Converge

About

Few bands have pushed hardcore as far as Converge have. Formed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1990 by vocalist Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou, they built a reputation for an extraordinarily aggressive, boundary pushing sound that helped define both metalcore and mathcore as genres. The lineup that most people know, Bannon, Ballou, bassist Nate Newton, and drummer Ben Koller, locked into place around the recording of their landmark fourth album Jane Doe in 2001. That record became a touchstone almost immediately, landing at the top of Terrorizer's best of 2001 list and later being voted best album of the decade by Sputnikmusic. Rolling Stone would eventually rank it the 61st greatest metal album of all time. Beyond Converge proper, the members stay busy in side projects including Old Man Gloom and Mutoid Man. Bannon also runs Deathwish Inc., the independent label he founded in 1999 that handles many of the band's special releases. Their catalog has grown steadily through the years, including a full collaboration with Chelsea Wolfe titled Bloodmoon: I, released in 2021.