Axe to Fall
Encyclopedia
Axe to Fall is the seventh studio album released by American metalcore
band Converge
. It was released on October 20, 2009 through Epitaph Records
and was released later on in the year through Deathwish Inc.
as a vinyl record. It is their most commercially successful to date, peaking at number 74 in the Billboard 200
. The album was produced by guitarist Kurt Ballou
, who previously produced Converge's Jane Doe
(2001), You Fail Me
(2004) and No Heroes
(2006), and features artwork created by lead singer Jacob Bannon
. Axe to Fall is a collaborative album, which features a large number of guest musicians, including members from Cave In
, Neurosis
and The Red Chord
among others.
Axe to Fall was met with generally favorable reviews. The album fell within the "universal acclaim" range on the aggregate review website Metacritic
, based on eight reviews. It has been referred to as the band's most accessible album to date, and was compared with Converge's widely lauded Jane Doe.
, Kurt Ballou
and Nate Newton
all living within a half a mile of each other in Boston
, and Ben Koller living a couple hours away in Brooklyn
, Converge could easily practice and for weeks at a time. Though most songs originated from a guitar or bass riff from Ballou or Newton, all members had equal input on the writing process, with each member proposing different songs. Vocalist Bannon wrote a few songs for Axe to Fall, but were scrapped because they were slower than the rest of the songs, and did not fit the energy of the album.
Following a short tour in March 2009 with Ceremony
, Coliseum
, Pulling Teeth
, Rise and Fall
, Converge entered the studio to begin recording in May 2009. During this short tour, the band debuted a few new songs live, and footage could be seen online. The album was self-produced by Converge's guitar player, Kurt Ballou, in his own GodCity Studios located in Massachusetts
. Ballou has produced and co-produced several Converge albums, including 2001's Jane Doe
, 2004's You Fail Me
and 2006's No Heroes
. He has also produced a number of independent metal and hardcore bands, including Genghis Tron
's Board Up the House
, Torche
's Meanderthal and Disfear
's Live the Storm
. Ballou has a degree
in aerospace engineering
, and prior to devoting his time and effort with Converge, he worked at a biomedical firm for six years. The money he received from his severance package
was used to fund and create his home studio. His experiences and knowledge in engineering carry over to his recording work. In regards to Ballou's technical precision as a producer Bannon has stated, "nothing gets by him—it is inspiring to watch him work." Throughout the recording process, the band updated their fans via Twitter
of their progress in the studio.
, Neurosis
, and Genghis Tron among others. Most of the guest musicians already had an existing relationship with one or more band members of Converge prior to recording, or the band had "admired in some way." Converge had previously thought of the idea of creating a collaborative album with many guest artists for a number of years, but the band felt that the "time to execute it [had] never been there." Bannon has stated that working with a number of different artists was difficult and something the band was not used to, however the finished product was "an extremely focused album."
Though writing did not officially begin until November 2008, work on some songs from Axe to Fall began four to five years earlier. In 2004, Converge collaborated with Cave In and recorded some songs together. The material from these recording sessions, dubbed the "Verge In" sessions, was never released and the project later dissolved. The instrumental parts that Cave In contributed to "Effigy" were from the original recordings in 2004. Converge took the parts they contributed to the project to create the foundation for what would become "Cruel Bloom" and "Wretched World." While producing Board Up the House, Ballou gave Genghis Tron a rough mix of "Wretched World" to contribute their talents. According to Ballou, Genghis Tron "embellished it and created a whole new melodic structure on top of the song that we would've never come up with." Brad Fickeisen from The Red Chord
also later added his own drum track to "Wretched World". Much of the song "Plagues" from No Heroes also originated from the Verge In sessions. With the release of Axe to Fall, everything Converge contributed to the sessions has been released in some form.
page. Axe to Fall was released in the US through Epitaph Records
on October 20, 2009 in digital
and CD
formats. The vinyl
edition of the album was released through Jacob Bannon's own independent record label
, Deathwish Inc.
, shortly after the release of the CD version.
advance copy of Axe to Fall had leaked
onto the internet. The watermark was linked to the advance copy given to Shaun Hand, a staff member of the music news and reviews website MetalSucks
.net. Converge posted a number of Twitter
messages regarding the leak, one of which read, "Special thanks to Shaun Hand at Metal Sucks for leaking our album," and another one was posted shortly thereafter directed at MetalSucks' Twitter account stating, "have fun with that." The source of an album leak is rarely discovered or publicly announced. Converge's method of dealing with their album leaking, referred to as "street justice" by Every Time I Die
and Jamey Jasta
, avoided a costly lawsuit yet still inflicted damages upon MetalSucks by means of viral
negative publicity. The staff at MetalSucks issued a formal apology, stating that the leak was completely unintentional and the first incident since the website's inception. They went on to say:
). The booklet features a different piece of artwork for each song on the album. Bannon tried to create images that "encapsulated some of the emotion of each song" in contrast to more literal imagery, such as avoiding an axe literally falling for the song "Axe to Fall." He also experimented with a technique where a single image would be repeated within a frame, but the copies would be distressed or slightly different. This could be seen in the cover art where a single image of a woman's profile was broken down within the repetition, and some of the copies showed the woman's teeth through her cheek. Bannon stated that for the cover art, he "just wanted to have something that felt timeless and sort of embodied the whole emotional gamut of the record, something that was explosive and powerful but also something that felt poetic and soft at the same time. It could look violent and beautiful at the same time."
was directed by Craig Murray for the album's title track and was released in October 2009. The short video (1:40 in duration) shows a man and a woman strapped to a machine, a television that gives birth to a bio-mechanical creature and several disturbing clips in between. The video features stop motion
animation influenced by horror film
s and has been referred to as "terrifying," "seizure-inducing," "nightmarish," "excruciating" and "gross" by various sources. It was filmed in Ronda
, Spain
with the intent of making "a film in which we see a cycle. This cycle will study an idea of new creation without pleasure and the art of numbing for progression." Murray was inspired and influenced by artists Chris Cunningham
, Gaspar Noé
, Nine Inch Nails
and the films Ringu
, A Clockwork Orange
and Hardware while making the music video. On November 7, the "Axe to Fall" video debuted on MTV2
's heavy metal music program, Headbangers Ball
.
tour in late 2009 sponsored by Cartoon Network
's Adult Swim
. Alongside High on Fire
, Converge held an opening slot for co-headliners Mastodon
and Dethklok
. Axe to Fall was released mid-way through the tour. Converge's first headlining tour in support of the album took place starting in April 2010, with Coalesce, Harvey Milk
, Gaza, Lewd Acts
and Black Breath. The first week of the tour also featured Thursday
and Touche Amore. Converge began the European leg of their world tour in July 2010 with Kylesa
, Gaza and Kvelertak
. For this tour, the band released a limited edition 7" vinyl single called "On My Shield
" which was recorded between the US and European legs.
direction with Axe to Fall. Ballou noted that drummer Ben Koller had been listening to more progressive rock over the last few years, and that he tried to complement this sound on the guitar. He went on to say that he was getting the "more straightforward, raw punk aggression out in a yet-to be named hardcore side project that I started. So that leaves me free to get weird and progressive with Converge." Ballou considers the band's previous three albums (Jane Doe, You Fail Me and No Heroes) to be a trilogy
in regards to their sound, and hoped to push their musical boundaries on Axe to Fall. The tracks on the album have been noted to range from "drone-and-pummel" to atmospheric. Bannon believes this album is "not about being as loud and vicious as possible." Feeling that 40–50 minutes of metallic hardcore can be difficult to listen to for some, Converge used softer tracks, or "slow jams," such as "Damages" and "Wretched World" to take the listener "to some other places."
Unlike previous Converge releases, the songs on Axe to Fall do not have a central and consistent lyrical theme throughout the record. Each song was meant to be a "standalone song" about Bannon's life between this album and No Heroes. Bannon has said that he uses his lyrics and Converge to "vent about things in a healthy way so I'm not a person that walks around with a lot of negative energy." The opening track, "Dark Horse," was written about the passing of a close friend of Jacob Bannon, and how he died while trying to succeed as the "underdog
".
, an aggregate
review website, scored the album with 77 out of 100 or "generally favorable" based on ten reviews. Citing a wider range of music styles on Axe to Fall, many reviewers found the album to be Converge's most accessible album to date. The album features songs like the "doomy
[and] noisy
" track "Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast," the "synth
-drenched shoegazing
" track "Wretched World" and "Kerry King
-admiring solos" on "Reap What You Sow" in addition to hardcore
tracks like "Effigy" and "Cutter." Andrew Parks of Decibel commented on the album's wide range of sounds, stating "it strikes the perfect balance between dry-heaved hardcore—blunt trauma tracks that bleed into one another and hover around the 1:40 mark—and post-metal
opuses that embrace Converge's experimental impulses." Juan Diniz of Mammoth Press noted that the album flowed really well, stating that "every track compliments and balances out the one prior and after. To skip tracks would be foolish as it's a compendium of aggression, frustration, beauty, and brutality," and that the album "demands to be taken in as a whole." Cosmo Lee of Pitchfork Media
referred to Converge as "this generation's Black Flag
," and compared Axe to Fall to Black Flag's 1984 second studio album My War
. Lee noted that Converge combined abrasiveness with "slower, abstract sludge
," much like how Black Flag mixed "equal parts lightning and Black Sabbath
" on My War. Several reviewers compared the Axe to Fall to Converge's highly praised 2001 album, Jane Doe
.
Axe to Fall received little negative criticism. Jared W. Dillon of Sputnikmusic
(who had previously given No Heroes a 4.5 out of 5) gave the album a score of 2.5 out of 5, citing his distaste for the large number of guest musicians. Dillon stated that Converge "seems out of ideas as they enlisted a group of musicians associated with the band to fill in at various points of the record" and rhetorically asked, "why replace the band on a decent portion of their new record with far less talented, less interesting musicians?" He also criticized the album's longer and slower track, "Wretched World." When compared to Converge's similar previously-released-tracks, (No Heroes' s "Grim Heart/Black Rose" and Jane Doe' s "Jane Doe") Dillon that the song "never builds to anything" and "cuts off seemingly just as it should've started." Noel Gardner of Drowned in Sound
also found Axe to Fall' s two closing tracks underwhelming and felt that it "would have been a better album for finishing at track 11." Jason Pettigrew of Alternative Press criticized both the lyrics and overall sound of Axe to Fall as sounding too familiar, "when it could've been more alien" and that "in many aspects, Converge took the road most traveled for the majority of Axe to Fall."
with 7,400 copies sold, becoming Converge's highest charting album in the US to date. It also became the first Converge album to not appear on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
albums, which ranks the top 50 albums release by bands that have never charted higher that 100 on the Billboard 200. By November 4, 2009, the album had sold 10,487 units. Axe to Fall also appeared in Canada's Chart Magazine
, a weekly chart that complies airplay data from various Canadian campus radio
stations, and peaked at number 42 on their "Top 50" album chart and number 1 on their "Metal/Punk" chart.
Converge
Production and recording
Artwork and design
Guest musicians
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
. It was released on October 20, 2009 through Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
and was released later on in the year through Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish, Inc. is a independent record label founded by Jacob Bannon and Tre McCarthy. The label was originally used to release early albums by Bannon's own band Converge starting in late 1991. It wasn't until late 1999 that McCarthy and Bannon discussed turning Deathwish into a full-fledged label...
as a vinyl record. It is their most commercially successful to date, peaking at number 74 in the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The album was produced by guitarist Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou is the guitarist from Massachusetts-based band Converge. Aside from his role in Converge, he is a prolific producer, engineering and producing out of his own Godcity studio.- GodCity studio :...
, who previously produced Converge's Jane Doe
Jane Doe (album)
Jane Doe is the fourth album by American hardcore band Converge. It was released September 4, 2001 through Equal Vision Records. The album is credited as Converge's best and has received many positive ratings and much critical acclaim for the band's musical style, lyrics and the album's...
(2001), You Fail Me
You Fail Me
You Fail Me is an album by Massachusetts, USA, band Converge, released on September 20, 2004. It is their first release on Epitaph Records, previously being signed to Equal Vision Records....
(2004) and No Heroes
No Heroes
No Heroes is the sixth album by Converge. The album was released on October 24, 2006, on Epitaph Records. By January 11, 2007, it had sold 17,000 copies in the U.S. It peaked at number 151 in the Billboard 200. It topped the Top Heatseekers chart and reached number 13 in the Independent Albums...
(2006), and features artwork created by lead singer Jacob Bannon
Jacob Bannon
Jacob Bannon is the vocalist, lyricist, and graphic artist for the American metalcore band Converge. He is also the founder and owner of the label Deathwish Inc...
. Axe to Fall is a collaborative album, which features a large number of guest musicians, including members from Cave In
Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. After several members changes in the late 90's, their lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records. Their early albums were prominent releases in the independent...
, Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
and The Red Chord
The Red Chord
The Red Chord is an American grindcore band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band is made up of vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, and bassist Greg Weeks. The band gained a fanbase with its 2002 debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors. The second album,...
among others.
Axe to Fall was met with generally favorable reviews. The album fell within the "universal acclaim" range on the aggregate review website Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, based on eight reviews. It has been referred to as the band's most accessible album to date, and was compared with Converge's widely lauded Jane Doe.
Writing and recording
Converge began writing Axe to Fall in November 2008. With Jacob BannonJacob Bannon
Jacob Bannon is the vocalist, lyricist, and graphic artist for the American metalcore band Converge. He is also the founder and owner of the label Deathwish Inc...
, Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou is the guitarist from Massachusetts-based band Converge. Aside from his role in Converge, he is a prolific producer, engineering and producing out of his own Godcity studio.- GodCity studio :...
and Nate Newton
Nate Newton (musician)
Nate Newton is the bassist in hardcore band Converge.He also plays guitar and sings in two side projects, Old Man Gloom and Doomriders.Before relocating to the Boston area in 1999, he was in the Virginia Beach area hardcore punk bands Lift, Jesuit, Channel, Edison and Dwell...
all living within a half a mile of each other in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and Ben Koller living a couple hours away in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Converge could easily practice and for weeks at a time. Though most songs originated from a guitar or bass riff from Ballou or Newton, all members had equal input on the writing process, with each member proposing different songs. Vocalist Bannon wrote a few songs for Axe to Fall, but were scrapped because they were slower than the rest of the songs, and did not fit the energy of the album.
Following a short tour in March 2009 with Ceremony
Ceremony (punk band)
Ceremony is an American hardcore punk band from Rohnert Park, California.-History:Forming in the San Francisco Bay Area, the band originally formed as Violent World until later changing the name to Ceremony.In 2005, Ceremony released Ruined on Malfunction Records...
, Coliseum
Coliseum (band)
Coliseum is a punk rock band that formed in 2003. They released their latest album, House with a Curse, through Temporary Residence in June 2010.Exclaim! named "House with a Curse", as the No. 6 Punk Album of 2010.-History:...
, Pulling Teeth
Pulling Teeth (band)
Pulling Teeth is a Metalcore band from Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Formed in 2005, the band has released several recordings , and toured many times throughout North America, Europe and Japan before settling down and becoming a studio band...
, Rise and Fall
Rise and Fall (band)
Rise and Fall is a Belgian hardcore band. Formed 2002 in the aftermath of Belgian bands The Deal and Kingpin, Rise and Fall have become one of the most successful Belgian hardcore bands ever, among the few signed onto American labels such as Deathwish Inc...
, Converge entered the studio to begin recording in May 2009. During this short tour, the band debuted a few new songs live, and footage could be seen online. The album was self-produced by Converge's guitar player, Kurt Ballou, in his own GodCity Studios located in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Ballou has produced and co-produced several Converge albums, including 2001's Jane Doe
Jane Doe (album)
Jane Doe is the fourth album by American hardcore band Converge. It was released September 4, 2001 through Equal Vision Records. The album is credited as Converge's best and has received many positive ratings and much critical acclaim for the band's musical style, lyrics and the album's...
, 2004's You Fail Me
You Fail Me
You Fail Me is an album by Massachusetts, USA, band Converge, released on September 20, 2004. It is their first release on Epitaph Records, previously being signed to Equal Vision Records....
and 2006's No Heroes
No Heroes
No Heroes is the sixth album by Converge. The album was released on October 24, 2006, on Epitaph Records. By January 11, 2007, it had sold 17,000 copies in the U.S. It peaked at number 151 in the Billboard 200. It topped the Top Heatseekers chart and reached number 13 in the Independent Albums...
. He has also produced a number of independent metal and hardcore bands, including Genghis Tron
Genghis Tron
Genghis Tron is a three-piece experimental metal band formed in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York and San Francisco, California. Genghis Tron signed to Relapse Records after releasing two recordings on Crucial Blast. The band is noted for its creative...
's Board Up the House
Board Up the House
Board Up the House is the second full-length album by the experimental metal band Genghis Tron. The album was recorded and mixed at Godcity Studio from August 29 to September 21, 2007, in Salem, Massachusetts, by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. It was mastered at New Alliance East by Nick Zampiello...
, Torche
Torche
Torche is a band from Miami, Florida, whose sound is often described as stoner metal, or sludge metal.-Biography:The group was formed in 2004 by Steve Brooks , Juan Montoya , Jonathan Nuñez and Rick Smith Torche is a band from Miami, Florida, whose sound is often described as stoner metal, or...
's Meanderthal and Disfear
Disfear
Disfear is a Swedish D-beat band that formed in the early 1990s. They have only recorded sporadically over the years. After releasing the albums Soul Scars in 1995 and Everyday Slaughter in 1997, the group did not release an album until 2003 with a 12 track album, Misanthropic Generation, featuring...
's Live the Storm
Live the Storm
Live the Storm is the sixth album by Swedish hardcore punk/D-beat band Disfear, released on January 22, 2008.-Track listing:#"Get It Off" 3;17#"Fiery Father" 2:39#"Deadweight" 2:52#"The Cage" 4:00#"The Furnace" 4:12#"Live the Storm" 2:19...
. Ballou has a degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
, and prior to devoting his time and effort with Converge, he worked at a biomedical firm for six years. The money he received from his severance package
Severance package
A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:* An additional payment based on months of service...
was used to fund and create his home studio. His experiences and knowledge in engineering carry over to his recording work. In regards to Ballou's technical precision as a producer Bannon has stated, "nothing gets by him—it is inspiring to watch him work." Throughout the recording process, the band updated their fans via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
of their progress in the studio.
Guest collaboration
While creating Axe to Fall, Converge tried to challenge themselves creatively as artists. Ballou stated that with each new Converge album, he "always [wants] to create a new listening experience" and continued with the concept of "pushing [themselves] forward and not repeating [themselves]." Lead singer Jacob Bannon stated, "We appreciate our past albums, but we're very much about forward movement and challenging ourselves musically and expressing ourselves emotionally." Bannon has stated that he felt that the main artistic difference between Axe to Fall and previous albums was the large number of guest musicians included on the record. Axe to Fall features various members from Cave InCave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. After several members changes in the late 90's, their lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records. Their early albums were prominent releases in the independent...
, Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
, and Genghis Tron among others. Most of the guest musicians already had an existing relationship with one or more band members of Converge prior to recording, or the band had "admired in some way." Converge had previously thought of the idea of creating a collaborative album with many guest artists for a number of years, but the band felt that the "time to execute it [had] never been there." Bannon has stated that working with a number of different artists was difficult and something the band was not used to, however the finished product was "an extremely focused album."
Though writing did not officially begin until November 2008, work on some songs from Axe to Fall began four to five years earlier. In 2004, Converge collaborated with Cave In and recorded some songs together. The material from these recording sessions, dubbed the "Verge In" sessions, was never released and the project later dissolved. The instrumental parts that Cave In contributed to "Effigy" were from the original recordings in 2004. Converge took the parts they contributed to the project to create the foundation for what would become "Cruel Bloom" and "Wretched World." While producing Board Up the House, Ballou gave Genghis Tron a rough mix of "Wretched World" to contribute their talents. According to Ballou, Genghis Tron "embellished it and created a whole new melodic structure on top of the song that we would've never come up with." Brad Fickeisen from The Red Chord
The Red Chord
The Red Chord is an American grindcore band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band is made up of vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, and bassist Greg Weeks. The band gained a fanbase with its 2002 debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors. The second album,...
also later added his own drum track to "Wretched World". Much of the song "Plagues" from No Heroes also originated from the Verge In sessions. With the release of Axe to Fall, everything Converge contributed to the sessions has been released in some form.
Release and promotion
In August 2009, two months prior to the release of Axe to Fall, Converge made the opening track "Dark Horse" available for streaming and as a free download. The song was noted for being one of the few tracks lacking guest musicians, and was also met with a very positive reaction from reviewers. The title track, "Axe to Fall," was also made available for free download in September 2009. The entire album was available for streaming one week before the official release date on Converge's MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page. Axe to Fall was released in the US through Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
on October 20, 2009 in digital
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
and CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
formats. The vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
edition of the album was released through Jacob Bannon's own independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish, Inc. is a independent record label founded by Jacob Bannon and Tre McCarthy. The label was originally used to release early albums by Bannon's own band Converge starting in late 1991. It wasn't until late 1999 that McCarthy and Bannon discussed turning Deathwish into a full-fledged label...
, shortly after the release of the CD version.
Internet leak
On October 4, 2009 a digitally watermarkedDigital watermarking
Digital watermarking is the process of embedding information into a digital signal which may be used to verify its authenticity or the identity of its owners, in the same manner as paper bearing a watermark for visible identification. In digital watermarking, the signal may be audio, pictures, or...
advance copy of Axe to Fall had leaked
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
onto the internet. The watermark was linked to the advance copy given to Shaun Hand, a staff member of the music news and reviews website MetalSucks
MetalSucks
MetalSucks is a heavy metal music-themed news website. It was founded in December of 2006 by two friends who use the pen names Vince Neilstein and Axl Rosenberg...
.net. Converge posted a number of Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
messages regarding the leak, one of which read, "Special thanks to Shaun Hand at Metal Sucks for leaking our album," and another one was posted shortly thereafter directed at MetalSucks' Twitter account stating, "have fun with that." The source of an album leak is rarely discovered or publicly announced. Converge's method of dealing with their album leaking, referred to as "street justice" by Every Time I Die
Every Time I Die
Every Time I Die is a metalcore band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1998. Their musical style is rooted in technical hardcore with strong southern metal and mathcore elements, and is also characterised by their cryptic, bitingly sarcastic lyrics. The band announced on July 14, 2008 that they had...
and Jamey Jasta
Jamey Jasta
Jamey Jasta is an American musician from New Haven, Connecticut, best known as the lead vocalist of the hardcore band Hatebreed and sludge metal band Kingdom of Sorrow...
, avoided a costly lawsuit yet still inflicted damages upon MetalSucks by means of viral
Viral email
A viral email is a certain kind of email which rapidly propagates from person to person, generally in a word-of-mouth manner...
negative publicity. The staff at MetalSucks issued a formal apology, stating that the leak was completely unintentional and the first incident since the website's inception. They went on to say:
Artwork
The artwork for the cover and liner note booklet of Axe to Fall was designed and created by Jacob Bannon (who graduated from The Art Institute of BostonThe Art Institute of Boston
The Art Institute of Boston is a private, not-for-profit art school in Boston, Massachusetts, and a part of Lesley University. Undergraduate degree programs include animation, design, fine arts, illustration, and photography. Graduate degree programs focus on fine arts and photography, with an art...
). The booklet features a different piece of artwork for each song on the album. Bannon tried to create images that "encapsulated some of the emotion of each song" in contrast to more literal imagery, such as avoiding an axe literally falling for the song "Axe to Fall." He also experimented with a technique where a single image would be repeated within a frame, but the copies would be distressed or slightly different. This could be seen in the cover art where a single image of a woman's profile was broken down within the repetition, and some of the copies showed the woman's teeth through her cheek. Bannon stated that for the cover art, he "just wanted to have something that felt timeless and sort of embodied the whole emotional gamut of the record, something that was explosive and powerful but also something that felt poetic and soft at the same time. It could look violent and beautiful at the same time."
"Axe to Fall" music video
A music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Craig Murray for the album's title track and was released in October 2009. The short video (1:40 in duration) shows a man and a woman strapped to a machine, a television that gives birth to a bio-mechanical creature and several disturbing clips in between. The video features stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation influenced by horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
s and has been referred to as "terrifying," "seizure-inducing," "nightmarish," "excruciating" and "gross" by various sources. It was filmed in Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
with the intent of making "a film in which we see a cycle. This cycle will study an idea of new creation without pleasure and the art of numbing for progression." Murray was inspired and influenced by artists Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk....
, Gaspar Noé
Gaspar Noé
Gaspar Noé is an Argentine filmmaker and the son of Argentine painter and intellectual Luis Felipe Noé. He graduated from Louis Lumière College and is the visiting professor of film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
and the films Ringu
Ring (film)
is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
, A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
and Hardware while making the music video. On November 7, the "Axe to Fall" video debuted on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
's heavy metal music program, Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...
.
Touring
Converge's first tour in support of Axe to Fall was the MetalocalypseMetalocalypse
Metalocalypse is an American animated television series, created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha, which premiered on August 6, 2006 on Adult Swim...
tour in late 2009 sponsored by Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (United States)
Cartoon Network is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting which primarily airs animated programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992 after Turner purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991...
's Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
. Alongside High on Fire
High on Fire
High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...
, Converge held an opening slot for co-headliners Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
and Dethklok
Dethklok
Dethklok is both a virtual band featured in the Adult Swim animated program Metalocalypse, as well as a real band created to perform the band's melodic death metal music in live shows. The band was created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The music heard on Metalocalypse is performed by Brendon...
. Axe to Fall was released mid-way through the tour. Converge's first headlining tour in support of the album took place starting in April 2010, with Coalesce, Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk (band)
Harvey Milk are an American experimental rock/noise rock band that formed in Athens, Georgia in the early 1990s. While Harvey Milk invariably draws comparisons to the Melvins, due to their penchant for slow, heavy riffs, the band has touched upon such artists as ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen,...
, Gaza, Lewd Acts
Lewd Acts
Lewd Acts was an American hardcore punk band from San Diego, CA currently signed to Deathwish Inc.. The band released their debut album, Black Eye Blues, on September 1, 2009....
and Black Breath. The first week of the tour also featured Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
and Touche Amore. Converge began the European leg of their world tour in July 2010 with Kylesa
Kylesa
Kylesa is a metal band that was formed in Savannah, Georgia. Their music incorporates experimentalism with sludgy riffs, drop-tuned guitars and elements of psychedelic rock. The group was established in 2001 by the former members of Damad, with the addition of guitar player Laura Pleasants who is...
, Gaza and Kvelertak
Kvelertak
Kvelertak is a six-piece rock & roll band from Stavanger, Norway. All lyrics are written in Norwegian, the band's native language, and concerning Norse mythology/Viking folklore...
. For this tour, the band released a limited edition 7" vinyl single called "On My Shield
On My Shield
"On My Shield" is a single released by American metalcore band Converge. It was originally made available during the band's European tour in July 2010. The single was self-released by the band, though it was distributed by Converge's labels, Epitaph Records and Deathwish Inc.. The physical release...
" which was recorded between the US and European legs.
Musical style and theme
Converge took their music in a more progressiveProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
direction with Axe to Fall. Ballou noted that drummer Ben Koller had been listening to more progressive rock over the last few years, and that he tried to complement this sound on the guitar. He went on to say that he was getting the "more straightforward, raw punk aggression out in a yet-to be named hardcore side project that I started. So that leaves me free to get weird and progressive with Converge." Ballou considers the band's previous three albums (Jane Doe, You Fail Me and No Heroes) to be a trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
in regards to their sound, and hoped to push their musical boundaries on Axe to Fall. The tracks on the album have been noted to range from "drone-and-pummel" to atmospheric. Bannon believes this album is "not about being as loud and vicious as possible." Feeling that 40–50 minutes of metallic hardcore can be difficult to listen to for some, Converge used softer tracks, or "slow jams," such as "Damages" and "Wretched World" to take the listener "to some other places."
Unlike previous Converge releases, the songs on Axe to Fall do not have a central and consistent lyrical theme throughout the record. Each song was meant to be a "standalone song" about Bannon's life between this album and No Heroes. Bannon has said that he uses his lyrics and Converge to "vent about things in a healthy way so I'm not a person that walks around with a lot of negative energy." The opening track, "Dark Horse," was written about the passing of a close friend of Jacob Bannon, and how he died while trying to succeed as the "underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
".
Critical reception
Axe to Fall was met with widespread critical acclaim. MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, an aggregate
Aggregate data
In statistics, aggregate data describes data combined from several measurements.In economics, aggregate data or data aggregates describes high-level data that is composed of a multitude or combination of other more individual data....
review website, scored the album with 77 out of 100 or "generally favorable" based on ten reviews. Citing a wider range of music styles on Axe to Fall, many reviewers found the album to be Converge's most accessible album to date. The album features songs like the "doomy
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
[and] noisy
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
" track "Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast," the "synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-drenched shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
" track "Wretched World" and "Kerry King
Kerry King
Kerry King is an American lead and rhythm guitarist. He is best known as the lead guitarist and cofounder of American thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since...
-admiring solos" on "Reap What You Sow" in addition to hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
tracks like "Effigy" and "Cutter." Andrew Parks of Decibel commented on the album's wide range of sounds, stating "it strikes the perfect balance between dry-heaved hardcore—blunt trauma tracks that bleed into one another and hover around the 1:40 mark—and post-metal
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
opuses that embrace Converge's experimental impulses." Juan Diniz of Mammoth Press noted that the album flowed really well, stating that "every track compliments and balances out the one prior and after. To skip tracks would be foolish as it's a compendium of aggression, frustration, beauty, and brutality," and that the album "demands to be taken in as a whole." Cosmo Lee of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
referred to Converge as "this generation's Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
," and compared Axe to Fall to Black Flag's 1984 second studio album My War
My War
My War is the second full length album by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. It was released in 1984 on SST Records.Black Flag's founder and primary songwriter Greg Ginn played bass guitar in addition to his usual guitar; "Dale Nixon" is a pseudonym.My War was released after a long period...
. Lee noted that Converge combined abrasiveness with "slower, abstract sludge
Sludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
," much like how Black Flag mixed "equal parts lightning and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
" on My War. Several reviewers compared the Axe to Fall to Converge's highly praised 2001 album, Jane Doe
Jane Doe (album)
Jane Doe is the fourth album by American hardcore band Converge. It was released September 4, 2001 through Equal Vision Records. The album is credited as Converge's best and has received many positive ratings and much critical acclaim for the band's musical style, lyrics and the album's...
.
Axe to Fall received little negative criticism. Jared W. Dillon of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
(who had previously given No Heroes a 4.5 out of 5) gave the album a score of 2.5 out of 5, citing his distaste for the large number of guest musicians. Dillon stated that Converge "seems out of ideas as they enlisted a group of musicians associated with the band to fill in at various points of the record" and rhetorically asked, "why replace the band on a decent portion of their new record with far less talented, less interesting musicians?" He also criticized the album's longer and slower track, "Wretched World." When compared to Converge's similar previously-released-tracks, (No Heroes
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
also found Axe to Fall
Charts and sales
Axe to Fall debuted at number 74 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with 7,400 copies sold, becoming Converge's highest charting album in the US to date. It also became the first Converge album to not appear on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
albums, which ranks the top 50 albums release by bands that have never charted higher that 100 on the Billboard 200. By November 4, 2009, the album had sold 10,487 units. Axe to Fall also appeared in Canada's Chart Magazine
Chart (magazine)
ChartAttack is a Canadian online music publication. Formerly a monthly print magazine called Chart, which was published from 1991 to 2009, the web version continues operation....
, a weekly chart that complies airplay data from various Canadian campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
stations, and peaked at number 42 on their "Top 50" album chart and number 1 on their "Metal/Punk" chart.
Accolades
Axe to Falls critical acclaim has led the album to be listed on several critic's "Best of 2009" lists, both in the US and internationally. A "—" denotes the publication's list is in no particular order, and Axe to Fall did not rank numerically.| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Sound Rock Sound Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:... |
UK | Top 75 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 2 |
| Decibel | US | Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 2 |
| Noisecreep Noisecreep Noisecreep is a hard rock and heavy metal music news and media website based in the United States. The site was created by AOL Music in March 2009.... |
US | Top 10 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | — |
| CMU College Music Update College Music Update or Complete Music Update, better known as CMU or the CMU Daily, is a music news service and website aimed at people working in the UK music business or music media. It primarily provides news and information about the music business, music media and music world. It is now best... |
UK | Top 10 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | — |
| The A.V. Club The A.V. Club The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its... |
US | Top 25 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 8 |
| The Skinny | Scotland | Top 10 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 6 |
| Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites... |
US | Staff Picks: Top 50 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 5 |
| Revolver Revolver (magazine) Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy... |
US | The 20 Best Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 4 |
| BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... |
UK | Best Albums of 2009 – Rock & Indie | 2009 | 8 |
| Metacritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,... |
13 | |||
| Allmusic | US | AllMusic's Favorite Metal Albums of 2009 | 2009 | — |
| PopMatters PopMatters PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,... |
US | The Best 60 Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 59 |
| PopMatters PopMatters PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,... |
US | The Best Metal Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 3 |
| Stereogum Stereogum Stereogum was one of the first MP3 blogs. It was created by Scott Lapatine in January 2002 with a focus on independent and alternative music news, downloads, videos, and gossip. Stereogum has received several awards and citations, including the 2008 Plug Award for best music blog, Blender's... |
US | Top 30 Metal Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 1 |
| NPR | US | Top Metal Albums of 2009 | 2009 | 5 |
Track listing
Personnel
Axe to Fall personnel as listed in CD liner notes.Converge
- Jacob BannonJacob BannonJacob Bannon is the vocalist, lyricist, and graphic artist for the American metalcore band Converge. He is also the founder and owner of the label Deathwish Inc...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, lyricsLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:... - Kurt BallouKurt BallouKurt Ballou is the guitarist from Massachusetts-based band Converge. Aside from his role in Converge, he is a prolific producer, engineering and producing out of his own Godcity studio.- GodCity studio :...
– guitarsElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, backing vocals, lead vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Nate NewtonNate Newton (musician)Nate Newton is the bassist in hardcore band Converge.He also plays guitar and sings in two side projects, Old Man Gloom and Doomriders.Before relocating to the Boston area in 1999, he was in the Virginia Beach area hardcore punk bands Lift, Jesuit, Channel, Edison and Dwell...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Ben Koller – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Production and recording
- Kurt Ballou – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
at GodCity Studios - Alex Garcia-Rivera – drum tech
- Fred EstbyFred EstbyFred Estby is a Swedish drummer. He is best known as the drummer and main songwriter of the Swedish death metal band Dismember. Before he played drums in the band Carnage...
– additional recording - Josh Penner – additional recording
- Aslak – additional recording
- Jonathan Fuller – additional recording
- Jeff Kane – additional recording
- Steve Von Till – additional recording
- Alan Douches – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
at West West Side Studios
Artwork and design
- Jacob Bannon – artwork, design and illustrations
Guest musicians
- Sean Martin (ex-HatebreedHatebreed- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
, Cage) – lead guitar, backing vocals on "Reap What You Sow" - George Hirsch (BlacklistedBlacklisted (band)Blacklisted was a hardcore band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They have toured North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the UK.-History:...
) – backing vocals on "Axe to Fall" - Steve Brodsky (Cave InCave InCave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. After several members changes in the late 90's, their lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records. Their early albums were prominent releases in the independent...
) – lead guitar on "Effigy" - Adam McGrath (Cave In) – guitars on "Effigy"
- John-Robert Connors (Cave In, DoomridersDoomridersDoomriders is a heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band has released two albums on Deathwish, Inc. The band's vocalist/guitarist Nate Newton also plays bass in Converge and guitar in Old Man Gloom. Jebb Riley formerly played bass in "There Were Wires". Doomriders have toured with...
) – drums on "Effigy" and "Wretched World" - Ulf Cederlund (DisfearDisfearDisfear is a Swedish D-beat band that formed in the early 1990s. They have only recorded sporadically over the years. After releasing the albums Soul Scars in 1995 and Everyday Slaughter in 1997, the group did not release an album until 2003 with a 12 track album, Misanthropic Generation, featuring...
, ex-EntombedEntombed (band)Entombed is a Swedish death metal band which formed in 1987 under the name of Nihilist. Though Entombed began their career as an early pioneer of Scandinavian death metal which initially differed itself from its American counterpart with its distinct guitar tone, by the early 1990s their sound had...
) – lead guitar, backing vocals on "Wishing Well" - Tim "Trivikrama Dasa" Cohen (108108 (band)108 is an American hardcore band founded in 1991. Their music reflected the Hare Krishna faith of its members. Their name comes from the number of beads on the Japa mala, or mantra counting beads.- History :...
) – lead guitar on "Damages" - John Pettibone (Undertow, Himsa) – backing vocals on "Cutter"
- Steve Von TillSteve Von TillSteve von Till is best known as singer and guitarist for the atmospheric metal band Neurosis, replacing Chad Salter in 1989. He is also in Tribes of Neurot and Culper Ring, and records solo work under both his given name and the moniker Harvestman...
(NeurosisNeurosis (band)Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
) – lead vocals on "Cruel Bloom" - Aimee Argote (Des Ark) – backing vocals on "Cruel Bloom"
- "The Rodeo" – backing vocals on "Cruel Bloom"
- Chris Taylor (Pygmy LushPygmy LushPygmy Lush is a band from Sterling, Virginia formed by ex-Pg. 99 members Mike and Chris Taylor and Johnny Ward. Other members include Mike Widman and David Krepinevich, and previous associated acts include City of Caterpillar, Malady, Mannequin, etc.In 2007, they released an album of previously...
, ex-Pg. 99Pg. 99Pg. 99 was a screamo band from Sterling, Virginia on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. The band formed as a six-piece in fall 1997 and later expanded to an eight-piece...
) – backing vocals on "Cruel Bloom" - Mookie Singerman (Genghis TronGenghis TronGenghis Tron is a three-piece experimental metal band formed in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York and San Francisco, California. Genghis Tron signed to Relapse Records after releasing two recordings on Crucial Blast. The band is noted for its creative...
) – lead vocals, keyboardElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
on "Wretched World" - Hamilton Jordan (Genghis Tron) – guitars on "Wretched World"
- Michael Sochynsky (Genghis Tron) – keyboard on "Wretched World"
- Brad Fickeisen (The Red ChordThe Red ChordThe Red Chord is an American grindcore band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band is made up of vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, and bassist Greg Weeks. The band gained a fanbase with its 2002 debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors. The second album,...
) – drums on "Wretched World"
Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
196 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
74 |
| US Billboard Hard Rock Albums | 12 |
| US Billboard Independent Albums | 8 |
| US Billboard Rock Albums | 33 |
External links
- Official Converge Website
- Axe to Fall at Epitaph RecordsEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
- Track By Track: Converge's Axe to Fall with J. Bannon