Converge
Hometown: Boston, MA / Brooklyn, NY USA

Jacob Bannon: Vocals, Lyrics, Visuals
Kurt Ballou: Guitar, Electronics, Backing Vocals
Nate Newton: Bass, Backing Vocals
Ben Koller: Drums

Converge are one of the most respected and influential bands involved in aggressive music.

In life, there are those who follow and those who boldly forge their own path. Boston's Converge have defined themselves over the past 15 years as one of the few bands who truly fits into the latter category, and their latest full-length No Heroes is quite possibly their most cerebral and ferocious album to date.

Produced by Ballou at the band's longtime studio/practice spot Godcity, No Heroes shows the band exploring new sonic textures while still retaining the palpable energy they've become known for. While the album blazes out of the gate with the aptly titled "To The Lions," songs like "Orphaned" the crushing "Plagues" prove that breakneck speed and heaviness aren't necessarily interrelated and when Converge lower the tempo, they're able to effortlessly transcend traditional notions of "heaviness."

Devotees of Jane Doe will also be blown away by epic tracks like the nine-minute "Grim Heart/Black Rose," a doom masterpiece which features guest vocals from Only Living Witness' Jonah Jenkins. "What we do is very different than what's happening in the mainstream," Bannon explains. "I think we're a weird amalgamation of stuff that doesn't really exist anymore that's somewhere between the thrash world, the hardcore world, the punk world and the alt-rock world," he continues. "We just went and did our thing on this record rather than try to make a name for ourselves or dilute our approach."

From Bannon's captivating artwork and introspective lyrics to Ballou's masterful production techniques, Converge's artistic vision has always separated the band from their peers, and No Heroes is no exception. "A lot of the bands that people consider to be our contemporaries don't share that attention to detail", Ballou admits, fresh off the Sounds Of The Underground amphitheatre tour. "With us, everything is carefully crafted and intentional, which is kind of ironic considering to a lot of people our music is just a wall of noise," he continues. "I think a lot of what exists now is just decoration, and we're simply not decoration."

Converge have a number of releases on Deathwish including: "Deeper The Wound" Converge & Hellchild Split CD, Converge "Unloved And Weeded Out" CD/4X7"EP, Converge "The Long Road Home" DVD, and others. The band is signed to Epitaph worldwide, however our relationship still continues to this day.

Photos: Ryan Russell (promo) and Nathan Baker (live)