You Fail Me

by crustcake gerf (NYC)

In case you're suffering from a bout of amnesia, I'd like to politely remind you that Converge's 2004 album, You Fail Me, is fucking incredible. Despite the fact that the album was received fairly well by critics, it seems to be the red-headed stepchild of the band's discography-- in a typical conversation about Converge, people will mention Petitioning the Empty Sky or Jane Doe as landmark albums (which they certainly are), or No Heroes as a modern masterpiece (which it certainly is). You Fail Me just doesn't seem to have the same clout with heavy music connoisseurs.

And that's unfortunate, because You Fail Me is by no exaggeration one of the best heavy albums of the 21st century (and my personal favorite of the Boston quartet).

So go listen to You Fail Me right fucking now, but be sure you're in the privacy of your own home because if you start blasting this at work or school, people will probably give you some odd glances, especially when you begin uncontrollably air riffing/drumming and/or solo moshing. It'll make you feel like a kid again.

Download: Converge - "Black Cloud" [MP3]
Download: Converge - "Eagles Become Vultures" [MP3]
Buy: Converge - You Fail Me [Amazon]

Converge will be touring the US with The Red Chord, Genghis Tron, Baroness, and Coliseum starting at the end of this month. What a fucking lineup. I'll be at the April Fools' Day gig.

Converge, The Red Chord, Genghis Tron: Lambs For Lions Tour 2008

03/30: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium *
04/01: NYC, NY @ The Blender Theatre @ Gramercy *
04/02: Buffalo, NY @ Showplace Theatre *
04/03: Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's Downunder *
04/04: Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick *
04/05: Chicago, IL @ Reggies Rock Club *
04/06: Chicago, IL @ Reggies Rock Club *
04/07: Milwaukee, WI @ Richfield Chalet *
04/08: Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club *
04/09: Sioux Falls, SD @ Nutty's North *
04/10: Iowa City, IA @ The Picador *
04/11: Omaha, NE @ Sokol Underground *
04/12: Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck *
04/13: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre *
04/15: Boise, ID @ The Venue *
04/16: Portland, OR @ Satyricon *
04/17: Oakland, CA @ The Metro *
04/18: Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory *
04/19: Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse *
04/20: Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse Music Venue *
04/22: Austin, TX @ Red 7 #
04/23: Dallas, TX @ The Door #
04/24: Houston, TX @ Red Room @ Meridian #
04/25: New Orleans, LA @ The High Ground #
04/26: St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre #
04/27: Orlando, FL @ The Social #
04/28: Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds #
04/29: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade #
04/30: Virginia Beach, VA @ Steppin' Out #
05/01: Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar #
05/02: Pittsburgh, PA @ The School #
05/03: Philadelphia, PA @ Starlight Ballroom #

* w/ Baroness
# w/ Coliseum

Converge - "Last Light" (live):



In related news, Converge shrieker Jacob Bannon recently released a solo single, "The Blood of Thine Enemies," in anticipation of a forthcoming album.

"The Blood Of Thine Enemies" is the long awaited debut solo recording from J. Bannon (Converge, Supermachiner, etc). "The Blood..." is a minimalist six minute emotional dirge unlike any of his previous musical/artistic efforts. Haunting in it's simplicity, this release foreshadows his anticipated "Wear Your Wounds" album, due out on Deathwish later in 2008.

Meant to be a stand alone piece, "The Blood..." is exclusively available as a one sided 7"EP (w/ a beautifully etched B-side) and will not be included on any other J. Bannon release. Please note that there is no retail release for this 7"EP, the only place you can purchase it is in the DW Estore.

Andrew @ Aversionline really digs the single and has a sample for you.