You can’t seriously be into metal if you aren’t acquainted with that oh so vociferous onslaught - a Converge record. The blood curdling velocity of their music is absolutely incomparable. Their rage inimitable. There isn’t a band on earth who goes there with such a death wish as Converge.So it will come as no surprise that this record is another brutal edition to the legacy of these hardcore monsters. Full of the sort of throat cutting vocals and blistering inferno guitar lines that you’ll want to retreat to a fallout shelter in hope of some sanity and a shred of hope (forgive the pun). Not even reinforced lead and steel could keep Axe To Fall from unrepentantly pile driving your nether regions.Not having the privilege of seeing these live yet I wonder how they could do this for 90 minutes, but I have no doubt that they can and will night after night! Despite the barrage of noise, these examples of musicianship that most mere mortals will never reach, each song will still undoubtedly have your neck arching left, right and centre. There’s always that staple riff to feast on. Opener “Dark Horse” is drummed to death, guitars like acid tongued paper cuts.Perhaps only Botch or Dillinger have the sort of horsepower that Converge pack into a record, and with the former now, albeit on separate avenues, exploring less hardcore rooted music, it is only Dillinger. To me there has always been a Dillinger vs. Converge camp in my mind, even if the bands are loved by all. I would have taken Dillinger simply for Irony Is A Dead Scene, but that was mostly Pattons doing. Converge win on intensity alone. The title track will make you want to break the room apart. Ben Koller must have six arms to play the skins like that! Polyrhythmic is it!? Super!Before you know it you’re already six tracks in. That fierce intensity made all that more vitriolic by Jacob Bannons maniacal demon banshee like screams can be damaging, and it’s meant to be. The effortless segues into each song will bring the horns out of all you non believers, surely. even those of you who don’t like the more produced side of Converges music (you should be ashamed of yourselves!) won’t be able to deny the destructive power of songs like “Wishing Well” Once you’ve withstood the torrent of abuse of the first half of the record you’re either hooked, or abandoned. Me? Hooked! From here on they head in more punky directions, albeit hellish punk. “Damages” even catches Bannon giving his best King Buzzo impression, and doing it well. The dirge of Converge!If by now you’re not impressed then you should probably take up solace in a temple of some sort, as you’re probably believing in nothing, and self abusing when what you should be doing is head butting walls and listening to “Slave Driver“, embrace the nothingness! This is where punk music is at this time. Converge are pumping out the sort of nastiness and hatred that fuels modern hardcore at it’s best. Even the slightly lighter lament of album closer “Wretched World” is a fittingly magnificent end to some of the most convulsive hardcore music around. If it is true that we should keep our friends close, and our enemies closer, then keep this band of holy shitstormers in your constant periphery!

Buy the album from Amazon | [itunes link="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/dark-horse/id334191034?uo=4" title="Converge - Axe To Fall" text="iTunes"]