Hardcore is Alive
Hardcore is what got me into heavy music, so even though I learn further towards metal now, there are a few meaningful musical discoveries from that genre that have carried over in my repertoire of respected artists.
The point of this entry was simply to express the following thought:
Man, Converge is fuckin' good!
They're pioneers in a genre that now (to be cynical) promotes mediocrity, yet they continue to both make consistently inspired music and stay well within the confines of the genre.
To be more clear, many of the hardcore bands I like are ones I appreciate because they are able to bring in elements from outside the genre. It's a different type of skill (not better or worse) to be so good at your craft that you understand the positive and negative aspects of your style, and consistently utilize the former. To bring this to a more common ground, a typical rock or pop song has the simplest of elements: verses, choruses, bridges, melodies and a simple beat. In the right hands, these elements can be put together to form compositions meaningful enough to touch your soul.
A further sign of mindfulness of what works and what doesn't is on the strongest track on Converge's recent "No Heroes" album. The vocals in Converge are shorts bursts of jarring screams. Jacob Bannon has attempted some singing in the past, but it's certainly outside the scope of his talents. Grim Heart/Black Rose is a sort of doom ballad with an extremely strong melody; to do justice to the song, they brought in a strong singer from outside the band (only for that song). What humility in service of art!
Grim Heart/Black Rose
Converge
When i see me in your eyes
i just want to go blind
when i build coffin worlds with words
i just want a place to hide
when old ghosts meet new regrets
my daylight fades to grey
when our days bring guilt and shame
my heart turns black
these are my tombs
painted black and blue
these are my tombs painted
just for you
goodnight
goodnight dear
goodbye
black rose
be my light
in the darkness of nights
be my heart
The point of this entry was simply to express the following thought:
Man, Converge is fuckin' good!
They're pioneers in a genre that now (to be cynical) promotes mediocrity, yet they continue to both make consistently inspired music and stay well within the confines of the genre.
To be more clear, many of the hardcore bands I like are ones I appreciate because they are able to bring in elements from outside the genre. It's a different type of skill (not better or worse) to be so good at your craft that you understand the positive and negative aspects of your style, and consistently utilize the former. To bring this to a more common ground, a typical rock or pop song has the simplest of elements: verses, choruses, bridges, melodies and a simple beat. In the right hands, these elements can be put together to form compositions meaningful enough to touch your soul.
A further sign of mindfulness of what works and what doesn't is on the strongest track on Converge's recent "No Heroes" album. The vocals in Converge are shorts bursts of jarring screams. Jacob Bannon has attempted some singing in the past, but it's certainly outside the scope of his talents. Grim Heart/Black Rose is a sort of doom ballad with an extremely strong melody; to do justice to the song, they brought in a strong singer from outside the band (only for that song). What humility in service of art!
Grim Heart/Black Rose
Converge
When i see me in your eyes
i just want to go blind
when i build coffin worlds with words
i just want a place to hide
when old ghosts meet new regrets
my daylight fades to grey
when our days bring guilt and shame
my heart turns black
these are my tombs
painted black and blue
these are my tombs painted
just for you
goodnight
goodnight dear
goodbye
black rose
be my light
in the darkness of nights
be my heart