Extreme music pioneers Converge have announced the February 13th arrival of their eleventh full length studio album, Love Is Not Enough. Coinciding with the band's 35th anniversary as a unit, the album was collaborative effort constructed within the trusted inner circle of the veteran collective. Recorded and mixed by the band's own Kurt Ballou at God City, the engineering was aided by Zach Weeks with all art, including individual single artwork all helmed by frontman Jacob Bannon.
Asserting a unique expertise across punk, metal and hardcore, Converge epitomizes the masterclass with an album that sources and translates the emotional toll of living to construct a 10-song presentation rooted in catharsis. Frontman Jacob Bannon spoke to the level of investment the members have in both the project and the band, offering some insight to the authenticity of the record.
“We still identify this band as the outlet that’s essential to our lives,” Bannon confides. “We give everything we have to it. Being past your average middle age, we’re starting to see deeper than before into a variety of places. And I don’t think that’s specific to us. I think that’s something that’s utterly relatable.”
Previewing the album, Converge have shared the compelling title track. Showcasing the band's signature musical intensity, the single is equally emotional in its execution. In a world that has written off compassion as weakness, Converge contend the opposite with a an explosive 2-minutes that "...explores what it means to remain empathetic and compassionate in the modern world. A reckoning with who we are today and hope to be in the future— if we can fend off the scavengers," siad Bannon.
As for the scope of the album, Love Is Not Enough relies entirely on the nucleus of Converge. Between Bannon, Ballou, bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller, the priority remains upping their level of artistry while always maintaining their integrity. “I think that realism is missing from a lot of modern music of any genre, but especially our genre,” Bannon says. “Things either go super raw and almost chaotic to the point where it's distracting, or bands take the life out of what they’re doing by editing every aspect. Sometimes the perfect take is the one that has some wildness to it. It's not perfectly executed. There’s a lot of powerful moments on this record and a lot of angry moments. The realism amplifies that.”
Love Is Not Enough, the new album from Converge arrives February 13th via Deathwish/Epitaph. Order the album - HERE
