Converge is a band requiring little introduction in the world of extreme music. Since starting as a high school cover band in 1990, the band has released 11 studio albums, and reinvented the landscape of hardcore and metalcore in 2001 with their album Jane Doe. While that album may not be my personal favorite of theirs, it’s impossible to deny the influence it had. Suddenly, it seemed like every band was playing faster, angrier, and more technically. If Jane Doe is your favorite album of theirs, then there’s going to be a lot to love for you here. In fact, no matter which album of theirs is your favorite, you’re going to find something here reminiscent of it. Love is Not Enough is a stellar album with a lot to offer for fans of punk, metal, and everything in between.
The album tears out of the gate with the titular single, with Ben Koller’s masterful range of drumming techniques on full display. The second track, Bad Faith, is a perfect transition from the first and one of my personal favorites on the album. Though it may be one of the less technical tracks on the album, it makes up for it by being remarkably catchy. The song is chock-full of memorable riffs, and the backing vocals during the song’s chorus complement vocalist Jacob Bannon’s caustic delivery perfectly. His vocals only continue to improve over time, and here he delivers some of his most impressive performances here at age 49. As a writer, he hasn’t been slacking off either. His lyrics are as depressing and personal as ever, with some of my favorites coming from standout track Make Me Forget You. “We lie with our words, with truth in our eyes. We all wait too long, for just the right time. As days stretch into years, we don’t see the signs, that most second chances are not meant to survive.”
Many of the songs will remind fans of the band’s past efforts: Distract and Divide (Jane Doe), Make Me Forget You (All We Love We Leave Behind), etc. However, in this package, they feel new and fresh, far from a rehashing of the band’s glory days. Even the droning, ambient interlude of Beyond Repair fits in, giving the audience a breather without letting up on interest or tension. When a band works together in perfect harmony, it’s a rare and beautiful thing, but Converge manages to pull it off constantly. Guitarist Kurt Ballou absolutely lets loose on this album, and Bassist Nate Newton plays exactly what he needs to to keep the momentum going and ensure the album never stalls. Ballou’s production across the album is some of the best in a career full of stellar production. Every instrument sits just where it needs to be in the mix, once again reinforcing the band’s remarkable sense of cohesion. If you want to hear what it sounds like when a band knows exactly what it wants to do and how to do it, look no further.
Score: 4.5/5
