CONVERGE, THE RED CHORD, BARONESS, GENGHIS TRON
(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) If you’re currently somewhere between the ages of 20 and 30, chances are I don’t need to try and sell you on Converge. There was a brief time there (right after 2001’s hardcore masterpiece Jane Doe was released) that the band was inescapable, and much like what Mastodon have become in recent years, they were the metal band that it was acceptable to love no matter what kind of music you find yourself typically listening to. Since then the band has released two more stellar albums full of their signature chaotic time structures, hardcore-influenced vocals, and punch-you-in-the-face relentlessness, and for dudes who have been doing this for 15-plus years to still be this good is nothing short of amazing. ROB SIMONSEN

I agree. During the Jane Doe tour the crowd at the Paris Theatre (before it housed nothing but porno flicks, I swear) was a mixed bag of indie kids, heshers, and the hoodied hardcore masses. It was glorious.

MP3:
Converge - Fault And Fracture