For more than three decades, Converge have delivered musical and emotional catharsis, putting purpose before perception and intent before interpretation. Whether itās their 2001 landmark recording Jane Doe or their 2021 Bloodmoon: I collaboration, Converge have created some of the most compelling music, lyrics, and visual art of the 21st century. During that time, fewer bands have had a greater impact on the underground imagination.Ā
It seems unlikely that anyone who has been making music for this long would create one of their best works for their eleventh album, in their 35th year as a band. And yet: Love Is Not Enoughā incoming February 13, 2026ā Ā might be the apotheosis of Convergeās decades-long journey through the punk, hardcore and metal microcosm. What vocalist/lyricist Jacob Bannon, guitarist/producer Kurt Ballou, bassist/vocalist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller have created is a strident artistic statement on the turmoil of living that hones their collective strengths to a razorās edge.Ā
Now Converge shares the album's title track / music video "Love Is Not Enough." Ā The song is intensely emotional, and lyrically it "...explores what it means to remain empathetic and compassionate in the modern world. A reckoning with who we are today and hope to be in the futureā if we can fend off the scavengers," comments Bannon.
Love Is Not Enough features no special guests, no studio trickery, no relentless massaging of human imperfection in trying to manufacture the perfect take. āI think that realism is missing from a lot of modern music of any genre, but especially our genre,ā Bannon says. āThings either go super raw and almost chaotic to the point where it's distracting, or bands take the life out of what theyāre doing by editing every aspect. Sometimes the perfect take is the one that has some wildness to it. It's not perfectly executed. Thereās a lot of powerful moments on this record and a lot of angry moments. The realism amplifies that.āĀ
Unlike so many albums that adhere to a time-honored sequencing format, cherry-picking favored tracks for the all-important first, second, and final spots, Love Is Not Enough is all about momentum. āIt does a thing that no other Converge record doesāit keeps ramping up,ā Bannon says. āAnd thatās definitely by design. Internally, we passed around dozens of ideas for sequencing because everyone interprets music differently and thereās 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.āĀ
Love Is Not Enough was recorded and mixed by Kurt Ballou at God City in Salem, Massachusetts, with engineering assistance from Zach Weeks. Jacob Bannon did the artwork and design, creating an image for each song and a commanding cover depicting a celestial witness to a world aflame. Ā āWe still identify this band as the outlet thatās essential to our lives,ā Bannon says. āWe give everything we have to it. Being past your average middle age, weāre starting to see deeper than before into a variety of places. And I donāt think thatās specific to us. I think thatās something thatās utterly relatable.āĀ