I know I’m beyond excited about New Converge! How about you?! That’s right, on February 13, 2026, via Epitaph Records, Converge will be releasing their eleventh (that’s correct 11) studio album, Love Is Not Enough. The first single is the title track, “Love Is Not Enough” and it’s a barnburner right out of the gate. With 35 years under their belts, Converge are set to release an album that according to Jacob Bannon, “Love Is Not Enough is all about momentum. “It does a thing that no other Converge record does—it keeps ramping up,” Bannon says. “And that’s definitely by design. Internally, we passed around dozens of ideas for sequencing because everyone interprets music differently and there’s no right way of doing it. When we do that, we always joke that we all have to be equally unhappy. But this is the one that works.” Personally, I really can’t wait for this record. If you’ve never seen Converge live, you should change that as well. They are one of the most intense live bands you’ll ever see.
Back in 2017 when Converge released their album, The Dusk In Us. It’s quite the album for Converge. It’s one of those albums that really spans their catalog and has become a renowned record. Before the record itself was released, the first single “I Can Tell You About Pain” came out with a b-side. That b-side wound up being the very epic and captivating song “Eve.” Why this wasn’t on the album is beyond me. This actually might be my all time favorite Converge song at this point. When you listen to the seven and a half minute opus, it definitely takes you places. The way the guitars shift from doom/sludge into etherial/atmospheric sounds, to the synths creating waves, while the rhythm drives and then pummels into a colossal explosion. While “Eve” has been in the setlist for a short period of time, and performed thrity-three times, it’s one that should be in rotation a lot more. There’s really something powerful about this song in particular that more people need to experience live. I’ve never seen it performed live and it’s “the one” Converge song I’d probably go absolutely apeshit for if I saw it live. So, let’s put it out into the universe to get “Eve” added more often!!!
I have a list of bands that any time they come through Los Angeles I have to go see them. One of those bands is Converge. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen them (I think this was number 9 or 10), I just am compelled to go see them live. Converge aren’t just one of the best live bands around they are downright legends. Their catalog is one of those that you’d be hard pressed to find an album that isn’t good. And like a fine wine or scotch, Converge seems to only get better with time. This West Coast run got started this past Friday night along with Entry, King Yosef and Deaf Club and what a show it was.
Getting the night going was Los Angeles’s own, Entry. I’ve been fond of this band for a bit and they came out swinging. They really got the crowd ready for the evening. Though their set was short, only about 20 mins, they made every second count. Entry was on fire throughout their set as they blazed through song after song. I can see why they are garnering the street cred they have. They are the real deal and I look forward to their evolution as a band.
Next up was King Yosef. What he brought to the evening was a bit of Industrial Hardcore. Thankfully it wasn’t just one guy up there with a laptop. The live band aspect of drums and guitar definitely helped bring the sound to reality. Thee set though short, was direct and to the point, just as hardcore should be. The industrial element to the songs gave them a bit more bite. His latest album, An Underlying Hum is quite good and live those songs really came to life. I would be interested to see King Yosef again.
Before Converge was the mighty, Deaf Club. They really came out guns blazing and got the crowd up in a bit of a frenzy. Deaf Club has a great mix of punk and hardcore in their sound with a bit of a grungy undertone to it a la Nirvana. Never one to be still, frontman/vocalist Justin Pearson immediately commanded the stage and with each song got the audience more and more involved. It was quite a fun thing to witness. One of the things tht I really like about Deaf Club is the added dynamics to their songs. While they are don’t lose their hold on their roots, their ability to add off time parts and some cool shoegazey moments makes them not only stand out amongst the other bands during the night but, it gives the audience more to listen to.
Now the main event of the night, Converge. I really don’t know what else there is to say about this band that I haven’t already said throughout the years. They still pack one hell of a punch and a ferociousness that is untouchable. Their set this night was one that I quickly found myself absolutely enthralled by. Converge played a good chunk of songs off my favorite album of theirs, Axe To Fall, along with other gems from Jane Doe, You Fail Me, All We Love We Leave Behind and The Dusk In Us, including a close personal favorite of mine “I Can Tell You About Pain.” When you watch Converge live, it’s like poetry in motion. Each member from Nate Newton, Ben Koller, Kurt Ballou and Jacob Bannon give their all each night and it shows. The precision that they play with combined with the explosive nature of the songs makes for one hell of a show. There are many things I love about going to see Converge live and one of them is watching the audience get so into the songs. At times throughout the set, I’m pretty sure the crowd was louder than the band. Converge are without a doubt pioneers and legends in heavy music. They prove time and time again that they are band that you just can’t mess with. I look forward to hearing what they have coming up in the near future as the world does need more Converge in it!
Converge Set List:
01) Eagles Become Vultures 02) Dark Horse 03) Under Duress 04) Axe To Fall 05) Heartless 06) You Fail Me 07) All We Love We Leave Behind 08) Predatory Glow 09) Hell To Pay 10) Bitter And Then Some 11) Eye Of The Quarrel 12) Reap What You Sow 13) Cutter 14) Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast
Encore:
15) I Can Tell You About Pain 16) Concubine
Axe To Fall= 5 Jane Doe= 3 The Dusk In Us= 3 You Fail Me= 3 All We Love We Leave Behind= 2
Cave In have long been a band that I’ve been quite fond of. I still remember first hearing them around the year 2000 when Jupiter came out and thinking that this is on a whole other level. There was something about Cave In that stood out and from that point on, I was hooked. Now over 20 years later, I’m still hooked and this most recent time seeing them live was one of those shows that left you not wanting the show to end but, leaving you with the sense of wanting to create!
Riding high off the release of their fantastic new album, Heavy Pendulum (one of my Top 5 favorite albums of the year), Cave In took the stage to a roaring crowd and immediately hit the crowd with a dose of “New Reality.” From there it went into “Blood Spiller” and at that point you were engrossed with what was happening on stage. Not long after we were hit with the epic “The End Of Our Rope Is A Noose” which when you looked around the venue you could tell who goes a long way back with the band. After that was my favorite track off of Heavy Pendulum, “Reckoning.” This song is truly one of “those songs” that stay with you for years and years. Written by the extremely underrated Adam McGrath, the live version of “Reckoning” took it to another world. It was seriously a highlight of the set. And then they followed that up with “Joy Opposites” one of my favorite songs off of their (underrated album) Antenna. Those 2 songs alone made my night and to have them back to back was special. The band from there went back into the new album for a couple more “Careless Offering” and “Blinded By A Blaze” both of which were stunning. Then just when you thought things were calm, Cave In hits the crowd with “Halo Of Flies” and from there you knew that there was no turning back. Closing out the main set was “Wavering Angel” another favorite of mine off their new album. This song live too, was one of those that just hits you and stays with you. For their encore the eruption of “Big Riff” had the crowd in a frenzy and as about as loud as the band singing along. Ending the whole night was the always great and sentimental “Sing My Loves.”
Cave In delivered a show and a set that was definitely one that I will remember for a long time. Having one of my really good friends with me and it being his first Cave In show made it even better. As I mentioned above, when the show was all said and done, you could tell that there was still so much energy in the room that Cave In probably could have played longer and nobody would have left. It was that kind of show. The intimate nature of the venue too made it feel as though everyone was all together as the band rocked the night. It’s truly remarkable that Cave In, who have weathered just about every storm you can think of for a band, can collectively come together make another phenomenal album and continue onward and upward in a way that shows what the power of music and the right people together can do. If you haven’t seen Cave In, I highly recommend you change that and make it out to a show the next time they come through your town. One more thing I would like to add, Caleb Scofield was one of those guys that are pretty irreplaceable and so unique that it takes someone with the right understanding to come in and carry on their legacy and the one and only Nate Newton was the absolute best choice. Thank you to Stephen Brodsky, Adam McGrath, JR Conners, Nate Newton and Caleb Scofield for all the years of great music and shows! See you all when you come back!
Cave In Set List:
01) New Reality 02) Blood Spiller 03) Searchers Of Hell 04) The End Of Our Rope Is A Noose 05) Reckoning 06) Joy Opposites 07) Careless Offering 08) Blinded By A Blaze 09) Halo Of Flies 10) Wavering Angel
Cave In are a band that have weathered every storm you can think of as a band. And no matter what is thrown at them, be it life lessons and tragedies, Cave In always comes out on top and armed with a sense of passion and delivery that most bands would and should be envious of. What Stephen Brodsky, Adam McGrath, JR Conners and Nate Newton have put together on their new album, Heavy Pendulum, they should not only be proud of but this album sets the band on a whole new journey of triumphs to be had and stages to rock.
Heavy Pendulum is an album that has one hell of an ebb and flow just like an album should. All the classic Cave In elements are here along with some new twists and turns. As the album begins with “New Reality” it’s obvious the guys are looking to move on from what they have been through and using this a new way to set forth a new path for the band. This track not only sets the tone for the album, the riffs attack with a sense of urgency similar to that of the Perfect Pitch Black era. The melodic leads provide the right amount of ear candy to wet your Brodsky/McGrath guitar appetite. The album continues at a pace that draws you in more and more with lush sound scapes, sick riffs, rhythms that will get you up rocking and maybe dancing a bit, top notch melodies not just vocally, lyrics that are reflective, deep and provide a bit more closure, and a sense that this album really just re-kickstarted a band that is just scratching the surface of where they can go now.
The 14 songs that make up Heavy Pendulum swing ferociously. From all the heavy riffs to the mid tempo drops and the more delicate moments, this album has most definitely earned its spot within the top 5 albums of 2022. I could go track by track which I did when I was listening to the album but, I really believe that takes away from your listening experience. Instead I will point out a few of my favorite tracks like “Blood Spiller,” “Floating Skulls,” “Heavy Pendulum,” “Amaranthine,” “Nightmare Eyes” and the closing song “Reckoning” which I must say Adam McGrath absolutely shines on this song.
The addition of Nate Newton to the band is very present throughout the album. His tone, style of play and passion for this band radiates through each song. After I heard the news of Caleb Scofield’s passing, I knew the only person that could ideally fill his shoes was Nate and not only has he honored Caleb but he’s continued on with same drive for the band that he had. When you hear the parts of the songs that would be “Caleb moments,” Nate drives those parts home with a sense of gusto that I’m sure would make Caleb smile.
Cave In has made an album that not only sums up their career but sets the foundation for where they can keep going. There isn’t one moment on this album that feels forced or makes you want to change a song. The whole album captures the listener like an album should. Heavy Pendulum isn’t just another Cave In album, this one is one that was destined to be made and the end result is something beyond tremendous. Personally, I can’t wait to hear these songs take on a new life when played live. Cheers to Stephen, Adam, JR, and Nate for creating one of the best albums of 2022 as well as one of the best albums in the Cave In catalog.
As they prepare for the release of their collaborative new album— featuring Chelsea Wolfe, Ben Chisholm and Stephen Brodsky, Converge have unveiled the second single from Bloodmoon: I, “Coil.” Speaking on the song, Jacob Bannon comments, “’Coil’ turned out to be one of my favorite songs I’ve ever been a part of. There is an infectious slow build that ends up becoming theatrical in tone. Lyrically it was a true collaboration, with all of us expanding on each other’s ideas as they came to be. I believe Chelsea’s vocal was the starting point in that for this one. Kurt really pushed vocal harmonies to a new level as well. Encouraging many of Steve’s ideas while we were in the studio tracking together. This one really has everyone of us firing on all cylinders creatively.” When you hear this song, you’ll get it. It’s such a tremendous track. I personally can’t wait for this album. Ever since they performed at Roadburn I’ve been waiting for this to finally come to fruition. Bloodmoon: I, out November 19th on CD/Digital and on Vinyl June 24th.
2021 marks the 20th anniversary of Converge’s astounding album, Jane Doe. This was the bands first album with bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller, as well as the bands first with guitarist Kurt Ballou behind the board. This album not only put Converge on the map it was a commercial breakthrough and received immediate acclaim, with critics praising its poetic lyrics, dynamics, ferocity and production. Through the years this album has gone on to inspire and influence countless bands. The intensity on this album is often copied but you can’t match the original. The title track on the album is quite interesting. Singer Jacob Bannon stated in an interview that many of the songs on Jane Doe came from the side project Supermachiner. That project was claimed to inspire Jane Doe‘s experimental side.The title track “Jane Doe” as well as “Phoenix in Flight” were initially intended for the Supermachiner album Rise of the Great Machine. I personally remember hearing this album for the first time. A friend recommended I check it out. At first I wasn’t too into it but, I opened up the booklet, put on some headphones listened again and read the lyrics as the album played and it all made sense. This album is an absolute modern masterpiece. The title track is epic and ahead of its time! Converge is a force to be reckoned with any day of the week.
Converge- Jane Doe:
Lyrics:
These floods of you are unforgiving Pushing past me spilling through the banks And I fall Faster than light and faster than time That’s how memory works At least in the dark where I’m searching for meaning When I’m just searching for something I want out Out of every awkward day Out of every tongue tied loss I want out Out of the burdening night sweats Out of the rising seas of blood Lost in you like Saturday nights Searching the streets with bedroom eyes Just dying to be saved Run on girl Run on
Alternate versions are quite fun to dive into. They give you a different experience from the original version. And sometimes, these versions turn out better than what you heard first. Converge have released a new version of their song “Aimless Arrow” entitled “Endless Arrow.” This version was created by the bands guitarist Kurt Ballou and is a 30 minute experimental/ambient version of the song. “Aimless Arrow” originally appeared on the bands 2012 album All We Love We Leave Behind. This new version was created “To keep people entertained in these challenging times.” It’s definitely a different take on the song. Personally, I’d be interested to hear them do this with a few other tracks of theirs and maybe even expand this into their Blood Moon project as well.
June 7th is only a few weeks away, and that is when we get the new (and final?) Cave In album Final Transmission. Today, they have released another new song entitled “Shake My Blood.” This new song is a pretty deep and heavy track. It also has a sort of Jupiter feel to it. Granted there have only been two songs released so far, this one and “All Illusion” but, I can already sense that this album is going to be one of the best albums of the year and be in constant rotation for a long time to come.
Pre-Order the album HERE
This is not a review, rather this is a recap of this magical show. Back in March of this year, Cave In bassist Caleb Scofield was tragically killed in a car accident. Since his passing, his peers have come together to raise funds for his family as well as celebrate Caleb’s legacy. This past evening at The Wiltern, the second tribute show to celebrate Caleb happened and it was something special.
AUDIOECLECTICA 