It’s been a pretty goddamn despicable, awful, torturous year out there, and there’s no real sugar coating it. We also aren’t terribly close to an end. Luckily, the heavy music world has provided a LOT of solace with new music from Panopticon, Neurosis (WHAT?!), Sunn 0))), Immolation, At the Gates, and Converge. Now we have more. From … Converge?
Correct. A second Converge record has hit the shelves in the form of “Hum of Hurt,” 10 more tracks and 34 minutes that follow up February’s thunderous “Love Is Not Enough.” Somewhat in the same vein of “Love,” this record is a barnstormer with fewer of the sludgier, lengthier pounders and more straight-up firebreathers. Not that the band—vocalist Jacob Bannon, guitarist Kurt Ballou, bassist/vocalist Nate Newton, and drummer Ben Koller—isn’t chock full of ideas, as there are plenty here. It’s heavier on the smothering side, which makes for a fuck of a lot of songs that’ll hurt savagely live.
“Slip the Noose” opens feeling like some of the more violent cuts on “Love,” the drums ripping, howls mashing, the guitars glistening and mangling before zany leads drive home. “Doom in Bloom” has guitars sliding and screams slashing, Bannon howling, “No one has the right to judge me!” Guitars twist and dust as the pace pounds, ravaging fully. “It Only Gets Worse” strikes, guitars racing as the pace crushes, steely fury exploding as the vocals slash. There’s a heavy metallic push that gallops, the pressure mounting as the title is shouted, Bannon’s and Newton’s voices combining into a maelstrom. “Detonator” eases in, the vocals scalding, guitars snaking around corners, the tempered pace taking its time shaking the foundation. Bannon’s speak singing stings as the band hits harder, delving into chunky thrash. “I Won’t Let You Go” has guitars poking before lighting up, and then the storm arrives, clashing and blistering, Bannon calling, “I want to be the better me that you deserve.” The tempo charges harder, intensifying and blazing, burning everything to a crisp.
“It’s Not Up to Us” has the bass flexing and spacey guitar work, and then everything goes off. Howls torch as a tornadic gust explodes, the low end chugging, the energy snarling and wrecking. “Dream Debris” is the longest track, running 6:01 and slipping into trancey drumming, a Western vibe coloring skies, the noise spreading dangerously toward your psyche. Bannon’s cries then rip as the energy pummels, Newton’s raspy screams join the fray, and the battle flattens ribcages, diving into the rubble. “It Used to Matter” is a strange instrumental that feels like it comes from the traces of a dream, guitars smearing through fog, clouds gathering and numbing before melting into the horizon. The title track opens with the bass and drums uniting, metallic teeth chewing rock, Bannon yelling over the din as the leads spurt. Newton screams as the playing fires up again, the guitars destroy, and the bass tramples until everything fades into closer “Nothing Is Over” that rises on sound hums before everything tears apart. The madness turns airy for a stretch, feedback swelling and pulling back into the madness. Howls batter as the intensity thickens, a brief cosmic respite brings the stars into our atmosphere, and a last gasp delivers a violent finish.
Most bands are hard pressed to put out one strong record a year much less two, but most bands aren’t Converge. “Hum of Hurt” is a barnburner, not quite to the level of “Love Is Not Enough” but still pretty goddamn powerful. We’ve been spoiled by this band to a ridiculous level, with 2026 being their most giving time of delivering the earth-shaking goods.
For more on the band, go here: https://convergecult.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://www.epitaph.com/products/hum-of-hurt-lp-night-terror
Or here: https://deathwishinc.com/collections/converge
For more on the label, go here: https://www.epitaph.com/
And here: https://deathwishinc.com/
Meat Mead Metal 