are two very different, but equally amazing records. No Heroes is great but I feel the same way about it. Haven't listened to that record in awhile. Axe To Fall and All We Love would have both been in A. Solid ranking list though. I need to relisten to The Dusk In Us. I wasn't super into that album when it came out for some reason.
I'm glad you appreciate 'Jane Doe' not my favourite, but I feel it is their magnum opus; too heavy to listen to regularly, but hard not to just go 'WOW!'. Curious in video you called the band 'heavy metal', but in the video description you call them 'metalcore'.
Good point, although it's my favorite Converge album I wouldn't say Jane Doe is my most played from them. I'd say AWLWLB probably wins that award, it's a bit lighter of an album for sure. And about the genre thing, I feel like Converge is hard to box into one genre, they certainly have a lot of styles! I said heavy metal in the video without really thinking, but later on Wikipedia it stated Converge as being a metalcore band so I put that in the description.
Ok... sitting here at work bored...so here's a little list for you...these are bands that were either controversial, super original, or just plain nasty!... Cave-in(ex converge) Candiria(death metal, hardcore, jazz, hip hop mixed) 108(Krishna core!, Chaotic groove) Vision of Disorder Bloodlet Deadguy Baroness The acacia strain Overcast Coheeed and Cambria Lagwagon Jawbreaker Strung Out Pulley Propaghandi Clutch! Days of the New
I think it started with Wretched World, I stumbled on that song a while back through a RU-vid recommended video or something and was immediately hooked. That led me to Jane Doe, and then when they released Bloodmoon I with Chelsea Wolfe it really piqued my interest because I'm a big fan of Chelsea Wolfe's music. It was the album that really made me want to listen to their entire discography.
Thanks, I'll have to check out Kylesa (never heard of them before). And yeah, the Core is awesome, one of my favorite childhood movies for sure! Perhaps a bit over the top but it makes for a fun watch :)
I'll have to add Suspended Animations to my list, thanks for the suggestion! And yeah, faith No More and Mr. Bungle are certainly bands I'm looking forward to hearing soon.
Haha, I know! They're awesome though, I love all of the emotion that they bring to their music. It's somehow so extreme with its sound but there's a soft vulnerability they manage to convey as well. Now I'll have to give Every Time I Die a listen!
I expected a shit show - sorry - but you're clever. I might not agree but boy are a true hero. Hope to support you in some way later this year, god bless.
Ooph, I'm sorry I did it dirty in my ranking! In all honestly Converge is brilliant though, even their "worst" album is still pretty amazing in my opinion.
